Real Estate
From Junk Fees to Secret Airbnbs: Massachusetts Takes on the Rental Market
From Junk Fees to Secret Airbnbs: Massachusetts Takes on the Rental Market
09/18/25
Recently Massachusetts has taken action to protect tenants from hidden fees as well as to clarify how fees are paid to real estate agents assisting both tenants and landlords. Together, these reforms aim to make the rental process more transparent and fair. Local communities are also taking a closer look at how short-term rentals (STRs) work—and don’t—when many are not properly registered.
Home Ownership
Small Footprints, Big Potential for Housing Solutions
Small Footprints, Big Potential for Housing Solutions
08/20/25
As housing affordability continues to challenge our local communities, we find it encouraging to see legislative steps that prioritize affordability, flexibility, and access, like Massachusetts’s Affordable Homes Act, signed into law last year by Governor Maura Healey. One of the changes we find most intriguing is the expanded ability to build Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs. These are small residential living spaces located on the same lot as another home, either within an existing primary residence, like converting a basement into an apartment, attached to a primary residence as a new construction addition, or completely detached, like a cottage or converted detached garage in a backyard.”
Sustainability
Fight Climate Change from the Hammock in Your Back Yard
Fight Climate Change from the Hammock in Your Back Yard
07/18/25
Here at Liz & Ellie Local, we are always looking for ways to make life a little greener. And if you’ve been in the Boston area for any length of time, you’ll know that there are areas where paving your yard was all the rage…and the remnants of that craze are still all over town. But things are changing. In Somerville, in particular, residents are tearing up their pavement in favor of something green.
Events and Activities
Boston’s Best Free Outdoor Events This Summer
Boston’s Best Free Outdoor Events This Summer
06/16/25
We’re a few days from “official” summer, but there are already plenty of things happening outdoors in the Boston area. And while we love a good Red Sox game or concert at the Pavilion, there are tons of ways to take advantage of summer without spending a dime. From free music, to lectures, to movies and more, Boston has a plethora of free events worth checking out. As local residents of Cambridge and Somerville, who adore the communities we live and work in, we'd like to share a few of our favorite events.
Home Improvement
Small Spaces, Big Style: Garden Trends and Go-To Nurseries this May
Small Spaces, Big Style: Garden Trends and Go-To Nurseries this May
05/21/25
This week is cold and clammy but Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner and Liz and Ellie are working on their gardens! Even if you live in the city and have limited space, there is always room for a stylish planter or two. A sunny balcony, a front stoop, or even a window box—a little green is all it takes.
Buying
Economic Uncertainty Shapes Boston's Spring Market
Economic Uncertainty Shapes Boston's Spring Market
05/20/25
With the spring market now well under way in Greater Boston, buyers, sellers, and we in the real estate industry are reckoning with an ever more complicated residential landscape. National economic uncertainty, along with unease about local industries, is making it more important than ever to make fully informed decisions. With that in mind, we’ve compiled some top-down information to help you on your way.
