News / Features

Houston home prices break records in September to no one’s surprise

Houston single-family home prices broke a new record for the month of September, according to a new report from the Houston Association of Realtors. The news might come as a surprise, if home prices weren’t already at historic highs. The city’s

To combat discrimination, CFPB asks lenders to report more racial/ethnic data

Although updated HMDA rules requiring lenders to report additional racial and ethnic information will come into effect in early 2018, a new CFPB ruling states that, if they want to, lenders may start reporting the data as soon as Jan. 1, 2017.

Houston’s top-selling luxury real estate office sold $91 million in Q3

Our REAL DATA 2016 reports look at, among other things, the top luxury offices in Greater Houston based on total number of luxury sales and luxury volume. Which Greater Houston real estate offices sold the most luxury properties in the

Houston’s shopping mecca – 4 reasons buyers love Rice Village

Houston’s Rice Village neighborhood – “The Village,” as locals call it – is a mecca for shoppers, walkers and foodies alike. It’s defined by its strip of stores and its proximity to Rice University, which is Houston’s best institution of higher learning.

These Houston agents grew their business the most in Q3 2016

Our REAL DATA 2016 reports look at, among other things, the top-producing agents in Greater Houston based on total sales volume. Which Greater Houston agents saw the biggest year-over-year gains in their business in the second quarter 2016? We took a deeper

Top 5 most valuable school districts: Galveston County

In the first part in our series on the most valuable local school districts based on an analysis by realtor.com, we looked at home price premiums in Harris County. In this edition, we check out Galveston County, where Friendswood

Court rules CFPB “unconstitutionally structured”

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. ruled today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is “unconstitutionally structured” and that the scope of Director Richard Cordray’s position is a “threat to individual liberty.” Henceforth his power has been limited. The

Real estate to play a big role in U.S. investors’ 2017 strategy

Better Homes and Real Gardens Real Estate surveyed 1,000 U.S. investors and found that 89 percent are interested in investing in real estate as part of their investment strategy.  The survey also revealed that 80 percent of investors believe

How do consumers view housing? 7 facts agents should consider

Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey is among the more detailed inquiries into how everyday consumers view the U.S.’ housing market, and the Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) portion of the survey – which details how Americans view the buying

Greater Houston’s top closings in September

Click on the tabs below to see the top single-family, condo, and multifamily closings in Greater Houston’s housing market in September. Single Family Condo Multifamily Single Family Sales Price Address Agent Brokerage $3,850,000 3240 Del Monte Dr., Houston Laura Sweeney

Harris County’s 10 most valuable school districts

The home price premium in Spring Branch ISD is 223 percent, making it Harris County’s most valuable (or expensive) school district, according to an analysis by realtor.com. Homes in the Spring Branch ISD have a median list price of

Student debt remains huge obstacle for thousands of Houston buyers

Few cities are more affected by the problems of student debt than Houston, according to a new LendingTree analysis. Based on data from My LendingTree, the Bayou City has one of the highest average student debt burdens in the country at $27,921.39. Our chart

Four Houston schools awarded Blue Ribbon honors

The U.S. Department of Education recently released its 2016 Blue Ribbon Schools selections, and on its list were four Greater Houston schools. Since 1982, the national Blue Ribbon Schools program has recognized “public and private elementary, middle, and high

The cost of living in Houston’s most sought-after neighborhoods

The median annual income in Houston is $60,072, or otherwise put: about $7,000 more than the U.S. and Texas medians, according to the most recent Census data. But that’s still not enough to own a home in some of

Appraisals remain a problem for thousands of real estate agents

Back in 2012, appraisals were a hot item. Thanks to a myriad of factors – chief among them inexperienced appraisers and dramatic changes to how the industry was organized – low appraisals were the cause of numerous contract failures

Friendswood adds 1,000 new homes to Houston

Friendswood Development Co., a division of Lennar Corp. since 2000, plans to open one of Houston’s oldest master-planned communities for residential purpose on Oct. 8, according to the Houston Chronicle. Kingwood’s Royal Brook section is looking to add 1,100

Oops! We could not locate your form.