Page 13 - New England Condominium March 2020

NEWENGLANDCONDO.COM NEW ENGLAND CONDOMINIUM -MARCH 2020 13 Quality Since 1974 • AGED DARK • AGED BLACK • MIX • HEMLOCK • WOOD CHIPS 1431 Bedford St. Abington, MA02351 Bus: 781-878-3351 r.a.piercetrucking@gmail.com www.rapiercetrucking.com 185 Devonshire Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02110 Quality Representation at Reasonable Rates. (617) 988-0633 Contact Attorney Frank Flynn: FRANK@FLYNNLAW-NE.COM Flynn_E4C.qxp:Layout 1 12/8/14 2:30 PM Page 1 must manage and oversee a team that enforcement of a condominium regulation itself manages large portfolios of multi- family, office, retail, or industrial proper- ties, as well as meet specific industry and Against Discrimination (LAD) and the educational requirements and pass a cer- tification exam. Those that earn the CPM Ferrara. “Ms. Vassallo has been given no designation demonstrate overall expertise credible explanation as to why mezuzahs, and integrity to employers, owners, and to which she has no objection, are permit- investors. “IREM credentials are highly regarded not.” throughout the industry, and not eas- ily earned,” said Kristin Pine, Director of years have not resulted in settlement of Training & Education for Peabody Prop- erties. “We are thrilled that so many of resolved quickly and equitably, a com- our Peabody staff took the initiative to plaint will be filed in New Jersey Superior further their professional development to Court. “I am confident that we can prevail better serve our communities, and have on the claims in this case, which is only been honored to support them throughout part of a national trend of such abuses by their journeys.” Religious Statue at Center of Condo Dis- pute It’s a showdown being watched by con- dominium owners and boards across the nation: Two New Jersey homeowners are facing off against their association over the placement of a religious statue on their front porch and the fines assessed against them for doing so. Christopher Ferrara, special counsel for the Thomas More Society, is representing Mary Jeanne Vassallo and co-owner Scott Peters, in what he describes as a “clear cut case of religious discrimination in hous- ing,” according to Insidernj.com. The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm. According to news reports, the 18-inch tall figurine of the Virgin Mary has been in the family for 20 years. It belonged to Vassallo’s deceased son, who received it as a gift during a church renovation while he was a second-grader in the parish Catholic school. The dispute dates back five years, when the association began assessing fines against the couple. The condominium as- sociation board’s position is that display of the figurine is forbidden and subject to fines — which now amount to at least $750, according to the Society. “Addition- ally,” Ferrara said, “the owners received an email from a representative of the condo management company describing the stat- ue as an ‘idol’ that ‘should be smashed.’ “A crucifix or figurine is deemed intol- erable,” Ferrara said. “The real reason \\\[the association won’t let the owners display the statue\\\] is they don’t like the statue be- cause it’s the Virgin Mary and some people find it offensive.” Other condominium residents in Vas- sallo’s Barrister Farms Condominium complex are allowed to affix Jewish me- zuzahs to their front doors, Ferrara said. A mezuzah, whose display Vassallo sup- ports, is a religious icon in the form of a decorative case containing Hebrew scrip- tures. “Ms. Vassallo seeks only similar accommodation of her own Catholic re- ligion,” said Mr. Ferrara. “This selective is a violation of their rights under the Fed- eral Fair Housing Act, New Jersey’s Law New Jersey state constitution,” explained ted but a figurine of the Blessed Virgin is Mediation efforts over the past few the issue, and Ferrara said that if it is not condo associations.” Energy & Environment Mass. on Top 10 List for LEED Certifica- tion The U.S. Green Building Council (US- GBC) has announced its annual list of the Top 10 States for LEED green building cer- tifications. Each of the 50 states is ranked based on the number of LEED-certified square feet per person in 2019, based both on 2010 U.S. Census population data and on commercial and institutional green products certified throughout 2019. This year’s top 10 states are home to more than 105 million people total, in- cluding more than 80,000 LEED green building professionals. Massachusetts was the only New England state to land on the Council’s Top 10 list, with 24.51 million certified “green square feet” for 101 proj- ects in 2019. According to the recent re- port, the Massachusetts projects represent 3.74 certified green square feet per capita. By comparison, list-leading Colorado’s projects represent 4.76 square feet of cer- tified space per resident. Illinois came in second, with 3.85 square feet of certified space and New York in third, with 3.76 certified green square feet per capita. “As we embark on a new decade, the USGBC community is focused on help- ing more projects get on the path to LEED certification and a more sustainable fu- ture,” says Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “Over the last year, the Top 10 states have certified projects that serve as incredible examples of how green building can create more sustainable and resilient spaces that improve our living standard…As we enter our next chapter, we are committed to helping more build- ings, cities, and communities improve their sustainability performance through LEED.” Real Estate First-Time Buyers “Significant” Factor in Mass. Massachusetts first-time home buyers remained a significant part of the market in 2019 despite ongoing challenges like rising median prices and a historically low number of homes for sale in the Bay State, according to the recently released 2019 Massachusetts Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The report, produced by the National Association of Realtors® on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR), says the share of first-time buyers in Massachusetts was above the national average again, at 45 percent, while the na- tional average remained at 33 percent for the second year in a row. “Despite the record-low number of homes for sale and near-record-high pric- es, the percentage of Massachusetts first- time buyers was again higher than the na- tional average,” said 2020 MAR President Kurt Thompson, broker at Keller Williams Realty – North Central in Leominster. “Our state is in demand. This is a trend we want and need to continue, but we still need more homes for sale to ensure that first-time home buyers of all income levels have the same opportunity to live here.” 2019 Set Condo Price Records Massachusetts single-family home and condominium sales surged by double digits in December as median sale prices jumped higher, according to a press re- lease from The Warren Group, a leading provider of real estate and transaction data. “The trend was fairly obvious all year long—2019 was another record-setting year for Massachusetts real estate prices,” said Tim Warren, CEO of The Warren Group. “Despite a slight dip in single- family sales compared to 2018, the streak of the median sale price increasing on a year-over-year basis continues. The last time the year-end median single-family home price declined was at the tail end of the housing market crash in 2011. Bar- ring anything drastic, I fully expect this record-setting trend to continue in 2020.” In December, there were 2,099 con- dominium sales, compared to 1,752 sales in December 2018—a 19.8 percent in- crease. Meanwhile, the median sale price increased 4.1 percent on a year-over-year basis to $379,000—an all-time high for the month of December. Year-to-date, there were 24,522 condo sales in 2019—a 0.03 percent increase—with a median sale price of $380,000—a 4.1 percent increase from 2018. Warren said growth in the median sale prices for condos was “largely spurred by the number of luxury developments brought to market during the course of the year in the Boston metro area.” “With major projects in the works like Allston Yards, Winthrop Center, Cam- bridge Crossing, and Suffolk Downs, Suf- folk County should have another bullish year, and the ripples will be felt through- out the rest of the commonwealth,” he continued on page 14