Quite a few Americans moved about in 2012, but what were the reasons behind their move? Last year, a hefty number of Americans moved to new residences – 35.5 million Americans, in fact, a 4 percent increase from 2011

Many analysts were proclaiming the demise of the McMansion, but the super-sized housing option seems to have returned from the dead. The narrative went a little something like this: McMansions, or over-sized suburban homes, were an outgrowth of the

The housing market, according to the latest numbers from Redfin, seems to be slowing down; is that the case here in Houston? For the third straight month, the percentage of listings that went under contract within two weeks decreased

Regulators have proposed new mortgage rules that will give more Americans access to mortgage credit, generating a positive reaction from housing stakeholders. The proposal would align the qualified residential mortgage rule (QRM) with the qualified mortgage rule (QM), finalized

Mortgage rates have risen rather dramatically since May; what impact could those increases have, though, on the housing market? At the beginning of May the average mortgage rate for a 30-year FRM was just 3.35 percent. Since then, as

Higher mortgage rates negatively impacted pending home sales, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, the leading measure of contract signings in the residential housing market, declined 1.3 percent from June

New home sales fell by a hefty amount in July; what does such a decline suggest about the housing recovery? July was a lukewarm month for new single-family home sales, with the Census Bureau reporting declines in sales numbers.

June was a stellar month for Texas home prices, with the Lone Star State putting up some of the strongest home prices gains in the nation. Home prices in Texas remained among the strongest in the nation in June,

Residential construction put up some great numbers in July, but are those gains consistent with our local real estate market? July was a very strong month for residential new construction. Not only were building permits up 2.7 percent from

We keep hearing that mortgage lending standards are unfairly tight, but does the data support that meme? One of the more prevailing memes in the housing recovery has been the relative tightness of lending standards on residential mortgages, and

Not only were existing-home sales up by monthly and yearly measures in July, but housing inventory continued to stabilize as well. July was a rock solid month for existing-home sales, according to the latest data from the National Association

Housing affordability has slipped a bit so far in 2013, but does Houston’s housing stock remain affordable relative to other major cities? Housing affordability slipped a bit from the first quarter to the second quarter in 2013, according to

Residential construction posted great numbers in July, with housing starts, building permits and housing completions all in positive territory. July was a sterling month for residential construction, with all measured tracked by the Census Bureau posting positive numbers for

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

Builder confidence continued its upward trend in August, rising to its highest mark since 2005. August has proven another sterling month for homebuilders, with the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, the leading measure of builder

Housing inventory in Houston was down by double-digit amounts in July; how do those declines compare with the rest of the nation? Housing inventory in July may have been down 32.3 percent year-over-year in Houston and 16.2 percent nationally,