Report Raises Flags About The Money Behind Boston's Luxury Housing Boom

When the average house or a condo is bought or sold, the real estate transaction is public.

When so-called luxury units are purchased, according to a new report, there may be less transparency about the buyer.

The Institute for Policy Studies — a 50-plus-year-old progressive think tank based in Washington, D.C. — is raising flags about Boston's luxury housing boom, at a time when Boston has multimillion-dollar units for sale in new and future towers.

The report raises questions about whether Boston is becoming a hub for money laundering and whether the city's skyline is being taken over by developers who will increase land values and housing costs across the city.

Chuck Collins, director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at The Institute for Policy Studies.

David Begelfer, CEO of NAIOP Massachusetts, a commercial real estate development association, which represents the interests of real estate developers. He tweets @DavidBegelfer.