When TRID came into effect in Oct. 2015, the big fear was a consumer-facing one. “TRID is going to delay loan closings,” the industry said. But it hasn’t – at least not for the majority. In Ellie Mae’s most

The City of Houston will now provide historic preservation design guidelines for certain neighborhoods. The changes will affect builders, homeowners and agents alike. A multi-phase project, the City’s will first phase will see guidelines drafted for: Houston Heights East, Houston Heights West,

In use for more than 25 years and the preferred credit scoring system for 90 percent of top lenders, the FICO Score has long been the dominant metric of creditworthiness for auto lending, credit card decisioning and, of course,

Millions of Baby Boomers are planning move over the next several years – everyone knows this. But it could mean big things for agents working in Houston. There are three reasons most homeowners between the ages of 61 and 90 want

Last year, one in five homebuyers purchased a property sight unseen. According to a new survey from Redfin, that number is holding true this year, as well. This may be a trend agents should follow. Crissy Dyer is a

The Home Affordable Refinance Program will not expire at the end of this year, as previously thought. The Federal Housing Finance Agency says it will continue through Sept. 2017. FHFA’s announcement comes alongside news that Fannie Mae and Freddie

Lots of interesting things happened this week in the world of real estate. Notable stories this week include Keller Williams picking up a small crop of top-producing agents and Houston’s retail construction market being recognized as the nation’s best.

Many buyers want their homes to be outfitted with smart technology, but most homes don’t have it, according to a consumer survey from The Demand Institute. It’s an opportunity for sellers. Seventy-three percent of consumers agreed that having home automation

Not every real estate agent wants to retire an independent contractor, and not every homebuyer wants to live in a city that doesn’t foster entrepreneurs. Those things are easy to avoid in Houston, ranked in the top 10 of

International homebuyers in Texas accounted for more than $10 billion in sales, and 10 percent of the nation’s total international sales, between April 2015 and March 2016, the Texas Association of Realtors confirmed today. “Over the last several years,

Loan originations are up in Houston, which bodes well for the market after the Houston Association of Realtors recorded an 8.8 percent year-over-year drop in sales in July. In the second quarter of 2016, mortgage lenders in the city

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

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

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

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

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