Banker & Tradesman: June 30, 2025

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Turn to page B1 for Banker & Tradesman’s monthly coverage of all things commercial real estate.

THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND REAL ESTATE WEEKLY FOR MASSACHUSETTS BY THE NUMBERS

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County close-up: Berkshire Spotlight: New Ashford

IN PERSON

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A build-up of inventory is reshaping the larger Greater Boston housing market, but things are playing out a little differently in the luxury space. Michael Harper, who recently re-affiliated with Coldwell Banker’s Back Bay office, is watching that all play out.

WEEK OF MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2025

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BY THE NUMBERS

A four-bedroom home by modernist architect Walter Pierce is currently on the market for $1.79 million in Lexington’s Peacock Farm.

MIDCENTURY MOMENT

38 The Raffles Boston tower has 38 pied-a-terre units. See Jay Fitzgerald’s story on page B1. Source: The Collaborative Companies

60,000 square feet The size of Welch’s new Waltham corporate headquarters. See Hot Property on page 10. Source: BXP

$1 million The low end of the price range for Raffles Boston’s pied-a-terres. See Jay Fitzgerald’s story on page B1. Source: The Warren Group

John Dolan spent two years as head of Avison Young’s Boston office. See Week on the Web on page 2. Source: The Warren Group

146 The total number of condominiums in the Raffles Boston tower. See Jay Fitzgerald’s story on page B1. Source: The Warren Group

21 stories The owners of Hood Park in Charlestown plan a 21-story tower. See Week on the Web on page 2. Source: Boston Planning Department

2 Two floors of restaurants and meeting rooms separate Raffles Boston’s pied-a-terre units from its larger condos. See Jay Fitzgerald’s story on page B1. Source: The Collaborative Companies

60 days Gov. Maura Healey is proposing that certain housing developments get their Chapter 91 licenses in 60 days. See James Sanna’s story on page 9. Source: Gov. Maura Healey’s office

Unless otherwise noted, all data is sourced from The Warren Group’s Mortgage Market Share Module, Loan Originator Module, Statistics Module and/or proprietary database. For more information please visit www.thewarrengroup.com/business/ datasolutions.

Staying Power for an Experiment in

SUBURBAN LIVING Throwback Styles Thrive in Protected Subdivisions

BY STEVE ADAMS BANKER & TRADESMAN STAFF

T

ime seems frozen in the midcentury enclaves of suburban Boston, neighborhoods where architecture and community remain fixed in an era before McMansions that maximize development on building lots. Untouched by the wave of teardowns replacing ranches and Capes in many suburbs, neighborhoods such as Peacock Farm, Six Moon Hill and Five Fields in Lexington continue to attract buyers attracted to modernist

architecture and elements of utopian living. Dan Hisel, a Lexington architect and Peacock Farm resident, said the neighborhood’s reputation attracts buyers who aren’t interested in cookie-cutter styles. “People who buy into the neighborhood typically get it and want to preserve the character of the neighborhood,” Hisel said. Architect-designed split-levels nestle atop rocky ridges in tree-lined landscapes, accommodating the suburban desire for privacy. Neighborhood associations were originally based upon the co-op model, giving owners a partial ownership interest in common areas such as picnic groves and swimming pools. The neighborhoods’ static appearance is no accident: Covenants and conservation

districts ensure a thorough review of proposed changes to homes and yards, preserving an atmosphere that devotees swear by as uniquely human-scaled. “Depending upon the neighborhood and who’s interpreting the architectural guidelines, they can be quite stringent, or not stringent,” said Bill Janovitz, a Lexington real estate agent who has a specialty in midcentury properties.

Tech Boom Spurred Migration

During the same post-war era when Cambridge’s technology industry was migrating to western suburbs, an experiment in residential living sprang up in towns such as Lincoln, Belmont and Lexington. Continued on Page 10

LANDLORDS LOSE OUT

COMMERCIAL INTERESTS

Trump Proposing Big Cut That Leaves Housing Providers Anxious

With Affordability Front and Center, the Wheels Are Coming Off

By Sam Minton | Banker & Tradesman Staff

By Scott Van Voorhis | Banker & Tradesman Columnist

Photo courtesy of Modern Mass

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Landlords and Development Massachusetts’ Clean Energy Caught in Section 8 Crossfire Plans Face a Reckoning

Commercial Real Estate PAGE 3

Opinion PAGE 4


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