Trends

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NAR Report: Why April is the Month for Existing-Home Sales

After falling the first three months of the year, existing-home sales reversed course in April, according to NAR. #176580616 / gettyimages.com Early Thursday morning, the National Association of Realtors released a report showing that in April, and for the first

Appraisal Complaints Way Down in 2014, but Structural Flaws Persist

Bad appraisals were one of the more implicit side effects of the housing downturn, but is the worst behind us? #83590748 / gettyimages.com Forty percent of any demographic is an awfully large chunk of people, and in 2010, at

Negative Equity Persists in Houston in a Surprising Way

Though home prices have risen, negative equity continues to affect many homeowners – though not equally. #459305223 / gettyimages.com Home prices have risen in dramatic ways the last couple of years, but quite a few properties remain in negative

The 7 Key Things to Know About the New Construction Market

As usual, many media outlets have been focusing on the screaming headlines on construction, but more important trends simmer below the surface. #466064835 / gettyimages.com By now, you’ve surely seen the screaming headlines – in April, housing starts skyrocketed

11% of Real Estate Agents Cannot Write

We’ve all seen listings with lackluster writing and grammar, but how common are those listings across the industry? #461174833 / gettyimages.com Bad grammar. Misspellings. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. Oh yes, we’re talking bad writing in real estate listings, something we

Great News: Delinquency Rate Falls to Lowest Level Since 2007

The U.S. mortgage markets have been improving gradually the last couple years, but the latest MBA data marks a significant accomplishment. #486080083 / gettyimages.com Yesterday, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) graced us with a wonderful piece of housing news

Builder Confidence Continues to Slip in May

May was another lackluster month for confidence in the homebuilding sector, according to the NAHB, as homebuilding ran into some economic barriers. #479533631 / gettyimages.com Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes in May fell one

The 5 Simple Reasons that Millennials are Not Buying Homes

Why on earth are Millennials not buying homes? It turns out there are pretty straightforward reasons behind their absence. #171287367 / gettyimages.com The housing market has, thus far in 2014, been putting up some pretty lukewarm numbers, and the relative

5 Reasons that Houston’s Housing Market May Finally Be Slowing Down

Houston has been home to one of the nation’s hottest housing markets for some time, but new HAR numbers suggest that may no longer be the case. #178675889 / gettyimages.com Throughout 2012 and 2013, it almost became cliche to

Houston Market Less and Less Accessible for Middle Class Buyers

We often hear about how vital homeownership is to the middle class, yet new data suggests that owning is not as feasible in our market as one would think. #485210071 / gettyimages.com Homeownership and the middle class go together

3 Things to Know About the Most Powerful Man in Housing

Mel Watt, the recently installed head of the FHFA, delivered his first major address on housing this week; here were the main takeaways. #171644428 / gettyimages.com Mel Watt, who is the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA),

Shocker: Even FICO Thinks Lending Standards are Too Tight

It’s one thing for NAR to think that lending is too strict, but now even FICO has thrown its voice into the mix. #182982451 / gettyimages.com For some time, tight lending standards in the post-bubble housing market have been

Vast Majority of Houston Listings Below Conforming Loan Limits

With talk in the air about overhauling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, how much sway does conforming loan limits have on our market? #157336161 / gettyimages.com Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the massive government-sponsored entities that are responsible for the

Trulia: Asking Prices in Houston Continue Their Ascent

Prices have risen strongly thus far in 2014, and April only continued that hot streak. #122676840 / gettyimages.com Houston’s home price increases in 2014 continued in April, with asking prices rising 9.8 percent yearly and 2.1 percent quarterly, according to the

The 6 Assorted Reasons that People Prefer New or Existing Homes

Some consumers prefer newly built homes, while other prefer existing residences; why is that? #486077819 / gettyimages.com It’s always been a give-in that some consumers will prefer newly built homes while others opt for an existing residence, but an

5 Good Things Happening Right Now in Housing

There’s been quite a bit of negative press swirling around housing lately, but we’ve got some pleasant developments to hang your hat on. #461497687 / gettyimages.com There’s no two ways about it – the last few weeks, at least

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