Trends

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7 Important Things You Should Know About New Construction

The new construction markets are in a very interesting place, a fact reinforced by the latest Census Bureau numbers. Housing starts in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.017 million, a 6.3 percent increase from August’s revised

How Homebuyers Find their Homes – a Radical Change

The manner in which prospective homebuyers locate their new residences has changed quite a bit in just 10 years time. The year was 2004, and real estate agents and yard signs were the prevailing method for consumers to find

New Mortgage Rules to Be Finalized Oct. 22

Three years later, the government is finally set to reveal its new requirements for mortgages, and much has changed in the interim. The government is set to finalize the final piece of its post-bubble mortgage regulations on Oct. 22,

Owning in Houston Considerably More Affordable than Renting

When conditions are right, owning in our area is much more affordable than renting. Homeownership in the Houston area remains 43 percent more affordable than renting through 2014’s third quarter, according to a new analysis by Trulia; that’s slightly below a

Houston’s Top 25 Most Affordable Neighborhoods

Houston’s market is on the rise, but affordable homes are still abound. In 2004, before the nation’s housing market fell into dire straits, Houston home prices averaged at about $175,000. However, according to the Houston Association of Realtors and

Cash Sales Report Shows More Investors Leaving

Cash sales are down, which means good things for hopeful buyers needing mortgage financing. Earlier this week, CoreLogic released its July cash sales report, finding that investors are continuing to flee the market, paving the way for buyers more

Number of Women-Owned Real Estate Firms Soars

Women have always played an important role in real estate, and new numbers show their prominence has only grown. The number of women-owned firms in real estate has grown by 41.4 percent in the last 12 years according to

Distressed Home Sales Consistent in Texas in 2014

The nation’s distressed housing market has improved quite a bit in the last year, and that progress is also clear here in Texas. Distressed home sales in the U.S. have fallen from 17 percent of all existing-home sales to just

The Two Most Important Developments for Housing’s Growth

There are many important factors influencing housing today, but recent analysis suggests two will have an outsized effect on the industry. The future is good for housing. That was the conclusion of a recent analysis by Goldman Sachs, which

A Strong Fall Begets a Strong Spring

Despite a drop in interest in August, Redfin research shows an uptick in the presence of perspective buyers. In August, Redfin reported a market-wide drop in homes for sale and new listings that hampered the searches of perspective buyers.

The Secret to Housing’s Future – a New Kind of 15-Year Mortgage?

We often hear about how the nation’s mortgage markets need reform, but the solution could come from the most unexpected source. One of the most common refrains in the post-bubble housing market has involved lending standards, and that if

HAR Details a Busy September in Houston

HAR’s September sales report booming home sales. Inventory, however, is another story. A new report released from the Houston Association of Realtors detailed the beginning of the fall season, which, much like in August and July, was characterized by

The Shadow Inventory: What You Need to Know

Though the elusive shadow inventory has dwindled, forthcoming changes to mortgage debt relief could lead to a swell in foreclosures over the next year. Trudging through the sludge of economic debris left over from the cataclysmic crisis that sent the U.S.

4 Important Facts About Hispanic Homebuyers in America

All research points to Hispanic consumers having an outsized effect on the U.S. housing market in the coming years. Hispanics are the fast-growing group of homebuyers in America, and they will hold significant sway over where our housing market

Asking Prices in Houston Bounce Back with Strong September

Asking prices once again showed positive movement in September, according to new stats from Trulia. A strong condo market propelled Houston’s housing market to another month of positive asking-price increases in September, according to the latest Price Monitor by Trulia.

Millennials Looking Up: A Positive Outlook on the Future of Homebuying

Research from Zillow finds millennial values toward homeownership may be more traditional than older generations. It’s no secret that as more millennials reach homebuying age they’re opting to remain renters in lieu of entering the market. However, despite what many

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