Trends

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Student Loan Debt Takes Its Toll on Housing

In the last decade, student loan debt has become a major hindrance to young college graduates entering the home buying market. The saddling of debt is a struggle millions of Americans can relate to. And though, traditionally, household debt

Existing-Home Sales Improvements Highlight New Construction Slump

NAR’s September existing-home sales reports marks a bounce back from August’s dip. In August, existing-home sales took a slight dip from their peak pace in July. However, after a month of decreased activity, sales again picked up, this time

How Homebuyers in Texas Find Their Homes

There are many ways that homebuyers can go about locating their new residence, but how what are the most common methods among Texas homebuyers? Last week, we reported that nationwide, the methods in which homebuyers find their dream residence

The Top 6 Reasons that Homes Do Not Close

What are the most common reasons for why homes do not close? From financing issues to disagreements over the final sale price, there are many possible reasons for why a house did not close, so we decided to take a closer

Living in (Single) America

Americans love being single, according to new Census Bureau data, and that trend will likely impact housing in noticeable ways. For the first time since the government began tracking such statistics in 1976, there are more single adults in

Your Mind on Multitasking

Today’s agent doesn’t look busy unless they’re multitasking. Unfortunately, that frantic lifestyle may be hurting their brains. A smartphone in one hand, tablet in the other, Bluetooth in the ear and a laptop in the car seat – the

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.

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