News / Features

U.S. pending home sales bounce back in October after three-month decline

October’s pending home sales rebounded slightly after a three-month decline, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index rose 3.5 percent from 105.6 in September to 109.3 in October. This is

Freddie Mac: Housing market on track for best year in a decade

With 2018 right around the corner, Freddie Mac released its report card for 2017, that while the economy is marked by robust job growth and low inflation, the housing market has had some hiccups this summer and fall, largely due

HUD provides $5 billion for Hurricane Harvey repair

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing more than $5 billion to Texas to be used in Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. HUD is giving $5.024 billion to help hard-hit areas of Texas through its Community Development

Top 20 ZIP codes for FEMA applications show widespread Harvey damage

Despite Houston being one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Harvey back in August, it wasn’t the only area in Southeast Texas severely affected by the storm. In an effort to highlight little-known regions ravaged by the disaster,

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Construction making its highest contribution to economy in seven years

In 2016, the construction industry made its highest contribution to the U.S. economy in seven years. A recent report from the American Builders and Contractors (ABC) shows that investment in construction is up nationwide. The report showed that in

Median U.S. home value increases by $12,500 since last year

Just months after median U.S. home values reached their highest point in history, home values have continued to rise. Zillow recently released its October 2017 Market Housing report showing that the median U.S. home value stands at $203,400, a $12,500,

Houston maintains second place in new home starts despite Harvey’s impact

Houston maintained its second-place position behind Dallas-Fort Worth in annual new home starts as the third quarter comes to a close. According to Metrostudy’s third quarter study, Houston reached 27,713 starts, which is a 6.4 percent increase compared to

NAR speaks out against latest proposal to end net neutrality

The National Association of Realtors released a statement on Tuesday highlighting concerns with a recent announcement from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that shared their plan to reverse net neutrality regulations which ensure equal access to the internet. With

October home sales reach fastest pace in four months

Home sales don’t seem to be slowing down as October recorded the fastest pace of sales since June, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Total home sales grew to a seasonally adjusted rate

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National Flood Insurance Program reauthorized by House of Representatives

After months of urging from the National Association of Realtors, the House of Representatives finally voted to approve the 21st Century Flood Reform Act, which reauthorizes and reforms the National Flood Insurance Program. Originally set to expire in September of

Suburban sprawl set to be a growing trend in 2018

As 2018 approaches, experts at Zillow predict the migration of urban-based millennials to the suburbs, where first-time home buyers will benefit from an expected increase in the new construction of entry-level homes. Millennials who have typically favored urban living

Typical mortgage payment up 10 percent in 2017

With home prices on the rise, average monthly mortgage payments have seen even larger increases over last year. According to a CoreLogic study, the typical mortgage payment for homeowners has risen 10 percentage points in 2017, with a projected

Redfin: Personal values greatly impact homebuying

No matter who you are or what you believe in, your own seemingly-insignificant preferences shed some light on the type of home you prefer. Whether you’re a single woman with a dog or a dad who is glued to

Knock, knock: Amazon Key raises real estate agent concerns

We’ve seen it happen before. First we were introduced to Airbnb, an online marketplace that allows its users to book housing accommodations from a phone, tablet or computer. One year later, Uber burst onto the scene, and pedestrians everywhere

This Week in Houston Real Estate: West Houston residents consider suing government for Harvey-related damages

A number of homes and businesses in West Houston are considering suing the government due to the damage done during Hurricane Harvey. The Army Corps of Engineers intentionally flooded West Houston’s Energy Corridor in order to avoid major reservoir

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Texas homebuyers and sellers love their local real estate agents

While there might be horror stories of homebuyers and sellers having to deal with difficult or unresponsive agents, Texas residents seem to have the exact opposite experience. According to the 2017 Texas Realtor Satisfaction Index from the Texas Association

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