News / Features

Texas Home Prices Stay Strong in August Case-Shiller

August was another solid month for home prices in the Lone Star State in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Home prices in Texas remained sturdy as ever in August, according to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard &

Pending Home Sales Fall for Fourth Straight Month in September

New data from NAR shows that pending home sales continued their downward progression in September. Pending home sales fell once again in September, with the Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) falling 5.6 percent

Did Houston’s Housing Inventory Increase or Decrease in September?

We’ve been seeing reports that housing inventory is beginning to stabilize; is that true here in Houston, though? Up, or down? That’s always the question when it comes to housing inventory, and with new realtor.com data in tow, we’re

Are We Really Recovering? Another View on Housing

There had been rumblings early on that there was more to the housing recovery than met the eye, and new data from NAR confirms those suspicions. Throughout 2013, there have been many positive developments in the housing market, and

GHBA Names Bridgeland Development Of The Year

The Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) recently held its annual PRISM Awards, which recognizes the area’s best builders and developers. Bridgeland, an 11,400-acre development in Cypress, was awarded “Master Planned Development of the Year”. It’s the second time the

Census Bureau: Construction Up 7.1% in August

Though it was delayed by the government shutdown, the Census Bureau’s numbers on construction spending were positive all the same. Well, it finally made it! Though delayed by three weeks because of the government shutdown, the Census Bureau’s latest

How Does a New Home’s Size Impact its Features?

We all wonder if size truly matters, but in the case of newly built single-family homes, the answer is clear. What percentage of newly built homes have an entry foyer? What if the home is less than 2,000 square

NAR: Existing-Home Sales Dip Slightly in September

Existing-home sales declined a bit from August to September, though housing inventory continued to show promising signs. After hitting their highest level in nearly four years, existing-home sales came back down to earth in September, declining 1.9 percent to

4 Important Trends in Houston Home Sales

Houston’s housing market showed no signs of slowing down in September, with home sales posting strong yearly returns. The Houston real estate market just rolled along in September, soaring to its 28th consecutive month of positive home sales, according

NAHB: Builder Confidence Wanes Somewhat in September

Builder confidence had been on a tear recently, but new data from the NAHB suggests a cooling off period. Builder confidence for the newly built, single-family home market stumbled a bit in October, with the National Association of Home

What is the Most Popular Home Improvement Project in Houston?

There are many ways that homeowners can improve their residences, but what projects are the most popular? Home improvement projects are among the key tenets of homeownership. You purchase a home, renovate certain aspects of it, and then, several

How is Space Distributed in New Homes in 2013?

The components of new homes in 2013 are pretty consistent, but how is space distributed across those various components? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce the components of a typical newly built single-family home. From the family

So, About that Government Default – Should We Be Afraid?

We’re now two days away from a government default, an event that would spell nothing but trouble for the nation’s housing market. We’re now drawing uncomfortably close to a government default, and though we have written on a couple

Are Zombies & Vampires a Problem in Our Housing Market?

What are Vampire REOs and Zombie Foreclosures? And what problems do they pose for the housing market? Last week, we reported on the latest National Foreclosure Report from CoreLogic, and the news was uniformly good: foreclosure inventory was down a

Does the Middle Class Have a Chance in Houston’s Housing Market?

The U.S. prides itself for its strong middle class, but how many options does that middle class have for housing in the nation’s largest cities? Homeownership has long been a cornerstone of the modern American Dream, the ultimate symbol

How Affordable Will Housing Be When Rates Hit 7 Percent?

Housing affordability has been on the decline this year, but by how much? And what will affordability look like when rates increase? It’s been an interesting year in the world of housing affordability. Record low mortgage rates and competitively

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