Current Market Data

5 Must-Know Details About the Latest Jobs Report

There were several aspects of the new jobs report that real estate agents should be aware of. The government released its latest jobs report earlier today, and as with past reports, there was a subtle mixture of highly positive and slightly

When it Comes to Homes, Bigger is Definitely Better in America

Americans love big houses, and that’s true across generational and economic lines. Only 40 percent of Americans are living in their ideal home size, and 43 percent wish they were living in a home that is somewhat or significantly larger.

Houston Just Got More Affordable

Home prices went up in 2014, and for some metros, affordability did too. For most homebuyers, especially those entering the market for the very first time, affordability is chief among concerns leading up to a purchase. In an analysis of

3 Graphs That Show How Inequality is Impacting Housing

Until the economy improves, housing will never fully recover – and the stats are not encouraging. Quite a bit of our reporting, in recent weeks, has focused on inequality and income disparity, and for good reason – a housing

Houston New Construction Begins 2015 in Stable Territory, but is Trouble on the Way?

The new year is always a precarious time for the new construction marketplace. Residential construction spending in the Houston area was just shy of $635 million in January, a decent 4 percent increase from Jan. 2014, according to new numbers from Dodge

Americans Stuck Worrying, Not Buying

A new survey from The Pew Charitable Trusts provided insights into why Americans are hesitant to enter the housing market. Set to the backdrop of 2007’s financial tempest, 2014 was comparably a good year for many American families. However,

Houston Home Price Increases Top CoreLogic Price Index

The latest price index from CoreLogic covered home prices through January. Home prices in the Houston area rose 10.9 percent year-over-year in January, according to the latest Home Price Index from CoreLogic. That’s strongest increase of all the metro areas that CoreLogic

New Construction Wavers in January, But Long-Term Trends Highly Positive

January may have seemed like a disappointing month of construction, but a deeper look at the trends reveals much to smile about. Overall construction spending in January was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $971.4 billion, according to the

Pending Home Sales Hit Highest Mark in 18 Months

Pending home sales shot up in January, suggesting positive numbers down the road. Pending home sales hit their highest level in 18 months in January, according to the latest analysis from the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home

What Qualifying Income Does Your Clients Need to Buy in Houston?

In the end, buying a home all comes down to dollars and cents, and Houston’s qualifying incomes differ in interesting ways with the rest of the U.S. To qualify for a mortgage on a 5 percent down payment, Houston homebuyers

Eastern Exodus From Houston’s Energy Corridor

Oil prices and new developments are pushing Houston builders to the city’s east side. In recent years, Houston’s single greatest economic influencer has pushed along development in the city: energy. Massive injections of jobs due to the consistently high

Another Sign That First-Time Buyers are Missing in Action

First-time homebuyers are a scarce bunch, these days. Just when it seemed that the news on first-time homebuyers could not get any more distressing, here comes a new report from RealtyTrac to pour salt on the wounds. In short,

3 Important Trends in New Construction Housing

It’s a whole new world out there for new construction, as stunning stat after stunning stat drives home. The Census Bureau’s latest report on new single-family home sales is out, and its findings, at least on the surface, were

Harris County Saves More by Refinancing

SmartAsset evaluated refinancing around Texas and the country to find that Houstonians are saving more. In Harris County, residents are saving more each year on mortgage refinancing than anywhere else in the state, an analysis from SmartAsset, a personal finance website,

Huge Share of Millennials Return Home After Moving Out

The past few months, we’ve reported on the many thorny issues facing Millennials – that their wages in many industries have plummeted in recent years; that their savings rate is negative; that they have pushed roommate rates up to

Texas Price Growth Remains Strong in New Case-Shiller

Texas continued to lead the pack in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Home prices in the Lone Star State remained strong in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Though the indices do not track Houston, prices were very encouraging in Dallas,

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