ARMSTRONG FIELD REAL ESTATE BLOG

Essex County market report · Armstrong Field Group The Five Most Expensive Homes Sold on the North Shore This Past Year Three oceanfront estates, a 1929 Colonial with a restored tennis court, and a shingled property in Manchester with its own greenhouse. Here's what actually changed hands at the top

North Shore Buyer Strategy Higher Mortgage Rates Aren't All Bad News for Buyers When rates climb, competition cools. That shift quietly hands buyers on the North Shore something they haven't had much of in years: room to negotiate. By Jim Armstrong, REALTOR® · Armstrong Field Group at Aluxety Real E

North Shore Massachusetts Buyer Update Is September 27–October 3 Really the Best Week to Buy a Home in 2026? A new Realtor.com analysis points to one especially buyer-friendly week—but North Shore buyers should understand what the national headline does and does not mean locally. By Jim Armstrong, R

North Shore Massachusetts Real Estate · 2026 The $1 Million Home Isn’t a Mansion Anymore What buyers actually get for seven figures in Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Marblehead, Gloucester, and other North Shore communities—and why the answer can change within a few miles. By Jim Armstrong, REALTOR® · Arm

Artificial Intelligence · Technology & Society Is AI Really Planning to Take Over the World? There's a lot of talk about artificial intelligence becoming too powerful, escaping human control, or even deciding that people are no longer necessary. How much of that is science fiction, and how much shou

North Shore Market Update · Fall 2026 North Shore Fall Housing Market 2026: More Balanced, but Not the Same in Every Town A town-by-town look at Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Peabody, and Gloucester — with single-family homes and condominiums kept where they belong: in separate columns. By Jim Armstrong,

☕ Daily Briefing | Sunday, August 23, 2026 Today's five stories have a useful common denominator: the cost of money and the cost of doing business are both under pressure. For North Shore real estate, demand remains remarkably strong, but tariffs, oil and Treasury yields are all capable of keeping a

Pricing Your North Shore Home: Why You Should Price to Tomorrow's Market, Not Yesterday's Comps A practical guide for sellers navigating a Massachusetts market that's still strong — but changing If you've talked to a neighbor who sold their house on the North Shore a year ago, you probably heard som

Why the Second Half of the Year Might Be Your Best Shot at Buying on the North Shore Everyone thinks spring is the time to buy a house. Here's the case for the other six months. 2.1× More Active Listings Now vs. This Spring +55% More Homes Had a Price Cut, 2nd Half vs. 1st Half 101% Avg. Sale-to-Lis

  Massachusetts Has One of the Lowest Homeownership Rates in the Country — Here's What a New Federal Analysis Means for North Shore Buyers A new Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis analysis suggests the real U.S. homeownership rate is closer to 53%, not the 65.3% the Census Bureau reports. Massachus

src below for the resulting cdn.chime.me URL. ===================================================== --> North Shore Market Watch What's Actually Happening in Beverly's Housing Market Right Now A grounded look at pricing, inventory, and pace of sales in Beverly, MA — straight from the current data, n

Are Home Appraisals Coming in Below Sale Price in Massachusetts? (2026 Update) If you’ve been following the Massachusetts real estate market, you’ve probably heard the question: “Are homes still appraising at the contract price?” The short answer:Sometimes—but it’s not widespread. The longer answer

Mortgage Rates Are Rising Again—But Here’s What Buyers Need to Know Right Now After dipping below 6% not long ago, mortgage rates have started creeping back up—and naturally, that’s getting buyers a little uneasy. But here’s the bigger picture:Even with the recent uptick, today’s rates are still low

 Massachusetts North Shore Housing Market for Sellers: What’s Really Happening Right Now If you’re thinking about selling on the North Shore—whether in Beverly, Salem, Danvers, Peabody, or nearby towns—you’ve probably heard mixed messages: “The market is slowing down” “Prices are still high” “Buyers

Why Massachusetts’ Proposed 2026 Rent Control Ballot Initiative Could Harm Both Renters and Housing Providers Understanding Initiative Petition 25-21 The debate over housing affordability in Massachusetts has intensified in recent years, particularly in high-demand cities such as Boston, Cambridge,

Understanding Why Buyers Paused During High Mortgage Rate Cycles When mortgage rates climbed rapidly over the past few years, the housing market experienced something unusual: a large number of potential home buyers simply hit the pause button. Instead of continuing their home search, many household

Quick answer: As of March 2, 2026, the primary residence capital gains exclusion has not been increased. The limits remain $250,000 (single) and $500,000 (married filing jointly) under federal law. Proposals supported by groups like NAR have been discussed, but no bill has become law yet, so there i

  SALEM, MA 2025–2026 MARKET SNAPSHOT Salem’s local market data is a key part of deciding whether to list in 2026. 🔹 Median home values in Salem have been around $590k–$600k, showing slight year-over-year gains — not explosive increases, but stability. 🔹 Inventory levels vary by neighborhood: Sout

The North Shore Real Estate Landscape: Where We Stand Today As we approached the 3rd moth of 2026, we find ourselves at a defining moment in the North Shore Massachusetts real estate market. Over the past several years, the region has experienced remarkable price appreciation, constrained housing in

If you’re thinking about selling your home in Massachusetts in Spring 2026, you’re already ahead of the curve. Spring is traditionally the strongest season for buyer demand — but the market continues to evolve with interest rates, inventory levels, and buyer behavior. Here are the top 10 questions M