Find your place in Boston
Tell us where you're looking and what matters to you. We'll help you find it, from the first tour to the closing table.
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- 1Tell us what you want
- 2We search and tour with you
- 3We negotiate and get you to closing
How we help buyers
From the first tour to the keys
Where to look
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood guidance on housing types, commutes and what different areas are like day to day.
Finding the right homes
A search set up around your areas, budget and must-haves, and tours that fit your schedule.
Offers and negotiation
Pricing advice, offer strategy and clear explanations of contingencies before you commit.
Through to closing
Inspections, condo documents, attorneys and lenders coordinated so the details stay on track.
Where to look
Explore neighborhoods and towns
Guides to what each place is like, its housing and how to get around.
Boston neighborhoods
Guides for buyers
Guide
First-time home buyer guide for Boston and Massachusetts
Buying your first home in Boston follows a Massachusetts-specific path: a homebuyer education class, pre-approval, a written offer followed by a Purchase and Sale agreement, inspections (including lead paint for older homes), and a closing run by an attorney. State and city programs can help with the down payment and the rate if you qualify.
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Which mortgage fits which kind of home in Massachusetts
The property shapes the loan as much as the borrower does. Single-family homes fit the widest range of loans, condos depend on the building passing the loan program's project review, two- to four-family homes open up owner-occupied programs and rental income, and investment properties are limited to conventional and other non-government financing.
Read guideCosts & rules
Boston residential exemption: who qualifies and how to apply
Boston's residential exemption lowers the property tax on a home you own and occupy as your principal residence by excluding part of its value from taxation. For fiscal year 2027 the application deadline is April 1, 2027, and buyers who recorded a deed and moved in between January 1 and June 30, 2026 may now qualify.
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Closing costs in Massachusetts: what buyers and sellers pay
Buyers in Massachusetts pay lender charges, title insurance, their attorney, Registry of Deeds recording fees and prepaid taxes and insurance. Sellers pay the deed excise tax ($2.28 per $500 outside Barnstable County), mortgage discharge recording, their attorney, the smoke and CO certificate and any agreed commission.
Read guideCosts & rules
Massachusetts homestead declaration: protection, cost and how to file
Every Massachusetts owner-occupant gets an automatic $125,000 homestead exemption under M.G.L. c. 188. Recording a declaration of homestead at the Registry of Deeds raises it to $1,000,000, and the Suffolk and Middlesex South registries charge $35 to record one.
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Buying a condo in Boston
In Massachusetts you buy a condo unit plus a percentage share of the building's common areas, governed by Chapter 183A and the association's master deed and bylaws. Before you sign a Purchase and Sale agreement, review the budget, reserves, insurance, rules and recent minutes, and confirm the building works with your loan.
Read guideFAQ
Questions buyers ask
Do I need to be pre-approved before I start looking?
It helps. A pre-approval letter from a lender shows sellers you can finance the purchase, and most sellers expect one with an offer. If you have not started that step, we can talk through it with you.
How is buying a condo different from buying a single-family home?
With a condo you own your unit and share ownership of the common areas through a condo association, which charges monthly fees and sets rules. It is worth reviewing the association's budget, reserves and documents before you commit.
What is a home inspection contingency?
Many buyers make their offer contingent on a professional home inspection, which gives a window to review the condition of the home and renegotiate or withdraw. Since October 2025, Massachusetts rules bar sellers from requiring buyers to waive the inspection, so you keep that right even when there are competing offers.
What happens after I send this form?
One of us will reach out within 24 hours to talk through what you are looking for, then set up a search around your areas, budget and timing.