The Greater Boston metropolitan area saw a 2.4 percent gain in home prices in June, according to the latest Standard & Poors / Case-Shiller real estate index. Only Chicago and Minneapolis saw larger gains.

Although Boston-area home prices are down compared to June 2010, off by 2.1 percent, Case-Shiller estimates that prices in Boston are up 54 percent since January 2000.

The National Home Price Index increased by 3.6% in the second quarter of 2011, after having fallen 4.1% in the first quarter of 2011. With the second quarter’s data, the National Index recovered from its first quarter low, but still posted an annual decline of 5.9% versus the second quarter of 2010.

Nationally, home prices are back to their early 2003 levels.

A complete list of all open houses scheduled in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston on Sunday, August 28, 2011.

Please contact me for complete details and to set up private showings.

Above, 403 Marlborough Street – Unit PH-13, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts. Robert Cohen of Boston Realty Advisors is the listing agent.

Will Montero and Warren Residential Group are proud to be listing a new home in the recently-completed 100 Beacon Street condominium building, priced at $1,995,000. The location is where the Back Bay meets the flat of Beacon Hill, diagonally across from the Boston Public Garden.

This is a two-bedroom, two and ½-half bathroom home with approximately 1,959-square feet of space.

This luxurious 1920s building was been completely renovated and restored in 2010/2011. This three bedroom home is among 16 units in the bulding serviced with a 24-hour concierge. The building is located just steps from the Esplanade and the Boston Common. The floor plan is spacious, bright and modern. Custom gourmet kitchen, large master bedroom suite.

This home is one of a kind if you like the full service attention and the privacy of a brownstone this is the perfect home for you.

Please contact me for buyer’s agent representation and to learn more about this home and others in the beautiful 100 Beacon Street development.

100 Beacon Street #2B is also available for rent, at $12,500 per month.

More photos and description: 100 Beacon Street

Being a landlord gives you the opportunity to earn income on a regular basis while your property, your investment, increases in value over a period of years, eventually allowing you to sell it for a handsome capital gain.

It can also be a living hell.

Dealing with tenants is something I would never wish on any loved one … or even people I hate. It can be a nightmare. All it takes is one bad tenant to undo the good ones. Late rent payments, noisy / disruptive / illegal behavior, tenants can cause major headaches.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, from what I have read and learned over the years, has very stringent tenant – landlords laws that most people would conclude favor the tenant. (I’m not suggesting the laws are wrong, mind you, just stating what I believe to be fact.)

It is very hard to evict a tenant, even one who isn’t paying his/her rent. Even one who is breaking the law.

I mention this because there was an article in yesterday’s New York Post about a .. well, a squatter is what you would call him.

He is accused of living in an apartment that he’s not paying rent on, nor has he paid a dime for at least four months. He is believed to be employed at a “swanky Manhattan steakhouse” and therefore capable of paying, he just chooses not to. At least that’s what his landlord claims.

The landlord has tried to get the tenant out of the apartment. He even changed the locks. The tenant called the police and they told the landlord to hand over a key and let the tenant in. They said, “Take it up with housing court.”

If you’re thinking of becoming a landlord, please contact us to learn more about tenant – landlord law. We can refer you to a good lawyer and also help find you a suitable investment.

We can never guarantee you the perfect tenant, however.

Dan Green, mortgage broker extraordinaire, does the analysis of mortgage rate changes since earlier this year to show how refinancing your home loan could save you thousands of dollars in interest payments.

As a homeowner, your “total cost of homeownership” is tied to your mortgage. The higher your mortgage rate, the more interest you pay over time. And regardless of your mortgage interest tax-deductibility, over 30 years, mortgage interest accrues into something fierce .

Lately, though, with mortgage rates down, those long-term interest costs have plunged.

- April 2011 : Over 30 years, a new $300,000 mortgage accrues $276,000 in interest
- August 2011 : Over 30 years, a new $300,000 mortgage accrues $227,000 in interest

Check out his site for more information and contact your local mortgage lender to learn more.