On July 14th, the Providence City Council's Finance Committee voted to increase the property tax rates for residential and commercial property and eliminate the homestead exemption for owners of 1 - 5 non-owner occupied properties.   The full City Council will vote [...]

When is the best time to raise taxes? Doing so at the start of a recovery from a painful and long recession would not get my vote as an appropriate junction.  And raising rates at a number nearing 90% (almost doubling) is a stifling policy even in good times. But the bigger question is: what will it mean to the constituents of a city that [...]

As I posted in the past, we hold a seasonal photo contest. It’s a great opportunity for our agents and staff to grab their cameras and unleash some creativity! The winning photos are added to the slide show on our [...]

Implemented last spring by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) banned lenders from selecting appraisers to valuate homes in the deals which they are brokering. The purpose was to prevent inflated and fraudulent appraisals which played a part in the bubble leading to the mortgage crisis. While The HVCC does [...]

Rhode Island may be a small state, but we certainly have a lot of history. Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has published its Dozen Distinctive Destinations and RI has had four locations cited – Westerly, Newport, Providence and Bristol. Some states have never had an entry. And there are those who wonder why we like to live here. The [...]