Ink Block area to get boutique hotel

A contemporary 200-room, design-focused boutique hotel is planned for Boston's South End, next to the Ink Block project that's helping to reshape a once drab area now undergoing significant redevelopment.

Newton's National Development hopes to start construction this year on an AC Hotel by Marriott on the former FW Webb and Independent Taxi sites on Albany Street, with a 2017 targeted opening.

"We've been trying to ... create an interesting and exciting urban community, and the hotel really supports the restaurants and retail activity that we're creating," managing partner Ted Tye said.

The Ink Block occupies the former Boston Herald headquarters site and includes a new Whole Foods Market and apartments. The Sepia condos are set to open in September, and multiple retail shops and restaurants are in the works. Herald publisher Patrick J. Purcell has a minority stake in the development.

As a select-service property, the hotel will not have its own large restaurant or meeting space, but will have a fitness facility and small bar, with parking at the Ink Block.

"We'll really focus on using the restaurants within Ink Block for the hotel," Tye said. "I want the activity of the Ink Block to be a real draw for (guests) of the hotel who want to stay down in this neighborhood."

National Development will own the hotel as a Marriott franchisee and hire an outside company to manage it.

AC Hotels started in Europe in 1998 before affiliating with Marriott in 2011. The chain has one U.S. hotel, in New Orleans, with others slated to open this year in Washington, D.C., Miami Beach and Kansas City.

It's a great brand for urban locations, particularly hip and gentrified ones, according to Andrea Foster, senior vice president and New England practice manager for PKF Consulting.

"The South End is a good location for an AC Hotel within Boston," she said.

And now is a good time in the hotel industry to build.

"We're still seeing improvements in performance (in the Boston market), and now we're seeing a lot of development happening because occupancy and rate increases are so good," Foster said.

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Australia cuts interest rate to record low 2.25 percent

SYDNEY — Australia's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 2.25 percent on Tuesday in a bid to jolt an economy weighed down by falling commodity prices.

The Reserve Bank of Australia's quarter percentage point rate cut at a monthly board meeting was its first since August 2013. It came as a surprise to many economists, who expected the bank to hold off on lowering the rate until later in the year. Subdued inflation, however, has given the central bank more scope to stimulate Australia's $1 trillion economy.

The news shook the Australian dollar which dropped 1.8 percent 76.5 cents. The stock market was boosted, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 1.5 percent.

Resource-rich Australia managed to avoid a recession during the global financial crisis thanks to a decade-long mining boom. But with the economy weakening in China, which is Australia's largest export market, prices for commodities such as iron ore and coal have dropped.

Australia's move follows monetary easing steps by other central banks though is modest compared with the unprecedented stimulus programs that Japan and Europe have embarked on to revive long stagnant economies.

In a statement, the central bank's governor Glenn Stevens said commodity prices have continued to decline, "in some cases sharply," particularly oil.

The bank also said that while the U.S. economy had strengthened, European and Japanese economies were weaker than expected, and forecasts for global growth this year were moderate.

"In Australia the available information suggests that growth is continuing at a below-trend pace, with domestic demand growth overall quite weak," Stevens said. The fall in oil prices would offer "significant support" to consumer spending but that is partly offset by weakening growth in incomes, he said.

"The economy is likely to be operating with a degree of spare capacity for some time yet," he said.

Treasurer Joe Hockey dubbed the rate cut good news that would bolster the country's economy.

"It is going to help to create more jobs because business is going to be able to pay less for their debt, as consumers should pay less for their debt and as people with a mortgage should pay less for their debt," he told reporters in Canberra, the nation's capital.

Stevens has repeatedly stressed that the Australian dollar is too high, despite the currency plummeting in recent weeks to around 77 U.S. cents, the lowest level since the global financial crisis. The Australian dollar reached an all-time high of $1.10 in 2011.

In his statement Tuesday, Stevens acknowledged the Australian dollar had declined noticeably, but said it remains above most estimates of its fundamental value. "A lower exchange rate is likely to be needed to achieve balanced growth in the economy," he said.

Spiros Papadopoulos, senior economist at National Australia Bank, suspects the bank will cut the rate again later this year, though not at its next meeting.

"The combination of weak growth, further increases in unemployment and a very subdued inflation outlook has really given them that room to maneuver," he said.

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Virgin Galactic gets back on track toward space tourism

UPHAM, N.M. — The only thing interrupting the creosote and mesquite that makes up one of New Mexico's most remote stretches of desert is a pristine runway where Virgin Galactic plans one day to launch the world's first commercial space-line.

In the four years since its completion, however, the runway has seen little use. No constant roar of jet engines. No screeches from landing gear. Just promises, year after year, that it would shuttle paying passengers to the edges of Earth.

Virgin Galactic had proclaimed 2015 was finally going to be the year. That was until the company's rocket-powered spacecraft broke apart over California's Mojave Desert during a test flight last fall, killing one pilot and igniting speculation about the future of commercial space tourism and Spaceport America.

Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said things are on track now and testing will take off again this year.

"I really think we're turning the corner," Whitesides said. "We've gone through one of the toughest things a company can go through and we're still standing, and now we're really moving forward with pace."

He said the company and its investors aren't backing down from the goal of making space accessible.

Virgin Galactic's manufacturing crew is about two-thirds done with building a new spacecraft, and the operations team is ramping up for a test-flight program that will serve as one of the last major hurdles to getting off the ground.

"Our company has spent a lot of time and money to get to the point where we can carry out successful commercial operations at Spaceport America. We're still committed," he said.

Whitesides has always been reluctant to attach a timeline to the milestones the company needs to reach, but he's certain test flights will resume later this year.

That's what New Mexico taxpayers want to hear.

They've already funneled nearly a quarter of a billion dollars into the world's first purpose-built spaceport, and state lawmakers are being asked for nearly $2 million more this year to make up for the lost fees stemming from the delay in Virgin Galactic's commercial flights.

Some lawmakers have called for pulling the plug, adding fuel to criticisms that the project — first initiated by former Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and British billionaire Richard Branson — is a boondoggle.

Others, including Republican Gov. Susana Martinez's administration, say the state has a chance to carve out a new niche for economic development and position itself on the front end of space tourism.

New Mexico has struggled to rebound from the recession, creating only 14,000 jobs over the past year while neighboring states have bounced back to 2008 employment levels.

Whitesides visited Spaceport America in December. The runway was quiet, but workers inside the massive, futuristic hangar continued to outfit it for the day Virgin Galactic opens.

"I really think we're on the edge of something truly incredible, which is enabling people and students to experience space, whether going themselves or sending their experiments," he said.

He added, "These things are hard. That's why they haven't happened yet."

Christine Anderson, the head of New Mexico's Spaceport Authority, pointed to the ill-fated Apollo I test launch and the 1986 Challenger explosion as examples of space exploration efforts that resulted in tragedy. Still, astronauts and scientists pushed on, and she said those backing Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America are doing the same.

"We have invested $218 million, so there's absolutely no reason to stop now," she said.

Virgin Galactic continues to pay its lease, and more money will come from lease and user fees related to the testing scheduled to begin this spring for a reusable rocket being developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX. But Anderson acknowledged that the spaceport needs to entice more tenants and host other events, including fashion and auto photo shoots, conferences and more rocket launches by companies such as UP Aerospace.

The spaceport in late February also expects to open its visitors' gallery at the site, which spans more than 28 square miles.

"The challenge was to build a commercial spaceport here. There was absolutely nothing here. We did it," Anderson said. "It's amazing to think of it."

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Companies strike serious, somber tone in Super Bowl ads

NEW YORK — Forget slapstick and sex in Super Bowl ads: This year, serious was the name of the game.

Nationwide ran an ad on preventable childhood death. Carnival struck a somber note with a voiceover by John F. Kennedy speaking lyrically about the sea. And a public service announcement by coalition No More depicted a chilling 911 call from a battered woman to demonstrate the terror of domestic abuse.

Other advertisers had positive, albeit equally serious themes: McDonald's said it would let some customers pay with acts of kindness, Coca-Cola showed online negativity and bullying turning positive and Procter & Gamble's ad for its Always feminine products brand tried to redefine what it means to do things like a girl.

"It's a shame there aren't any commercials for antidepressants because these commercials make me want some," said Jon Early, who was watching the game in New York with friends. "Football is supposed to be an escape."

The serious tone is an effort to win over Americans who have a lower tolerance for crass ads with an overuse of sexually explicit themes and sophomoric humor. They also have short attention spans these days, thanks to the bite-sized communication of social media.

The serious spots were a continuation of a trend that started last year when advertisers shied away from the tactics that had been commonplace during Super Bowl. The difference this year is that many of the serious ads had an overarching "message" to live better, think better and be better.

With 30-second ads costing $4.5 million for the chance to market their brand to 110-plus million Americans, advertisers were trying to stand out by marketing socially conscious messages. In the process, they hoped to boost the image of their brands.

"The Super Bowl reflects what's happening in the country," said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. "Maybe in the country today we're a little more reflective and a little more pensive."

SERIOUS TONE

A Microsoft ad with a voiceover by rapper Common told the story of Braylon O'Neill, a boy who was born missing the tibia and fibula bones in both of his legs so he had to learn to live with prosthetic legs developed by Microsoft.

The ad struck some similar notes with Toyota's Camry ad, which featured Paralympian Amy Purdy, who also has prosthetic legs snowboarding and dancing set to a speech by Muhammad Ali that ends "I'll show you how great I am."

Some serious ads bordered on sober. Nissan returned to the Super Bowl after 18 years with an ad featuring the story line of an up-and-coming race driver and his wife struggling to balance work and raising their son. In a jarring detail that many on social media pointed out, the ad was set to "Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin, who was killed in a car crash.

And a Nationwide ad showed a boy riding a school bus and lamenting he'll never learn to fly, or travel the world with my best friend, or even grow up, because he died in an accident. The ad was aimed at stopping preventable childhood accidents, but Charles Taylor, marketing professor at the Villanova School of Business in Pennsylvania, said it received the most negative response from his ad viewing panel.

"It's just playing with fire focusing on an adolescents' death in the context of the Super Bowl," he said.

POSITIVE BUT SERIOUS

Other advertisers tried to implore people to do positive things.

In apparent commentary on how heavily food companies market to Americans, Weight Watchers' Super Bowl debut ad showed pizza, doughnuts in large portions with an ominous voiceover saying "You gotta eat, right?" A tagline said Weight Watchers can help members take control.

But it didn't resonate with all viewers, many of who were at Super Bowl parties eating snacks. "Some people are saying it made them want to eat more than anything," said Villanova's Taylor.

Meanwhile, fast food chain McDonald's announced it will randomly select customers who can pay for their food with acts of goodwill, such as calling their moms and telling them they love them as part of a Valentine's Day promotion that starts Monday.

HUMOR IN BETWEEN

Not all ads were serious, though.

Nationwide's other ad showed "Mindy Project" star Mindy Kaling walking around New York believing she is invisible and doing scandalous acts, including sitting naked in Central Park and going through a car wash. Then, she tries to kiss actor Matt Damon, but as it turns out, he can see her. The idea is Nationwide doesn't treat customers like they're invisible.

Naomi Zikmund-Fisher, a psychotherapist watching the game in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said the ad appealed to her. "It sucked you in as a plot and then ruined it for her," she said.

Another ad scored early. Chevrolet's spot before kickoff appeared to be a live game feed that turned into static and a blank screen, shocking some viewers. Chevrolet used the trick to show that its Colorado truck has 4G LTE Wi Fi, allowing for live game streaming in the truck.

"That one got all of our attention," said Kirin Jessel, who watched the game with co-workers in Oakland, Calif. "We were thinking 'Oh my God, what's happening.'"

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Toddler food often has too much salt, sugar, CDC study says

CHICAGO — Many packaged meals and snacks for toddlers contain worrisome amounts of salt and sugar, potentially creating an early taste for foods that may contribute to obesity and other health risks, according to a new government study.

About seven in 10 toddler dinners studied contained too much salt, and most cereal bars, breakfast pastries and snacks for infants and toddlers contained extra sugars, according to the study by researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They advise parents to read food labels carefully and select healthier choices.

The researchers analyzed package information and labels for more than 1,000 foods marketed for infants and toddlers. Results appear in the journal Pediatrics on Monday.

The study notes that almost one in four U.S. children ages 2 to 5 are overweight or obese — and that almost 80 percent of kids ages 1 to 3 exceed the recommended maximum level of daily salt, which is 1,500 milligrams. Excess sugar and salt can contribute to obesity and elevated blood pressure even in childhood, but also later on.

"We also know that about one in nine children have blood pressure above the normal range for their age, and that sodium, excess sodium, is related to increased blood pressure," said the CDC's Mary Cogswell, the study's lead author. "Blood pressure tracks from when children are young up through adolescence into when they're adults. Eating foods which are high in sodium can set a child up for high blood pressure and later on for cardiovascular disease."

The researchers collected data on foods available in 2012. They didn't list brand names, but foods studied included popular brands of baby food, toddler dinners including packaged macaroni and cheese, mini hot dogs, rice cakes, crackers, dried fruit snacks and yogurt treats.

The Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group whose members include makers of foods for infants and toddlers, issued a statement saying the study "does not accurately reflect the wide range of healthy choices available in today's marketplace ... because it is based on 2012 data that does not reflect new products with reduced sodium levels."

The study "could needlessly alarm and confuse busy parents as they strive to develop suitable meal options that their children will enjoy," the group said.

The researchers said theirs is the most recent, comprehensive data on commercial foods for young children. Cogswell acknowledged there have been some improvements in the marketplace and said the findings aren't all negative.

"The good news is that the majority of infant foods were low in sodium," she said. It was surprising, she said, that "seven out of 10 toddler foods were high in the amount of sodium per serving and that a substantial proportion of toddler meals and the majority of other toddler foods and infant's and toddler's snacks contained an added sugar."

Foods for toddlers should contain no more than about 210 milligrams of salt or sodium per serving, under Institute of Medicine recommendations, but the average for toddler meals studied was 361 milligrams — almost 1.5 times higher than that limit. Sodium amounts per serving ranged from 100 milligrams to more than 900 milligrams.

High sugar content was defined as more than 35 percent of calories per portion coming from sugar, based on Institute of Medicine guidelines for foods served in schools. Many foods in the study exceeded that. On average, sugar contributed 47 percent of calories for infant mixed grains and fruit; 66 percent of calories in dried fruit snacks, and more than 35 percent of calories in dairy-based desserts.

Also, about one in three toddler dinners and most toddler cereal bars and dried fruit-based snacks contained at least one added sugar.

Added sugars, including high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and glucose, raised concerns because they boost calorie totals without health benefits.

"It's just additional calories that aren't needed," Cogswell said.

Kathleen Burnett of Chicago said she tries to buy healthy foods for her three young daughters and recently switched brands when she found out her favorite kids' yogurt was full of sugar.

"When you're in the grocery store and things seem quick and simple, it's very tempting to take those things, and we certainly have," Burnett said. "We just try to use moderation in those prepackaged foods."

___

Online:

American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

USDA: http://www.choosemyplate.gov

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

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Asian stocks down after Chinese factory activity weakens

BEIJING — Asian stocks were mostly lower Monday after Chinese manufacturing weakened while European markets rose after France endorsed Greek efforts to renegotiate bailout debt.

KEEPING SCORE: Germany's DAX added 0.7 percent to 10,768.71 and France's CAC-40 gained 0.4 percent to 4,622.42. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.5 percent to 6,780.49. Wall Street looked set to rebound from Friday's losses, with futures for the Dow Jones and Standard & Poor's 500 index both up 0.4 percent. On Friday, the Dow lost 1.5 percent and the S&P was down 1.3 percent.

EUROPEAN DEBT: Greece's new finance minister won support from Paris for his effort to renegotiate the debt for its bailout. Yanis Varoufakis, a member of a new ruling party that campaigned against the austerity terms of the Greek bailout, struck a conciliatory tone as he sought new conditions from creditors. Germany has criticized Greece's stance but French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said Sunday that while his government wouldn't support canceling the debt, it was willing to consider a new time frame or terms. That is for now easing worries that Greece's new government might eventually leave the euro common currency.

CHINESE MANUFACTURING: Surveys by HSBC Corp. and a Chinese industry group found manufacturing activity in the world's second-largest economy weakened in January. The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said its purchasing managers' index fell to a 28-month low. A separate index by HSBC edged up but still showed activity contracting. Both blamed weak demand in China and abroad. Analysts said they expect this to prompt Beijing to inject more credit into the economy or launch other stimulus measures.

THE QUOTE: "We think demand in the manufacturing sector remains weak and more aggressive monetary and fiscal easing measures will be needed to prevent another sharp slowdown in growth" in China, said HSBC economist Hongbin Qu in a report.

ASIA'S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index gave up 2.6 percent to 3,128.30 and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was off 0.7 percent to 17,558.04. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.1 percent to 24,484.74. Seoul's Kospi added 0.2 percent to 1,952.86. Markets were mixed in Southeast Asia while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.7 percent to 5,625.30.

OIL ROLLER COASTER: Crude slid after jumping Friday on signs American production is slowing following big price drops since last June. Oil plummeted about 60 percent since June as global supplies grew faster than demand. OPEC has declined to cut its production, putting pressure on U.S. companies to curtail drilling as oil prices fall to a level that makes some production unprofitable. U.S. benchmark crude was down $1.30 at $46.94 per barrel on Nymex. The contract surged by an unusually large margin of $3.71 on Friday, to close at $48.24. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed $1.43 to $51.56 a barrel in London after rising by $3.86 on Friday.

CURRENCIES: The dollar gained to 117.76 yen from Friday's 117.43 yen. The euro strengthened to $1.1333 from $1.1285.

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MassChallenge starts up 2015 with lots new

MassChallenge kicks off a new season on three continents this month, with a new managing director and new workspace for startups in Boston.

The accelerator and competition's programs in the Hub, Tel Aviv and its newest location — London — will accept applications from Feb. 11 to April 1.

At the helm of the Boston program is Scott Bailey, who started a year out of college as an unpaid intern at MassChallenge in 2010. Since then, he has held nearly every position at the startup accelerator, most recently leading partnerships and fundraising, before being promoted to managing director this month.

"It's been a wild ride," said Bailey, 27. "I feel like I've aged 10 years."

Bailey and Roman Kern, MassChallenge Boston's new director of programs and operations, will work closely with the board of advisers to refine and expand the organization's core offerings.

In addition to kicking off the Boston program this month, they'll launch Made@MassChallenge, a 5,000-square-foot space, adjacent to their Innovation District headquarters, where startups will be able to use hardware and software tools to build their prototypes.

MassChallenge also is in talks with the city of Newton about using a former branch library where the program's alumni could spend a year growing their companies.

"We're still shaping what that looks like," Bailey said. "We're always thinking of support for entrepreneurs, and there's a great mentor network there."

In the meantime, he said, MassChallenge is continuing to pursue its strategy of global expansion.

Boston will accept 128 startups into this year's class, Bailey said, and Israel will likely send 10 to 12 teams to the Boston program as finalists. The UK will decide how many finalists to accept, based on the quality of the applicant pool, he said. Applicants will be able to indicate which location they're interested in, Bailey said, and the finalists will be placed in the program that best suits their needs.

In Boston, finalists will be announced May 20 and have four months of free office space and mentoring, culminating in an Oct. 28 ceremony where they'll give their final pitches and compete for more than $1 million in no-strings-attached cash prizes.

The Israel and UK startups will not compete with the Boston finalists for the same prize money, Bailey said. Each program will award its own cash prizes.

Over the next five years, MassChallenge plans to open 10 new global hubs.

"We want there to be a MassChallenge location on every populated continent," Bailey said. "We have overwhelming interest and are researching the best places to open our next location."

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Spark plugs need changing, but long warmup needless

I have a 2001 PT Cruiser with 100,000 miles on it. Would you recommend a spark plug change? Also, I keep hearing that it's not good to warm up your car nowadays. Hey, when it's 20-below I really don't care if it wastes a cup of gas! They say that the oil is much better these days, but is it really OK to jump in your car when it's very cold and take right off?

As I mentioned in my last column, there's no harm in allowing your vehicle to warm up a few minutes in extremely cold weather. Besides generating some temperature in the vehicle's fluids and warming the interior a bit, it gives you time to make sure the windshield, side and rear windows are clear of snow and ice before you drive.

Is it harmful to drive the vehicle as soon as it is started in cold weather? No. As you said, today's motor oils are far superior to oils of just a decade earlier. In addition, manufacturing materials and tolerances are far better and more precise. Add the engine management system's capabilities to fine-tune fuel/air mixture and ignition timing as well as limit engine output during the warmup period, and that means the most efficient and least stressful warmup method in all but extreme cold is to start the engine, let the idle stabilize and drop to normal, engage the automatic transmission, let it idle in gear for a moment or two, then drive the vehicle gently as it gets up to temperature.

My Alldata database says Chrysler recommends fresh spark plugs in this engine every 30,000 miles. After this many miles, take care in removing the old plugs to avoid stripping the threads in the cylinder head. Install new plugs with anti-seize on the threads.

Typically I change my own oil. Our newest vehicle has 23,000 miles on it and calls for 0W-20 synthetic oil. It's actually less expensive to let the dealer do it than to buy the oil and filter and do it myself. However, on the last two oil changes I've noticed that they seem to overfill it by 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of a quart. What potential harm can come from overfilling?

Slightly overfilling the crankcase with oil, as you've described, usually isn't an issue. If the oil level is high enough to cause a problem, the excess oil is usually blown out of the engine through the PCV system, engine seals and gaskets as it seeks its normal oil level.

If the engine is grossly overfilled and the crankshaft whips the oil into a froth as it spins, the aerated oil can cause a loss of oil pressure and lubrication to engine bearings, potentially causing damage.

How can you tell if the engine is grossly overfilled? Fully warm up the engine while monitoring the oil pressure gauge or warning light. Shut the engine off and quickly pull the dipstick to check the oil for evidence of frothing.

I have a 2001 Toyota RAV4 with 68,248 miles. It has started to give out a puff of exhaust smoke when started in the morning. Oil and coolant levels show full and haven't changed. There is no smoke while driving. What could the problem be or is there even a problem?

I don't think there is a problem. A slight puff of bluish smoke on starting a 70G mile engine is not uncommon, nor is it harmful. The typical cause is oil that has collected on the valve stems slowly seeping past the valve seals and guides as the car sits overnight. When the engine is first started, this oil is drawn into the combustion chamber with the incoming air/fuel mixture and burned. Having owned and driven high-mileage vehicles for decades, I see this as
upper-cylinder lubrication at startup rather than a problem.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrandstartribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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More millennials jumping into the mortgage market

WASHINGTON — Call them the prodigal millennials: Statistical measures and anecdotal reports suggest that young couples and singles in their late 20s and early 30s have begun making a belated entry into the home buying market, pushed by mortgage rates in the mid-3 percent range, government efforts to ease credit requirements and deep frustrations at having to pay rising rents without creating equity.

Listen to Kathleen Hart, who just bought a condo unit with her husband, Devin Wall, that looks out on the Columbia River in Wenatchee, Wash.: "We were just tired of renting, tired of sharing (housing) with roommates, and not having a place of our own. Finally the numbers added up."

Or listen to Erin Beasley, who with her fiance earlier this month closed on a condo unit in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C. "With the way rents kept on going," she told me, "we realized it was time" after five years as tenants. "With renting, at some point you get really tired of it; you want to own, be able to make changes" that suit you, not some landlord.

Hart and Beasley are part of the leading edge of the millennial demographic bulge that has been missing in action on home buying since the end of the Great Recession. Instead of representing the 38 percent to 40 percent of purchases that real estate industry economists say would have been expected for first-timers, they've lagged in market share, sometimes by as much as 10 percentage points. But last week new signs began emerging that hinted that maybe the conditions finally are right for them to shop and buy:

• Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, said first-time buyers accounted for 57 percent of home tours conducted by its agents mid-month — the highest rate in recent years. Home-purchase education class requests, typically dominated by first-timers, has jumped so far this month by 27 percent over last January. "I think it is significant," said Redfin chief economist Nela Richardson. "They are sticking a toe in the water."

Kas Divband, a Redfin agent in D.C., assisted Beasley with her condo purchase.

• The Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey, which monthly polls 2,000 realty agents nationwide, reported that first-time buyer activity has started to increase much earlier than is typical. First-timers accounted for 36.3 percent of all home purchases last month, according to the survey.
• Anecdotal reports from realty brokers around the country also point to exceptional activity in the past few weeks. Perrin Cornell of Century 21 Exclusively in Wenatchee, Wash., who helped Hart and her husband buy their condo, said he is either actively working with or has serious inquiries from four times the number of first-timers than he'd typically see in January. Gary Kassan, an agent with Pinnacle Estate Properties in the Los Angeles area, said nearly half of his current clients are first-time buyers.

Assuming these early impressions could point to a trend, what's driving the action? The steady decline in interest rates, high rents and sheer pent-up demand play major roles. But there are other factors that could be at work. In the past few weeks, key sources of financing for entry-level buyers ­— the Federal Housing Administration and giant investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — have announced consumer-friendly improvements to their rules. FHA cut its punitively high upfront mortgage insurance premiums and Fannie and Freddie reduced minimum down payments to 3 percent from 5 percent.

Price increases on homes also have moderated in many local areas, improving affordability across the board. Plus many younger buyers have discovered the wide spectrum of special financing assistance programs open to them through state and local housing agencies. Hart and her husband made use of one of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission's buyer assistance programs, which provides second-mortgage loans with zero interest rates to help with down payments and closing costs. Dozens of state agencies across the country offer help for first-timers, often with generous qualifying income limits.

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Cool Southie condo tops retail space

This stylish South Boston condo isn't what you'd expect to see above a retail store, with its paneled wainscoting, sloped skylighted ceilings and private decks with panoramic city views.

The two-bedroom unit at 634 East Broadway, on the market for $629,900, is one of five condos above a former hardware store, but unlike the other condos Unit 1 has three levels and a private entrance.

The first level is the entry­way to the condo, with a marble foyer, hallway and a coat closet, and the living spaces have a reverse layout, with the living/dining/kitchen spaces on the top floor.

The unit was converted in 2005 with maple floors with cherrywood inlay, paneled wainscoting and high-end window and door moldings.

A maple staircase lined with white-paneled wainscoting leads up two flights to the main living area. The living room has paneled wainscoting and features 12-foot sloped ceilings with recessed lighting as well as speakers­ with built-in surround sound. In one corner sits a gas fireplace with a carved wood mantel and black granite hearth with a chandelier overhead. Glass doors lead out to a 200-square-foot private wooden deck with panoramic city views.

The adjacent dining/kitchen area has three skylights. The dining area also has paneled wainscoting and a chandelier and fronts on a three-part bay window. The kitchen features 22 walnut-stained cabinets and black granite counters. The General Electric refrigerator, dishwasher and gas stove are also black.

Off the living spaces is a storage closet and there's a hallway with a second closet holding a stacked GE washer/dryer and the unit's gas-fired heating and central air-conditioning system.

At the end of the hall is a half bathroom with beadboard wainscoting, a black marble floor and a pedestal sink.

Down the stairs, the second level has a step-up open-style den/home office space with maple floors and cherry­wood inlay, paneled wainscoting and crown molding. It is flanked on either side by two bedroom suites.

The rear-facing master suite features a decent-sized bedroom with recessed lighting and an overhead fan/light as well as a good-sized closet with built-in shelving. A pair of glass doors lead out to a 250-square-foot private rear deck with views of the city. The en-suite master bathroom has a marble-tile floor and ceramic tile surround for a whirlpool tub. There's a brown granite-topped wood vanity and a separate one-piece Fiberglas shower.

The second bedroom is front-facing with a three-part bay window, recessed lighting and an overhead fan/light. The en-suite bathroom has marble tile floors and walls and a brown granite-topped wood vanity. There's also a one-piece Fiberglas shower.

The unit does not come with parking, with the best option being a South Boston residential parking permit.

Home Showcase

• Address: 
624 East Broadway, Unit 1, South Boston
• Bedrooms: Two
• Bathrooms: Two full, one half
• List price: $629,900
• Square feet: 1,438
• Price per square foot: $438
• Annual taxes: $6,380
• Location: About a half mile to main South Boston retail district along West Broadway; a mile via T bus to Broadway Red Line station.
• Built In: 1899, renovated into condo 2005
• Broker: David Murdock of Campion & Co. at 617-236-0711

Pros:

• Paneled wainscoting, high-end door and window moldings
• Living room with 12-foot sloped ceilings and kitchen dining area with three skylights
• Two private decks with panoramic city views
• Both bedrooms have en-suite marble-tile bathrooms

Cons:

• Doesn't come with on-site parking space
• Bathrooms have one-piece Fiberglas showers

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