SPOA Releases Episode 19 of Housing Policy Series with "Professional Tenants Exposed, Part B"
by Amir Shahsavari
We are pleased to release Episode 19 of SPOA Housing Policy Series, which is called "Professional Tenants Exposed, Part B."
Last year, we spoke to investigative reporter Ryan Kath and producer Shira Stoll of NBC 10 News Boston. They described their series of investigative reports about professional tenants, Linda and Russell Callahan, who cheated numerous property owners in Massachusetts for over 20 years. The Callahans squatted in the properties of other people, while refusing to pay rent after providing false identities and fake documents. Attorney Jordana Greenman provided legal analysis, describing how the system in Massachusetts fails to hold these types of tenants accountable and how it even encourages their nefarious behavior.
Since that conversation, Ryan and Shira won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting for their coverage of professional tenants. The Callahans, meanwhile, were indicted on over 50 criminal charges involving fraud, forgery, and larceny. Even as they attended multiple court hearings to answer those charges, the Callahans continued to victimize property owners right up until they landed in prison, where they truly belong.
In this installment, Ryan and Jordana return to provide an update about the Callahans one year later and what the future may hold for them. News reporter Scott Van Voorhis, who edits the independent newspaper Contrarian Boston, provides insight about how media bias influences the way these stories are told, if they are even told often enough. The conversation also highlights other professional tenants who may be living under your own roof. Viewers beware!
SPOA Vice President, Amir Shahsavari, moderates the discussion.
You can see the video in the link below.
by Amir Shahsavari
No Reason to Panic: How to Stay Realistic As Boston Vacancy Rates Stay Up
by Demetrios Salpoglou
Boston’s rental market looks very different this fall—and some of the neighborhoods once thought “bulletproof” are seeing changes that few expected. What does this mean for property owners, renters, and the future of Boston real estate? You can read more about the shifting dynamics of the city's housing market in the link below.
No Reason to Panic: How to Stay Realistic as Boston Vacancy Rates Stay Up
by Demetrios Salpoglou
2025 Tufts Off Campus Housing Market Report
by Demetrios Salpoglou
Numerous Tufts housing providers have been asking for the 2025 Tufts Off Campus Housing Market Report, and many agents are buzzing about the demand they’re seeing on the ground. The Tufts University off-campus rental market continues to defy Greater Boston’s norms — with its own unique leasing cycles and an early surge in activity for 2026.
This year’s data tells a compelling story: availability and vacancy rates around Tufts are trending differently than the broader market, demand remains elevated, and new factors — from the broker bill to international student enrollment — could be shaping what comes next.
We’ve already seen leasing deals close for 2026, and the real-time availability and vacancy numbers reveal why. The patterns are clear, but the implications stretch beyond Tufts into how property owners, renters, and investors will need to navigate the market ahead.
I break down the numbers, the cycles, and the key takeaways in this full report. You can read more in the link below.
2025 Tufts Off Campus Housing Market Report
by Demetrios Salpoglou