News / Features

Vast Majority of Houston Listings Below Conforming Loan Limits

With talk in the air about overhauling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, how much sway does conforming loan limits have on our market? #157336161 / gettyimages.com Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the massive government-sponsored entities that are responsible for the

Trulia: Asking Prices in Houston Continue Their Ascent

Prices have risen strongly thus far in 2014, and April only continued that hot streak. #122676840 / gettyimages.com Houston’s home price increases in 2014 continued in April, with asking prices rising 9.8 percent yearly and 2.1 percent quarterly, according to the

The 6 Assorted Reasons that People Prefer New or Existing Homes

Some consumers prefer newly built homes, while other prefer existing residences; why is that? #486077819 / gettyimages.com It’s always been a give-in that some consumers will prefer newly built homes while others opt for an existing residence, but an

5 Good Things Happening Right Now in Housing

There’s been quite a bit of negative press swirling around housing lately, but we’ve got some pleasant developments to hang your hat on. #461497687 / gettyimages.com There’s no two ways about it – the last few weeks, at least

Vote Delayed on Johnson-Crapo Housing Reform Measure

One piece of proposed housing reform legislation will have to wait a bit longer than expected. According to a recent report by HousingWire, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee postponed a markup of the Johnson-Crapo housing reform measure

Has Housing Inventory in Houston Finally Bottomed?

Did our area’s long-term housing inventory trends continue last month? #171583862 / gettyimages.com Falling housing inventory in Houston has been the name of the game for quite some time now, but new analysis from Movoto may suggest light at

Career Successes/Retirement Propel Luxury Housing Market

Realtor.com’s survey of luxury housing continues to yield interesting findings about that most important sector of housing. #479997555 / gettyimages.com The last couple weeks, we’ve been covering realtor.com’s survey of the luxury housing market with glee, with our stories

A Surprising Number of Homeowners Suffer “Buyer’s Remorse”

We don’t like to pair the term “buyer’s remorse” with real estate, but new survey results suggest we should. The term “buyer’s remorse” is often associated with cars and appliances, but a new survey from Redfin suggests that a

Spring Brings Double-Digit Price Increases to Houston Market

This year’s stellar home-price gains continued into the spring, according to CoreLogic’s latest analysis. #485935355 / gettyimages.com Home prices in the Houston area housing market rose 13.7 percent year-over-year in March, according to the latest Home Price Index from CoreLogic.

Even With Price Hikes, Homeownership Still the Better Deal in Houston

Home prices have increased in a hurry the last year, but has that made homeownership any less practical in certain markets? #476846255 / gettyimages.com In the immediate years after the housing bubble popped, the answer to “rent or buy?”

The 4 Biggest Challenges Facing Luxury Homebuyers Today

What are the most troublesome obstacles faced by luxury homebuyers in today’s housing market? Earlier this week, we reported on a fascinating new study by realtor.com, which looked at what features today’s luxury homebuyers desire the most in a home.

3 Intriguing Details About Today’s Mortgage Environment

The mortgage markets may have undergone a radical change since 2008, but some details may still surprise you. Last week, we reported a rather sobering statistic – according to record keeping by Ellie Mae, the average FICO score for

Residential Construction in Houston Posts Huge Increases

Residential construction has been making a tepid comeback in recent months; how did March play into that narrative? Let’s put it this way – March was a wonderfully positive month for residential construction in the Houston area, according to

Houston’s 10 Most Expensive Neighborhoods

Houston is well known for its affordability, but what neighborhoods are in the upper echelon of pricing? Time and again, we’ve reported on the relative affordability of housing in Houston, and how much that affordability differs from similarly large,

New Construction Numbers Offer Pleasant Springtime Surprises

It’s been a rough year so far for new construction, but March’s report from the Census Bureau offered some pleasant, unexpected surprises. Residential construction spending in March rose 0.8 percent from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $369.8

New Data Shows Homeownership Comes Naturally With Age

Some new statistical work by the NAHB has brought some life to one of the more known truisms about homeownership. It’s one of those details about real estate that everybody knows – younger people tend to rent, while older

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