Freddie Mac yesterday released the latest results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, and it found what by now has become common – that average fixed mortgage rates hit record lows last week.
The 30-year FRM averaged just 3.79 for the week ending May 17, a four basis point decline from the 3.83 percent of the week prior and a substantial drop from the 4.61 percent from last year.

Foreclosure filings, which encompass default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, were the lowest in April in five years, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac.
The 188,780 filings for April were a 5 percent decline from March and a 14 percent drop from April 2011. Overall, one in every 698 U.S. housing units had a foreclosure filing in the month.

 
After experiencing record-breaking home sales in March, John Daugherty Realtors are continuing to exceed its goals. March set the tone for the best month in a 45-year history with sales of $136.2 million this year. The month of April also proved to be an accomplishment.

Today’s real estate market is challenging and competitive, but this year’s Realtor Magazine “30 Under 30″ honorees haven’t let that deter them. The 2012 class is following in the strong entrepreneurial tradition of real estate, creating their own pathways to success.

Home sales in the Houston area were positive again in April, increasing for the 11th straight month and reaching their highest level since August 2011.
According to the latest data from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), single-family home sales in April increased 9.6 percent from a year ago and rose by the second largest monthly total of 2012.

The successful adoption by Heritage Texas Properties of the Electronic Transaction Solution (HAR-ETS) to go paperless was announced by PropertyInfo Corporation, a Stewart company. The paperless utility is powered by SureClose software and owned by Stewart Transaction Solutions.

 
Weichert, Realtors – Wayne Murray Properties have announced Blaire Nunely as a realtor for The Woodlands office.  As a seven-year resident of the area, she will assist homebuyers and sellers in The Woodlands and Spring.

The homeownership/renting debate has gotten fierce in recent months, but a new chart may have settled the dispute.
A new chart of analysis has reinvigorated the homeownership vs renting debate, with another nod of economic approval heading for the homeowners’ corner.

Bob Miles is a real estate agent at Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors Katy office and this years Prudential annual sales convention held in Orland Florida in March, he won the the Ten Year Legend Award.
Miles has been in real estate since 1995, has been a top producer at the Katy office for several years and at the beginning of his career set a goal to someday earn a Ten Year Legend Award.

Despite a tough mortgage market, Houston’s housing market continues to flourish, thanks to consumer demand and a strong local economy.
For the Houston area, home sales increased 9 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, and the median home price increased 4 percent, according to the most recent data from the Texas Association of Realtors.