News / Features

Houston Home Sales Positive for 11th Straight Month

Home sales in the Houston area were positive again in April, increasing for the 11th straight month and reaching their highest level since August 2011. According to the latest data from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), single-family home

Heritage Texas Properties Goes Paperless with SureClose Software

The successful adoption by Heritage Texas Properties of the Electronic Transaction Solution (HAR-ETS) to go paperless was announced by PropertyInfo Corporation, a Stewart company. The paperless utility is powered by SureClose software and owned by Stewart Transaction

Builder Confidence At Highest Point Since 2007

Builder confidence hit its highest level in five years in the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) from the NAHB. A measure of confidence in the newly built, single-family home market, the HMI gained five

Blaire Nunely Joins Weichert, Realtors – Wayne Murray Properties

  Weichert, Realtors – Wayne Murray Properties have announced Blaire Nunely as a realtor for The Woodlands office.  As a seven-year resident of the area, she will assist homebuyers and sellers in The Woodlands and

Realtor Income, Business Increased in 2011

After a few difficult years, the income and business of Realtors grew in 2011, according to the 2012 National Association of Realtors Member Profile. A survey of 58,823 NAR members that yielded 6,245 usable responses, the profile found the median

Is Green Homebuilding Transforming the Residential Market?

Green homes have been growing more popular with each passing year, and a new study by McGraw-Hill Construction has discovered exponential growth in the industry. According to its study, officially called “SmartMarket Report: New and Remodeled Green Homes: Transforming

Housing Affordability at 40-year High

Housing affordability has been trending upwards in the post-boom housing market, and according to analytics firm Fiserv, it’s now at a 40-year high. Utilizing data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fiserv studied 380 U.S. markets, and it found

NAHB Advocates Housing Financial Overhaul

NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg has become the latest proponent for housing finance reform, arguing in an op-ed for a comprehensive overhaul of the current system. “Our goal is to overhaul the housing finance system to ensure that housing credit

LPS Analytics Reports Higher Home Values in February

Lender Processing Services released its latest Home Price Index (HPI) late last week, reporting that home values increased for just the third time in five years. Covering the month of February, the HIP rose by 0.2 percent from January,

Shadow Inventory Housing Slowly Decreasing in 2012

A new study out by Standard & Poor’s is estimating it will take 46 months to clear out the nation’s supply of shadow inventory, one month less than predictions from 2011. Liquidation rates for the residential mortgage markets appeared

Builder Confidence Soars in 55+ Market

Builder confidence in the 55+ market posted big year-over-year gains in the first quarter, another sign of 2012 optimism in the construction industry. Overall, the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) increased 10 points to

Past Loans Still Impacting FHA Delinquency Rate

Another round of foreclosures and delinquencies has once again put the FHA’s finances under scrutiny, as the agency’s boom-era loans continue to haunt its books. According to the latest data from Lender Processing Services, lenders began foreclosure proceedings on

Obama Ramps Up Refinancing Rhetoric

In tune with the campaigning season, President Obama is stepping up his populist rhetoric to drum up support for his home refinancing plan. Originally announced in January during his State of the Union address, the plan would allow homeowners

First Quarter Activity Strong for Median Home Values

Median home values, improving sales and stronger inventories were all features of the 2012 first quarter report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Median existing single-family home prices rose year-over-year in 74 out of the 146 metro areas tracked

Mortgage Delinquency Data Spotlights Judicial Divide

After a brief lull in activity, serious mortgage delinquencies picked up in the second half of 2011, according to new report from Foreclosure-Response.org, and along the way, they highlighted some of the most interesting nuances of the judicial handeling of

New Chapter in the Homeownership vs Renting Debate

The homeownership/renting debate has gotten fierce in recent months, but a new chart may have settled the dispute. A new chart of analysis has reinvigorated the homeownership vs renting debate, with another nod of economic approval heading for the homeowners’

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