Recently in Other Real Estate Issues in Boston:

Sometimes it’s good to be out really late at night.

The residents of an area home were lucky that they had done just that because a car crashed into their Peabody home late at night and caused a fire in their absence, reports the Boston Globe.

You should be careful what you do with your property, because the law is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. While holiday time is a fun time of year to put up decorations, ornaments, and even conduct light shows, you should be aware that if you make your home an attraction for neighbors and their kids, you could be setting yourself up for a Christmas lawsuit.

You or your neighbor may go way over the top with Christmas decorations. Some people time their lights to go along with music and others have a lit-up Christmas menagerie of reindeers and religious figures.

Developers of the former Atlantic Lobster Company site in Saugus just got nailed with a $100,000 civil penalty for developing on the protected marshes and wetlands of Rumney Marsh.

The developers, Pamela Avedisian and Gary DeCicco, allegedly tore up and altered the wetlands without seeking permission from authorities and now have to restore the lands in addition to paying the monetary penalty, reports the Saugus Advertiser.

Home repair and remodel can be expensive. This is especially true if you hire licensed contractors to do the work. So if you consider yourself handy, or have a friend who's good around the house, you may just want to do the home repair or remodeling yourself and save a few bucks.

But while you may be legally allowed to do the work yourself in some cases, you should be aware that for most major home improvement projects, you will be required to hire someone with a Massachusetts contractor license.

A list of the most expensive rental markets in Boston was reported by The Boston Globe. Not surprisingly, the average rental rate in these neighborhoods was sky high, but if you are a parent of a MIT student, you may be scared by just how high.

Here are the most expensive rental markets:

Pet and smoking bans were recently brought up in The Boston Globe. Condos frequently limit the size and breed of certain dogs that you may keep, and more and more condos are banning smoking altogether. However, the libertarian in you may be wondering what powers your condo board has in preventing you from buying a 120-pound rRottweiler.

When you bought your condo, you were likely handed a booklet of condominium rules and regulations. Along with smoking and pet bans, the list of rules could have included restrictions on how much noise you can make, decorations you can adorn the outside of your condo, etc.

You may be attracted by advertisements for refinancing home mortgages at low rates. But if you do the math, saving a couple percentage points on home financing may actually cost you more.

Oftentimes, to qualify for the attractive new financing terms, you will need at least 20 percent equity in your home, reports The Boston Globe. So if you don't have this amount of equity, you may be required to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) that would make the seemingly attractive financing rates much higher.

The town council in Bridgewater will have until October to decide whether to block the conversion of a 143-acre parcel into the Child’s Bridge Farm subdivision that would add 97 homes to the town.

While the Bridgewater construction project would seem like an economic boon during this particularly difficult real estate market, not all Bridgewater residents are happy with the proposed project. The site of the Child’s Bridge Farm project oversees a scenic part of land near the Taunton River, and current residents are afraid that the construction will ruin the scenery, bog down local roads, and generally invade the peaceful existence they currently enjoy, reports The Enterprise.

Hurricane Irene came and went. To many on the eastern seaboard, it was all bark and no bite. But to others, especially those in New England, the damage to homes and properties from the hurricane was extensive.

As residents dry out, insurers may see a rise in home insurance claims. But probably not as many as you would think, reports the Associated Press. That’s because most hurricane insurance coverage covers damage from hurricane winds, but not from floods. So if your home was damaged by a flood, you may be out of luck without hurricane flood insurance.

An earthquake struck Virginia of all places and was felt as far away as Boston. Now Hurricane Irene is just days away from possibly hitting New England, and you may thinking whether it’s time to get Massachusetts homeowners insurance. But with so many choices out there, which type is right for you?

Generally, homeowners insurance is a package deal designed to pay for the repair or replacement of your house and belongings in case of damage. It can also cover claims and legal judgments against you for injuries people suffer in your home such as from dog bites. How much the insurer pays depends, of course, on the limits of your policy, which in turn depends on how much you pay for the insurance.