National News

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

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

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

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

4 Reasons Builders are Building Bigger

Americans everywhere are tightening their belts, but still our houses are getting bigger. Why? Considering the realities of today’s housing market – that the empty nester population is growing and environmental sustainability is more and more dictating the direction

Houston’s Rental Market Continues Strong Performance in 2014

Our city’s rental markets have performed quite well in recent years, and 2014 seems to be no exception. The average rent in Houston in 2014’s third quarter was $849, a 1.5 percent increase from the second quarter and a 4.6 percent

Average Down Payment in Houston Nearly $44,000

How does the down payment in Houston compare with other metro areas? According to analysis from LendingTree, the average down payment in Houston is 16.98 percent of the mortgage, which comes out to $43,775. How does this compare with

Residential Construction in Houston Positive in 2014

Construction is the residential sphere is keeping pace in Houston in 2014 According to the latest numbers from the Census Bureau, residential construction spending in August was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $351.7 billion, down 0.1 percent

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