Trends

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New Home Sales Rise Strongly in May, Up 29 Percent

New residential home sales were nothing but positive in May, with sales posting both monthly and yearly increases. The new construction market continued its recovery in May, with sales of new single-family homes rising 2.1 percent from April to

And the Nation’s Top 10 New Construction Markets Are…

No industry was more affected by the housing slump than construction, but 10 markets in the U.S. have robust construction markets; is Houston one of them? Though nearly every industry in the U.S. was impacted by the economic downturn,

Texas Home Prices Strong and Steady in April Case-Shiller

Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Indices put up smashing numbers in April, and here in Texas, the situation was similarly promising. Texas home prices retained their strong, steady increases in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard &

4 Things We Learned From Last Week’s Existing-Home Sales Report

NAR’s existing-home sales report for May, which came out last week, offered a very interesting glimpse at where housing is right now in its recovery. Last week’s existing-home sales report from the National Association of Realtors was a smorgasbord

How Many Foreign Homebuyers are Searching for Houston Properties?

International homebuyers represent a huge opportunity for real estate agents today, though some cities appeal to foreigners more than others. It’s no mystery that foreign homebuyers make up a hefty chunk of business for many real estate professionals today.

Existing-Home Sales Rise 4.2%, but Do Price Increases Pose Problems?

Though NAR’s latest existing-home sales report was, for all intents and purposes, quite positive, it reaffirmed that problems lie with inventory and prices. The latest existing-home sales report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) was quite positive, with

Census Bureau: Housing Starts Soar 28.6 Percent in May

May was another sterling month for new construction, with housing starts rising by nearly 30 percent from the year before. The U.S.’ new construction marketplace continued to recover in May, with housing starts rising 28.6 percent year-over-year to a

Houston Marks 2 Straight Years of Positive Sales with Soaring May

As if the scenario in Houston’s real estate market could not get any rosier, May’s positive numbers marked the 24th straight month of sales increases. Just when it was starting to look at though Houston’s real estate market had

Builder Confidence Hits Major Milestone in June

The National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index hit a major milestone in June, passing the holy 50 threshold. June was a banner month for homebuilders, with the National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index, the key

Has Housing Inventory Gone Up or Down in Houston in 2013?

Housing inventory seems to be picking up on the national stage, but what about specific metro areas, like our beloved Houston? The nation’s housing inventory has been one of the most hotly followed aspects of the housing market in

Young Americans Interested in Homebuying, Men More Likely Than Women

The latest Mortgage Marvel survey revealed that young Americans are interested in homebuying this year, and men are more likely to show interest than women. Even though mortgage rates increasing, it is not stopping young Americans from expressing an

Despite Mortgage Rates Increasing, Buying is Cheaper Than Renting

Mortgage rates may have increased by 0.5 percentage points in the past month, but buying a home is still less expensive than renting. Even though there has been a recent increase in mortgage rates (the 30-year fixed rate over

Economic Growth Expected to Gradually Increase This Year

The economic growth we’ve seen this year shows a slow but upward recovery in housing, exceeding the expectations of economists Economic growth is expected to gradually increase in the second half of 2013 and into 2014, according to the

Negative Equity Improves by Leaps and Bounds in U.S.

The negative equity situation continued to improve by wide margins in the U.S. housing market, according to CoreLogic’s latest research. The U.S. housing market’s equity situation continued to improve in 2013’s first quarter, with roughly 850,000 homes returning to

Don’t Fret – Rising Mortgage Rates are NOT the End the World

Though some headlines on rising mortgage rates have bared apocalyptic overtones, the housing market has some room to spare on rate increases. Mortgage have ticked up in recent weeks, and already, the doomsday headlines (many of them broadcasting the

NAHB’s Improving Markets Index Expands to 263 Markets in June

The NAHB’s Improving Markets Index has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year, expanding by three-fold. The National Association of Homebuilders’ Improving Markets Index increased to 263 markets in June, with 29 new metropolitan markets, including Chicago,

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