Homes for Profit: Speculation and Investment in Greater Boston

Homes for Profit: Speculation and Investment in Greater Boston

Our new research found one in every five homes sold to an investor from 2004 to 2018

MAPC has released research that examines the prevalence, characteristics, and spatial patterns of residential property speculation in Greater Boston. Our research finds that low-income urban communities of color experience the highest rates of speculative investor activity. Investors are often able to buy properties at a discount using cash, and they are also more likely than non-investors to flip their properties and to make a significantly higher profit on flipped properties than non-investors. Our November 30 featured a presentation of this research and a panel discussion.

Report Release Briefing

Thursday, November 30, 2023 12:00 p.m.

Guest panelists included:

Headshot photo of Angie Liou

Angie Liou, Executive Director, Asian Community Development Corporation

Headshot photo of Brian An

Brian An, PhD, Director, Master of Science in Public Policy Program, Georgia Institute of Technology

Headshot photo of Katie McCann

Katie McCann, Rent Control Campaign Coordinator, City Life/Vida Urbana

Tim Reardon, Chief of Data and Research, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities

This map on the right represents data from the Homes for Profit report. The interactive map allows you to select a geography to see the data and use the controls to choose which data to visualize, apply filters, adjust colors, or show different geographies.

For more details about how these data were generated, visit the About page.

To help provide a way for local stakeholders to understand housing market diversity within the region and individual municipalities, MAPC classified housing in Greater Boston into seven distinct submarkets – neighborhoods with similar housing stock and market characteristics.

Greater Boston’s housing crisis devastates the cost-burdened, hurts the region’s quality of life, and weakens its economic competitiveness. How do we create more places to live, and protect against displacement?