News / Features

Johnson Development Corp. Reveals Details About Planned Richmond Community

Johnson Development Corp. revealed the name and details about their new Houston master-planned community. Veranda, located on 590 acres near the intersection of Williams Way Boulevard and U.S. Highway 59, will feature 2,500 homes with expansive porches. General manager

Houston’s Top High Schools with the Best Teachers

Homebuyers want to live in a nice neighborhood, and when homebuyers have a child, “nice neighborhood” translates to “wherever the good schools are.” Thanks to Niche, providing that information to clients is now easier than ever for agents. In

Pending Home Sales Rose by How Much?

December was a modest month for contract signings, according to NAR Pending home sales were mostly unchanged in December, but inched forward slightly, fueled by a large increase in the Northeast that outpaced declines in the other three major

Are First-Time Homebuyers Making a Comeback?

First-time homebuyers have been MIA for some time – are they poised for a comeback? The National Association of Realtors reported late last week that first-time homebuyers accounted for 32 percent of existing-home sales in December, which was up

CoreLogic: Distressed Sales Hit Lowest Nov. Since 2007

National distressed sales – including real-estate owned (REO) and short sales – fell 1.9 percentage points in November 2015, pushing the distressed share of total sales to its lowest November point since 2007, according to a new report from

These High-End Grocery Stores Boost Your Clients’ Home Values

According to a new analysis by Zillow, homes within a mile of either a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods appreciate faster than other homes. Featured in the paperback edition of the real estate marketplace’s book titled, “Zillow Talk: Rewriting

Texas Price Growth Points to Opportunity

The latest Case-Shiller Indices offered numerable insights into the nation’s housing market Home price growth continues in the Texas housing market, according to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard & Poor’s. Although the Case-Shiller does not, amazingly, track

Down Payments are Rising in Texas – What Does that Mean for the Market?

Home prices have been on a tear for the past couple years, and new homebuyers trying to enter the market have noticed it becoming pricier to not just buy a house, but even put a down payment on a

Free Tuition Program Makes Central Houston More Attractive to Families

Texas is known for having a robust public school system. And in Houston, particularly, it’s a strong selling point for the thousands of new residents the city’s energy and healthcare sectors attract annually. Thanks to a new program to

Are FICO Alternatives Becoming the Preferred Standard?

After years of heavy reliance on FICO scores, some lenders are now saying FICO’s view is too narrow, focusing too much on past behavior and not enough on consumers’ present circumstances. Alternative scoring systems have become a viable option,

Can You Believe It? TRID’s Impact on Markets is “Minor”

In December, existing-home sales re-found their footing, making up for the misstep in November. What did we learn? TRID was the cause of November’s slip, but it’s not a problem anymore. “Closing time metrics are showing minor effects of TRID,”

What the Consumers Don’t Know Will Hurt Them

Compared to a few years ago, the lending market is doing quite well. In fact, some institutions believe the progress of recovery is such that the market will be fully recovered by the end of this year. Now if

Are Red or Blue States More Affordable for Consumers?

With the presidential primary just around the corner, ApartmentList.com recently analyzed Census data to see whether Republican- or Democratic-leaning states were more affordable for renters. While the study found that rents tend to be lower in inland states that

Which National Homebuilder was Recognized as America’s Most Trusted?

According to Lifestory Research’s 2016 Home Builder Study, Taylor Morrison ranks highest in trust among national homebuilders. The study followed more than 100 builder brands in the top housing markets across the United States, and Lifestory Research accumulated 39,079

Does the Falling Stock Market Actually Help Homebuyers?

With how the chips have fallen, homebuyers may benefit from the falling stock market After the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in December, there was immediate concern over whether the increase would raise the costs of housing and harm

NAHB Predicts Strong Construction Activity in 2016

According to the National Association of Home Builders, an estimated 1.26 million housing starts are expected this year, 13.4 percent more from the last year. Single-family production is estimated to reach 849,000 units. That is an 18 percent increase

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