Warren Group

The home and condominium markets in Massachusetts were more active in October than at nearly any point in the past decade, according to data today released by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) and The Warren Group.

September home and condos sales in Massachusetts hit pre-recession highs, according to data released by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) and The Warren Group.

It appears unlikely that the Federal Reserve's surprise decision to continue buying $85 billion in bonds each month will jumpstart the Central Massachusetts housing market, several Realtors and bankers said.

Completed foreclosures fell in August, marking 15 straight months of year-over-year declines, according to data released Tuesday.

Foreclosure petitions, which mark the first step in the foreclosure process in Massachusetts, fell to their lowest monthly level since The Warren Group started compiling foreclosure statistics in 2006, the Boston firm said today.

A decrease in housing stock and concern that interest rates will increase are continuing to push home prices up, with two groups that track housing data saying the median home price in Massachusetts hit its highest level in nearly six years last month.

The median home price rose for the eighth consecutive month, as home sales put up their strongest May in years, according to two firms tracking real estate data.

Foreclosure petitions in Massachusetts, the first stage in the foreclosure process, continued their decline in May, plummeting 86 percent to 248, compared with 1,779 a year ago, according to The Warren Group.

Across Massachusetts and in Worcester County, foreclosures remained well below levels seen a year ago, according to The Warren Group.

Single-family home sales continued to decline in April while median prices continued to climb, two Bay State real estate groups reported this morning.