Thanks to…

Although one dictionary definition of “thanks to” is “On account of; because of,” the expression can make for some strange reading, such as, “The town was under water, thanks to huge rainfall…” Or, “Crops were destroyed and farmers went bankrupt, thanks to Biblical-sized swarms of locusts.”

The Boston Globe, Feb 21, 2017, provided a great interpretation choice for “thanks to…” in a p. 1, top story headlined: “Condo prices hit lofty heights.” The lede: “Condo prices in Boston hit fresh highs last year, thanks to sales at several new high-end buildings and the continued demand for living in the core of the city.”

If you’re a seller, you can rejoice and thank the Great Realtor In the sky. If you’re a buyer looking for a half-way affordable dwelling, it’s, “Yeah, thanks a lot.”

And just so you know, the story says, “The median price of a condo in central Boston… jumped 16.2 percent last year, to $790,000, according to real estate data firm LINK.”