News / Features

PulteGroup/Lennar Find Revenue Stream From Unlikely Source

By Peter Ricci Some of the nation’s top homebuilders, including PulteGroup and Lennar Corp., are finding a substantial revenue stream from an unlikely source – mortgage lending. Both builders, reports Bloomberg, have seen sizable returns from their in-house mortgage

Gary Greene Presents $65,000 Check to the Sunshine Kids

The Bay Area office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene presented a check for $65,000 to the Sunshine Kids Foundation on November 27 at the Bay Oaks Country Club Golf Course. The funds were raised at

Could Mortgage Interest Rates Fall Even Further in 2013?

By Peter Ricci The precipitous decline of mortgage interest rates has been one of the major stories in real estate in 2012, but recent actions by the Federal Reserve has some thinking that rates could fall even further in

The Sheer Anarchy of Real Estate in Cuba

By Peter Ricci In the last few years, there have been some big changes in Cuba. Fidel Castro is no longer in power, having passed the baton to his young brother Raul; citizens are allowed to purchase cell phones;

Trulia American Dream Survey Confronts ‘Renter Nation’ Meme

By Peter Ricci In its latest American Dream Survey, real estate website Trulia found that 93 percent of millennials who rent plan to purchase a home some day, and 72 percent of the entire demographic consider homeownership to be part of

Should You List Your Client’s Property During the Holidays?

By Peter Ricci The holiday season is often a strange one for real estate agents, many of whom are winding down their business for the year, closing up any loose ends from the summer homebuying season, or, for the

Back to School: Gary Greene’s Latest Ad Campaign is on School Buses

By Natalie Terchek Advertisements for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene have been seen in magazines, newspapers and on television. But now, they can also be seen on the side of 12 public school buses that will

Ed DeMarco, FHFA Acting Director, Could Be Toast by New Year

By Peter Ricci A new report from the Wall Street Journal is validating what many have been suspecting for months – President Obama is planning on replacing Acting Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Ed DeMarco by early next year, and

2012 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers: FSBO Sellers

By Peter Ricci The for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) market is one of untapped potential, like an oil reserve that real estate agents haven’t quite reached yet. After all, these are consumers who are looking to sell their homes, but are not

Despite Fiscal Cliff, Consumers Confident in National Housing Survey

Despite the continued economic uncertainty involving the fiscal cliff, consumers are increasingly confident about the U.S. housing market, as Fannie Found in its National Housing Survey for

Top 10 Cities By Closings

By Stephanie Sims Wonder what Houston-area cities have the most closings? Here is a list of the top 10 cities by total transaction closings in

Multifamily Production Index Positive Again in Third Quarter

By Peter Ricci The Multifamily Production Index, the National Association of Home Builder’s (NAHB) measure of builder sentiment in the apartment/condominium market, was positive again in the third quarter with an index level of 52. That’s the third straight

Ben Milam Hotel Will Be Imploded This Sunday

By Natalie Terchek The old Ben Milam Hotel will be imploded this Sunday at 12:30 p.m by demo firm, D.H. Griffin of Texas. The 10-story building across from Minute Maid Park will be replaced with a luxury residential complex,

3 Reasons Houston Real Estate Will Avoid the Fiscal Cliff

By Peter Ricci The last month, we’ve been devoting quite a bit of coverage to the fiscal cliff, analyzing its implications for the housing market and specific pieces of housing policy, most notably the mortgage interest tax deduction. A

Completed Foreclosures Decline 17 Percent as Housing Market Strengthens

By Peter Ricci Completed foreclosures declined 17 percent year-over-year in October, as the strengthening housing market and the National Mortgage Settlement continue to improve the mortgage market. According to the latest National Foreclosure Report from CoreLogic, in addition to the

With the Fiscal Cliff Leering, Are MID’s Days Numbered?

By Peter Ricci Every day, if not every moment of every hour, new details are reported about Congress’ ongoing battle to avert the so-called “Fiscal Cliff,” with various policies, tax proposals and political rhetoric being exchanged across the aisles.

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