Family loans a good way to avoid estate tax - 2004-02-22
You may be wondering , "Hey, the estate tax is diminishing. ... And even if it doesn't disappear completely, I'm not worth enough to care."

Currently, the rate, fixed for the life of the loan, would be 1.62 percent on a loan of three years or less, 3.44 percent on one of three to nine years, and 4.94 percent on one with a term over nine years. You can't beat those rates at a bank or mortgage company.
Read the full story at Lawrence Journal-World

Realtor Judy Moore on real estate, housing prices in Mass. - 2004-02-22
Massachusetts home sales established a record in 2003. But due partly to tight supply, historically low mortgage rates, and a belief during bear market years that a home can be a superior investment than the stock market, local housing prices remain sky-high.

The statewide average sales price for a single-family home last year was $376,360. High prices aren't just bad news for people attempting to buy a first home.
Read the full story at Boston Globe