News / Features

Pending home sales rise for third consecutive month

For the third consecutive month, pending home sales rose slightly in December, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, an indicator based on contract signings, rose to 110.1 in December, an increase of 0.5

Report reveals most financially valuable home projects

In this year’s Cost vs. Value report from Remodeling Magazine, “curb appeal” projects led the way with increases in value. The report measured the average payback for 21 common professional remodeling projects in 149 major U.S. markets. While only

Breaking down the barriers of real estate investment: A Q&A with Peter Vekselman from WeLend

Peter Vekselman has been working in the real estate industry for almost 20 years and completed more than 3,500 deals. With offices in Georgia, Florida and California, Vekselman has seen first hand the hurdles and difficulties that can come along

US housing market has recovered after crisis, but some markets still fall behind

Despite gradual but continued recovery in most housing markets in the United States since the recession wreaked havoc on the country, there is still major disparity due to uneven shifts and progression in individual market values. According to a

Taylor Morrison names Amy Rino as president of Houston division

Amy Rino was named the new Houston division president at Taylor Morrison. A Houston native, Rino was the Houston division president for Darling Homes since 2013. Now she will oversee the three Taylor Morrison Home Corporation brands in Houston:

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This Week in Houston Real Estate: Meridiana begins second phase of development

Community development project Meridiana recently underwent its second phase, with 300 homes planned for building. The first phase of the project, by Rise Communities south of Pearland, consisted of 420 sites. The prices for these homes range from $200,000

Luxury home sales increased to close out 2017

In its latest luxury market report, Redfin found that luxury home prices in the U.S. rose 7.4 percent year over year to an average of $1.76 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. The analysis tracked home sales in over 1,000

Millennials facing implications in the housing market

Several long-term economic factors, including the explosion of student debt, are making homeownership a distant goal for most millennials. In a new Apartment List report, a renter survey that elicited responses from more than 11,000 millennials across the United States,

Despite decline in December, 2017 still the best year for home sales in 11 years

Although most of the country experienced a decline in existing home sales in December, 2017 overall was the best year for sales in 11 years. They were up 1.1 percent from 2016, according to a recent report from the National

Mortgage industry top originator Risha Kilaru joins Guaranteed Rate

With 11 years of mortgage lending experience, top loan originator Risha Kilaru has joined Guaranteed Rate as Vice President of Mortgage Lending in California. Kilaru originated over $700 million in the last three years, including more than $268 million

Buying a home more affordable than renting in over half of US housing markets

ATTOM Data Solutions released its 2018 Rental Affordability Report, which showed that buying a median-priced home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 240 of 447 U.S. counties analyzed. The analysis included recently released fair market rent

Houston is one of the top destinations for relocations

After Texas was named one of the top growth states by U-Haul, another moving company acknowledged Houston for its growth. The Bayou City is No. 4 on Penske Truck Rental’s list of top moving destinations.  To come up with the

Rich, saturated colors and mixed metals among the top home design trends in 2018

Expect urban farmhouse designs, fashion-influenced trends, mixed metals and richly saturated colors to make a splash this year. Angela Nuessle, director at Pulte Homes National Interior Design, recently revealed the latest design and décor trends that are sure to be

Income growth in 2018 not enough to keep pace with increasing home prices

In 2018, home sales, housing construction and house prices are all likely to increase modestly, according to Freddie Mac’s January 2018 Outlook. Home sales are forecasted to reach 6.35 million in 2018, up slightly from 6.17 million in 2017.

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December mortgage applications jump nearly 8 percent

A new report from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that mortgage applications in 2017 increased 7.1 percent from 2016, including a 7.8 percent hike in December to close out the year. “After playing catchup for two months following the

Gov. Abbott proposes annual property tax cap

Gov. Greg Abbott announced his plan to cap annual increases in local property taxes last week as a focal point of his re-election campaign. According to the Houston Chronicle, the proposal would limit how much revenue local taxing entities

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