STATE CAPITOL BRIEFS
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
MASS. HOME SALES DOWN, PRICES UP SO FAR IN 2014
Home sales in Massachusetts are down 2.4 percent over the first 11 months of 2014, while the year-to-date median sale price is up 2.2 percent to $330,000, according to The Warren Group. The Banker & Tradesmen publisher reported Tuesday that November home sales were barely up over last November. The median sale price in November was $315,000, up from $310,000 in November 2013. “Ending the year with increases in both sales and prices for single-family homes is a good way to enter a new year of buying and selling,” Timothy Warren Jr., CEO of The Warren Group, said in a statement. “We have seen sales of single-family homes inch up two months in a row now. Perhaps the good employment statistics in recent months are having a positive impact.” Condominium sales statewide decreased 14.0 percent in November, and the median condo price fell 4.6 percent to $290,000, down from $304,000 a year earlier. Year to date, the median sale price of condos is $310,000, up 4.4 percent from $297,000 a year ago. – Michael Norton/SHNS
NOTARIES BILL ON THE MOVE IN HOUSE
Legislation affecting notaries public in Massachusetts cleared the Senate during the hectic final week of formal sessions back in July and is just starting its journey through the House with less than two weeks remaining for 2013-2014 informal sessions. House Ways and Means Committee members are voting Tuesday on a bill that the panel says would update the notaries law. Sen. Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) sponsored the original bill upon which the amended versions are based. According to a bill summary, the amended version of the Senate bill (S 2306) clarifies that “acknowledgements pertain to the execution of a deed or other written instrument and can be made by a representative on behalf of a grantor,” sets forth requirements of a notary public’s official notarial seal or stamp; and extends the acknowledgment requirements currently available for people serving in the armed forces to members of the Massachusetts National Guard or other Reserve commands “when conducting mobilization exercises and Soldier Readiness Processing.” The House and Senate plan informal sessions on Wednesday at 11 a.m. – Michael Norton/SHNS
