National News

Texas leads country in population growth

Texas gained more residents than any other state between July 2020 and July 2021, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data. 

Omicron worries push mortgage rates down

Fears of an economic fallout are causing long-term U.S. mortgage rates to fall as the newest COVID-19 strain reignites worry among Americans. 

Houston Agent’s top 10 national news stories of 2021

Check out the national stories which most interested our Houston readers during 2021.

Houston ranks No. 3 among cities with highest home renovation ROI

HomeAdvisor recently analyzed real estate listings in 10 of the hottest housing markets in 2021 to determine the top five cities that saw the highest return on investment (ROI) from home renovations.

Eviction crisis unfolds as courts process backlog of filed cases

Eviction filings are rising as millions of Americans are being forced from their homes months after lawmakers allowed the federally imposed eviction moratorium to expire. 

Redfin reports 10 housing records set in 2021

The pandemic and work-from-home orders have changed where, when and why people buy homes. As a result, housing prices hit the highest median of all time in 2021, as the number of homes for sale fell to an all-time low and the demand for second homes surged, according to a new Redfin report. 

NAR applauds President Biden’s nomination of FHFA director

The National Association of REALTORS®  applauded President Joe Biden’s nomination of acting Federal Housing Finance Agency director Sandra Thompson to serve in a permanent capacity.. “Her talents and experience will benefit the enterprises, homeowners and home buyers and the mortgage-financing ecosystem,” NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith said in a press release.

Tour Santa’s home and workshop in new Zillow listing

The listing also shows Santa’s North Pole estate’s value has skyrocketed this year.

Harris ranked state’s fastest-growing county

Three of the 10 fastest-growing counties in Texas are in the Houston metropolitan area, according to a recent Stacker report.

NAR donated nearly 3,500 meals to Americans in last six months

As part of an ongoing relationship with the Food Recovery Network (FRN), the National Association of Realtors provided roughly 3,475 meals to Americans in the past six months, according to a press release. 

Survey: Millennial homeowners most burdened by debt, homeownership costs

Millennials are at the greatest risk of becoming house-rich and cash-poor as the generation is spending the highest percentage of their monthly income on homeownership costs compared to other generations, according to a new Hometap report.

Survey: Americans are ‘chasing the sun’ to Florida and Texas

A movement sparked by the pandemic is causing Americans to pack up and relocate. As it turns out, Florida and Houston are top-ranking destinations for many people. 

Mobile homes appeal to young and middle-class buyers as home prices surge

With home prices continuing to reach new heights  across the country, many potential homebuyers are seeing the mobile-home market in a brand new light as single-family home prices become less affordable for young and middle-class buyers. 

CoreLogic: Could 2021 be the first multi-trillion dollar real estate market?

As more money is being spent on real estate than ever before, the booming market is on pace to shatter records this year, according to a recent CoreLogic report.

FHFA announces conforming loan limits for Fannie and Freddie mortgages

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced its 2022 conforming loan limits (CLL) for conventional loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Are investors to blame for low housing inventory?

Investors across the country are looking to cash in on skyrocketing house prices and rents, putting them in competition with new buyers trying to work their way to homeownership. Real estate investors bought a record 18% of the homes sold in the third quarter, according to a new Redfin report.

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