Trends

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Pending Home Sales Reach Post-Bubble Milestone

The Pending Home Sales Index was up more than 10 percent in April, rising to its highest mark since the expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credit. April was a solid month for pending home sales, with the Pending

Do Women in Real Estate Earn 40% Less Than Men?

The “wage gap” is among the more prominent topics in gender equality, and new Census Bureau numbers suggest real estate has an issue with the topic. The “wage gap,” which addresses the difference in pay that men and women

Texas Home Prices Rise Again in March Case-Shiller

Home prices in Texas remained among the most consistent in the nation, with prices up both monthly and yearly in March’s Case-Shiller. Home prices here in the Lone Star State were consistent as ever in March’s Case-Shiller Home Price Indices

Don’t Worry – Housing Bubble Rumors Are Bogus

Some overzealous folks have begun throwing around the “bubble” word in their coverage of the current housing market, but such statements are way off. Home prices on the national scale have been doing quite well in recent months; in

Existing-Home Sales Underwhelm in April?

Though existing-home sales posted yearly and monthly increases in April, they were held back by low housing inventory and tight lending standards…or so we’re told! Existing-home sales in April may have increased 0.6 percent from March and 9.7 percent

This is How Gen Y Will Revolutionize Housing

Generation Y, the 80 million or so Americans born between 1979 and 1995, are expected to reverse the last 60 years or so of housing policy in the U.S. One of the more persistent questions among housing analysts is

Less Than 1 Percent of Today’s Mortgages are Bad

The housing market cannot truly recover without a healthy mortgage market, but new research from LPS shines an optimistic light on the topic. Homes sales are up, inventory has stabilized, and by many accounts, new construction it putting up

Housing Starts Plunge, Building Permits Soar in New Census Bureau Data

The Census Bureau’s latest new construction numbers were a topsy turvy bunch, with housing starts plunging but building permits soaring. If the Census Bureau’s latest numbers are any indicator, April was a wild month for new housing construction in

What Income Does Your Client Need to Buy a Home in Houston?

What income is necessary to afford the typical house in Houston? And how do those requirements compare with other major metro areas? “Housing affordability” is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit nowadays, and for good reason;

Builder Confidence Surges in May

Builder confidence for both the general housing market and the 55+ market increased in May on the strength of homebuyer urgency. Builder confidence at all levels of the homebuilding industry showed some of its strongest numbers in years in

Only 2 Percent of Realtors are Younger than 30

Along with its economic findings, NAR’s 2012 Member Profile also offered great insight into the demographics of today’s Realtors – including median age. The average Realtor is 57 years old, and only 2 percent of the entire Realtor class

How Hard is it, Really, to Get a Mortgage?

Is it still tough to get a mortgage? New numbers from the Federal Reserve offer an enlightening perspective on the issue. It’s the question on everyone’s mind, now that the housing market is on a slow, sustainable path to

3 Intriguing Reasons for Today’s Low Mortgage Rates

Inflation, housing demand and the Syrian opposition all have one thing in common; can you guess what it is? Mortgage rates for 15- and 30-year mortgage in the first week of May, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market

Realtor Income Up 25 Percent in 2012

For the second straight year, both the income and business activity for Realtors increased in 2012, with incomes jumping by 25 percent. 2012 was a good year for Realtors, with both business activity and income up for the second

Foreclosure Markets Remain Healthy in Houston

The news was good for Texas’ foreclosure markets in April, which continue to be among the healthiest in the nation. The nation’s foreclosure markets showed continued improvement in RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for April, with Houston’s marketplace remaining ahead of

Mortgage Standards Are Going to Get Much Tougher in 2014

Qualified mortgage standards are back in the news, with the FHFA announcing that it is on track to adopt the standards’ “ability to repay” provisions. The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) has announced that beginning Jan. 10, 2014, Fannie

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