News / Features

The one thing your buyers won’t compromise on

Schools are an integral part of the search process for many a homebuyer, and new research from the National Association of Realtors has reinforced just how non-negotiable the issue is. According to NAR’s 2016 Home Buyer and Seller Generational

Good news for first-time buyers – and the agents who represent them

Breaking down the many barriers to credit erected in the wake of the mortgage crisis has been a slow process. Credit issues have kept older homeowners from selling and younger renters from buying. But according to Fannie Mae’s Q1 Mortgage Lender Sentiment

Houston residential construction is faltering in 2016

This year is shaping up to be a lackluster one for residential construction in Houston, according to the latest numbers from Dodge Data & Analytics. In February, residential construction spending in Houston totaled $751 million. Though still among the highest

Houston is one of the most expensive cities to drive in

Houston is one of the most expensive cities to drive in, according to a study from Deutsche Bank. It costs 84 cents on average to drive a car a mile in Houston, whereas the national average is 90 cents

Why your clients are both confused and confident about the market

The consumer equation is messy – expectations are up, attitudes towards the current market are down, and overall, confidence is on the rise, according to The Conference Board’s March Consumer Confidence Index. Using 1985 as the index’s baseline, where

How to sell bikeability: the unexpected benefit for buyers

Urban buyers today would have hated the 1950s. In the Urban Land Institute’s “America in 2015” report, a survey of U.S. residents found that approximately half considered “walkability” a top or high priority when determining where to live. But

11,000+ construction jobs added in Houston – will new construction follow?

Construction employment was up across the nation in the early months of 2016, according to the Associated General Contractors of America – a good sign for the industry , which currently suffers from labor and inventory shortages. So, if you

Houston ranked one of nation’s best places to live

Houston earns high ranks for job market, happiness Houston was ranked the 17th best place to live in the nation in a new ranking by U.S. News. Houston ranked highly for its strong job market, as well as its low

Record-setting Houston home values: good for sellers, bad for buyers

Home values in the Houston area have reached an all-time high, according to a new analysis from Zillow. Through February, home prices in Houston were $170,800, according to the Zillow Real Estate Market Reports. That is up 6.6 percent from a year

7 money-saving deductions for real estate agents before the tax deadline

In less than a month we will have passed the tax filing deadline; and if you’re a real estate agent unfamiliar with the credits and deductions you’re entitled to, you may be forfeiting more than you have to. Do

First-time homebuyers battle low inventory

It’s getting harder for first-time homebuyers to find suitable starter homes The Houston housing market has become an increasingly precarious place for first-time homebuyers, according to a detailed new report from Trulia. In a deep analysis of the nation’s housing

Greater Houston’s top closings in Feb. 2016

Click on the tabs below to see the top single-family, condo and multifamily closings in Greater Houston’s housing market in February. Single Family Condo Multifamily Single Family Sales Price Address Agent Brokerage $11,250,000 527 Buckingham Dr., Houston Timothy Shanahan Martha

Good news for Houston buyers: They’re earning more and paying less

In the first quarter of 2016, nearly every county in Greater Houston – Harris, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston – boasted a residential housing market more affordable than “historically normal levels,” confirmed RealtyTrac’s latest Home Affordability Index. The sole outlier was

Cash sales best since 2008

In 2015, cash sales made up 33.9 percent of all residential real estate transactions, according to a new report from CoreLogic. That’s the lowest level since 2008. About midway through 2007, when the crash was becoming too apparent to

New NAREB initiative to boost African American homeownership

NAREB seeks to address barriers on both the borrowing and lending side of homeownership The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) plans to launch a nationwide wealth building and  homeownership initiative focused on African Americans. The initiative has a goal

Five key qualities of multigenerational homes

When the great recession started in 2007, many families merged their households with older generations in order to save money. According to John Burns Real Estate Consulting, the social stigma of “multigenerational living” has disappeared, and 44 percent of

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