Real Estate

A new report offers more encouraging signs for the housing market in Massachusetts and throughout New England.

A two-story office building on the westbound side of Route 9 in Natick has been sold for $2.7 million and will house the new headquarters of a staffing firm currently based in Framingham, according to a brokerage firm involved in the deal.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Modern Manufacturing Inc. of Worcester $16,000 for allegedly failing to follow proper asbestos removal procedures while renovating a residential high-rise building.

Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed eliminating the cap on liquor licenses in communities around the state, and local leaders couldn't be drunker with delight.

Pending single-family home sales rose for the 14th consecutive month in April, according to the state's Realtors' group.

Marlborough-based window manufacturer Universal Window and Door has named a new president and CEO, the company announced Monday.

A New Jersey-based real estate investment firm has purchased a Marlborough office building for $11.75 million.

A national real estate operating company purchased Brookview Village, a 28-acre development site in Marlborough, on May 1 for $5.85 million, according to deed records.

Foreclosure petitions for Middlesex and Worcester Counties nearly doubled between March 2013 and March of this year, according to The Warren Group.

The developer of a condominium complex at an old shoe factory near downtown Marlborough said the housing units are nearly ready for sale after four years of planning and construction. The Howe Shoe Factory Condominiums at 110 Pleasant St. include a mix of units featuring the original post-and-beam architecture. The building was one of six Howe factories that operated in the city in the mid- to late-19th century. Developer Stas Burdan, owner of Altre Development, said he's hoping the two-bedroom, two-bathroom units will be popular among young urban professionals, as well as retirees looking to downsize.