News / Features

Pending home sales rise to second-highest level since 2006

July marked the second highest reading in over a decade for pending home sales, with the Midwest being the only area to see a decline in contract activity during the month. The Pending home Sales Index (PHSI), which tracks the

Affordability even bigger concern for buyers in 2016 than in 2015

In 2015, homebuyers’ biggest concern was affordability. This year it’s an even bigger concern. Twenty-eight percent of buyers cite “affordability” as their No. 1 concern in purchasing a home, according to a new Redfin survey – a 1.4 percentage point

Texas home prices continue strong growth in new Case-Shiller

The Texas housing market continued its strong pace in the most recent Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, which covered home prices through June. Although the Case-Shiller does not track home prices in Houston, S&P found that prices in Dallas rose 0.9 percent from May to June

Home start gains projected into 2018

There aren’t enough homes, and that’s a problem in multiple markets. But it might not be for too much longer. “As most real estate professionals know, housing costs are still climbing,” National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun wrote

Are McMansions finally going the way of the dinosaurs?

McMansions – the mass-produced, over-the-top, poorly appreciating eyesores that became the poster children of the housing bubble – seemed to be on the way out. Average and median home size had fallen considerably during the market downturn, as builders trimmed their ambitions

Where buyers are at the highest risk in Greater Houston

Harris county is at a very high risk for natural hazards, like tornadoes, hurricane storm surges and floods, and so is Galveston, a report from ATTOM Data Solutions confirmed. Brazoria County is at a high risk – Liberty and

Mayor Turner to improve walkability, add green spaces

Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke to the Urban Land Institute earlier this month, and in his address he called for better green spaces and walkability. It’s good news for real estate agents. The core of the mayor’s message was his freeway redevelopment

Greater Houston is mostly affordable

One of the central appeals of Houston as a destination city, apart from its energy and healthcare sectors, has been its persistent affordability, even through major growth. For the most part, the city still has that – but in areas

This week in Houston real estate: Investors snag 6,000 apartment units and builder starts pre-sales for Millennial community

Lots of interesting things happened this week in the world of real estate. Notable stories this week include the city’s fastest selling attached subdivision and a community designed for Millennials. Catch up on this week’s top news with our

10 Houston school districts on the rise in 2016

The Services-Ninos Charter School district is the most improved school district in the Houston area, according to a new analysis from Trulia. In a partnership with SchoolDigger.com, Trulia analyzed test scores from the past five years to find which local school

Why Houston is one of the best markets for first-time buyers

Houston is one of the best cities in the nation for first-time homebuyers, and the best city in Texas overall, according to a new report from SmartAsset. “Houston has more HUD-approved mortgage lenders than any other U.S. city, with

Houston new construction is falling in 2016

The Houston new construction market continued its disappointing 2016 performance in July, according to new numbers from Dodge Data & Analytics. In July, Houston saw more than $719 million in total residential construction spending, a pronounced 27 percent decline from July 2015;

Trump on housing: ‘A home builder taught me everything I know’

Donald Trump spoke to the National Association of Home Builders this month, and it turned out to be one of the most important speeches of his campaign: it was about housing. He reminisced about what it was like growing

4 things to know about multigenerational households

Multigenerational households – those that include two or more adult generations, or grandparent and grandchildren – are at an all-time high in the U.S., according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. Based on census data through 2014, Pew

AARP releases new tool to help Houston agents serve older clients

What do seniors look for in a neighborhood? It’s a smart question for real estate agents to ask, considering the rapid growth of the country’s 65-and-older population. In 2014, 46.2 million people in the U.S. were at least 65

Fair housing to help guide Clinton-Kaine housing policy

Tim Kaine believes he and Hillary Clinton can change the housing industry. “A house is more than just a place to sleep,” the Virginia senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee wrote in his “How to make housing fair in

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