MassHousing Blog

Opportunity Knocks April 10

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: it’s a great time to buy a home in Massachusetts. Here’s why: interest rates remain near historic lows, prices are at their most affordable levels in years and incentives like the federal homebuyer tax credit are still out there.

To help homebuyers explore and achieve homeownership, MassHousing is again teaming with the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS to host a series of homebuyer fairs dubbed Opportunity Knocks. On April 10, there five free homebuyer fairs where you can meet MassHousing staff, lenders, Realtors and community organizations committed to affordable, responsible homeownership. Each fair is a pretty unique venue where you can speak one-on-one with professionals about all aspects of the homebuying process.

The April 10 events will be held

• Dartmouth Mall, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Holyoke Mall, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Solomon Pond Mall, Marlboro, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• South Shore Plaza, Braintree, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Square One Mall, Saugus, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The April 10 homebuyer fairs are certainly the largest Opportunity Knocks events, but they're not the only ones. Meet the Lender and Realtor nights have been scheduled for April 7 in Gardner and Lowell; April 8 in Pittsfield; April 27 in Athol; and May 5 in Fall River.

All Opportunity Knocks events are free, and no registration is needed. You can learn more about Opportunity Knocks at masshomefair.com. We hope to see you at one of the events.

Developing Business in a Diverse Marketplace

On March 3, around 200 lenders from a number of MassHousing partner institutions came to Framingham for an all-day seminar titled, "Developing Business in a Diverse Marketplace." The event was part of MassHousing's larger effort to reach out to and address the needs of minority borrowers in the Commonwealth.

You can view several the presentations online. And if you're interested in learning more about the event, the larger outreach effort or how your organization can better speak to minority communities in Massachusetts, contact our Business Development Team.

Hoarding resources and information

The subject of hoarding has become increasingly common lately, and housing professionals in Massachusetts and across the country continue to grapple with this complex issue. Community Services Manager Tom Lyons recently discussed hoarding on Greater Boston with Emily Rooney on WGBH. It’s an informative piece that gives some unique insight into the issue.

A few weeks ago, MassHousing’s Community Services Department announced that it would hold four free Hoarding Risk Assessment Meetings. Two of those meetings have reached attendance capacity, but two more have been scheduled. You can view the updated schedule and register online.

Since we hosted a conference on hoarding a few years ago, MassHousing has also hosted a large collection of links, articles and resources on the topic for housing professionals. Have a look.