Andy Rosen - Globe Staff July 7, 2021 12:07 pm
Ashley Pirez never gave Worcester much thought before she enrolled at Assumption University 14 years ago. Even though she grew up 20 minutes away, her vision of the city as a drab collection of shopping centers didn’t hold much appeal.
But once she arrived, Pirez never wanted to leave. She and her wife bought a home in 2012 in a short sale as the area sputtered out of the Great Recession. Next month, they are set to close on a new, larger place just over the border in Holden. It was different this time, as the couple navigated through what has become a sizzling market full of all-cash offers and waived home inspections.