National News

So, About that Government Default – Should We Be Afraid?

We’re now two days away from a government default, an event that would spell nothing but trouble for the nation’s housing market. We’re now drawing uncomfortably close to a government default, and though we have written on a couple

Are Zombies & Vampires a Problem in Our Housing Market?

What are Vampire REOs and Zombie Foreclosures? And what problems do they pose for the housing market? Last week, we reported on the latest National Foreclosure Report from CoreLogic, and the news was uniformly good: foreclosure inventory was down a

Does the Middle Class Have a Chance in Houston’s Housing Market?

The U.S. prides itself for its strong middle class, but how many options does that middle class have for housing in the nation’s largest cities? Homeownership has long been a cornerstone of the modern American Dream, the ultimate symbol

How Affordable Will Housing Be When Rates Hit 7 Percent?

Housing affordability has been on the decline this year, but by how much? And what will affordability look like when rates increase? It’s been an interesting year in the world of housing affordability. Record low mortgage rates and competitively

5 Interesting Details about Janet Yellen, Obama’s Pick to Head the Fed

Janet Yellen, President Obama’s choice to head the Federal Reserve, brings a unique combination of the old and the new to the position. President Obama yesterday announced Janet Yellen as his choice to head the Federal Reserve and take

CoreLogic: Foreclosure Inventory Drops 33% in August

The nation’s foreclosure markets have been showing considerable improvement in 2013, but did that trend continue in August? The good news continued for the nation’s foreclosure markets, according to CoreLogic’s latest National Foreclosure Report, with foreclosure inventory, completed foreclosures

Consumer Caution Grows in Latest National Housing Survey

Consumer sentiment on the housing market has gone nowhere but up in the last few months, but does the latest survey from Fannie Mae suggest a slowdown? Baby, we had a great run. Though consumer confidence on the housing

Did Houston Rents Increase in the Third Quarter?

The nation’s rental markets have been quite hot in the post-boom housing market; did that trend continue into the third quarter? There have been two distinct memes in the housing market since 2008, both involving the nation’s rental market.

Trulia: Houston Asking Prices Rise 13.3% in September

Asking prices may have slowed nationwide in September, but was that the case here in Houston? Asking prices in Houston’s housing market were up a robust 13.3 percent year-over-year in September, along with a 3.0 percent increase from the

4 Key Concepts on the Government Shutdown and Housing

It’s been several days now of the government shutdown, and it’s becoming more clear how it could potentially impact the housing market. The government shutdown went into effect at midnight on Oct. 1, and ever since then, there has

How Much Do Homes Cost in Top Tier School Districts?

Strong school districts are often a top selling point for certain neighborhoods, but how do they translate to the median price of the area? It’s gotta be among the most common of questions that real estate agents receive –

McGraw Hill: Residential Construction in Houston Down 14% in August

Construction in the Bayou City declined somewhat in August, though the city is still putting up some of the best numbers in the nation. First, the bad news – residential construction in Houston fell 14 percent from August 2012

CoreLogic: Home Prices Slow in August, Still Up 12.4% YOY

Though monthly home price growth slowed in August, it still posted strong year-over-year returns, according to CoreLogic. Well, the great home-price honeymoon may be drawing to a close. According to the latest Home Price Index from CoreLogic, home prices

RE/MAX IPO Exceeds Expectations, Raises $220 Million

RE/MAX’s IPO exceeded expectations on Wednesday, raising more than $220 million in funding. RE/MAX became the latest real estate business to expand to the stock market with its IPO on Wednesday – and like those earlier companies, its IPO

8 Key Trends in Consumer Finances in 2013

How do American consumers feel about not only the housing market, but their chances at homeownership? A new Bankrate.com survey provides insight. There are many reasons for homeownership. From privacy, to expression, to carving ones own unique niche in

How Last Year’s Housing Bust Impacted This Year’s Mortgages

According to The Wall Street Journal, banks made more mortgages last year than in any year since the housing downturn in 2000, with interest rates reaching their lowest levels on record. Researchers at the Federal Reserve analyzed the federal lending

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