National News

Meritage Homes Houston division wins Avid Award for high customer service standards

The builder’s Houston division won the Avid Gold Award for extraordinary customer service for production in the South Central region of the U.S.

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It’s a seller’s market, Fannie Mae survey shows

Americans believe it’s a much better time to sell a home than to buy one, according to Fannie Mae’s latest survey of home purchase sentiment.

Home prices surge across the board in Q1, and Houston is no exception

Practically every single one of the 183 metro areas tracked by the NAR saw significant year-over-year increases in the price of homes during the first quarter, with the median sales price of a single-family home in Houston jumping to 14.9% on a year-over-year basis to $281,800.

Demand for second homes more than doubles pre-pandemic numbers

The number of buyers who locked in mortgage rates for second homes spiked to 178% year over year in April, according to a report from Redfin.

Lumber prices triple, raising home prices by $36,000

Lumber prices have tripled over the past 12 months, driving up the price of the average new single-family home by $35,872. NAHB hopes to alleviate the situation by meeting with the White House, lawmakers and others.

Houston named a top moving destination in U.S.

Houston has been ranked as the sixth moving destination by Penske Truck Rental in its 11th annual Top Moving Destinations list.

Private equity-backed firm acquires JP & Associates Realtors

The acquirer is a partnership between Chairman and CEO Rick Davidson, who most recently served as global CEO of Realogy Real Estate Services Corp.’s Century 21 Real Estate unit, and private equity firm Aperion Management.

JV acquiring almost 2,000 homes throughout the South for single-family rentals

Transcendent Electra, a partnership between Transcendent Investment Management and Electra America, has $496 million of properties in contract process and closing and another $1 billion in the pipeline.

NAHB: Single-family homes help boost total residential construction spending in March

The NAHB attributed the monthly increase in its construction spending index to single-family construction and single-family improvements, both of which rose by 2% on a monthly basis. Multifamily construction, meanwhile, declined 0.3% after falling 0.9% in February.

David Weekley Homes ranked No. 13 on FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For

According to employees, the builder offered a multitude of options to support them through the pandemic.

NAR tech-venture fund names 2021 REACH recipients

The 2021 REACH recipients have collectively raised more than $700 million in capital, employ more than 125 people and represent a valuation of more than $1 billion.

S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller: U.S. home-price gains accelerate

The year-over-year increase in the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index is the highest recorded since February 2006, according to Craig Lazzara, managing director and global head of index investment strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indexes.

Biden Administration announces additional 22,000 H-2B visas

The DHS announcement comes in response to businesses reporting an immediate need for supplemental, temporary guest workers for this fiscal year.

RE/MAX: Median sales price tops $300,000 for first time

The median sales price of homes across 53 metro areas rose to record highs in March, topping $300,000. In Houston, the median sales price rose 4.7% between February and March to $288,000.

HUD Sec. Fudge: ‘We will enforce U.S. Fair Housing Act’

Housing secretary reaffirms U.S. commitment to closing the racial homeownership gap at a forum with NAR president and top housing officials and mentions how Realtors can help.

Zillow: Most experts expect relief to supply woes later this year, early 2022

Forty-three percent of respondents to the first-quarter Zillow Home Price Expectations survey expect inventory to improve in the second half of the year, followed by 26% who expect it in the first half of 2022.

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