News / Features

How Will Pent-Up Demand Affect Housing?

Pent-up demand is a term that has been thrown around quite a bit in housing debates lately, and last week, the NAHB threw its analytical hat in the ring. Often, the demand argument is presented as the second coming

Private Loan Modifications Decline in February

Loan modifications from the nation’s banks were down 20 percent from January to February, according to an analysis by the Hope Now alliance. In total, 44,500 home loans were modified in February, compared to 55,700 in January, and workouts

The Emotions of the Homebuying Decision

A new survey out from Coldwell Banker is reporting that a formidable number of homebuyers put more emphasis on the emotional appeal of a home than its technical details. According to a Real Estate Economy Watch overview of the

New FHA Restrictions Change Credit Requirements

A new regulation from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is poised to further restrict access to the agency’s pool of low-cost, low-money-down loans. According to a CNN Money article on the changes, the FHA is now scrutinizing the creditworthiness

Houston Housing Authority and HUD Awards Additional Funds to Help Homeless Vets

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded $890,000 to the Houston Housing Authority (HHA) to  provide permanent residence and combat homelessness among

Construction Spending Retains YOY 2012 Increases

Construction spending, one of the main economic indicators for future growth, rose 5.8 percent year-over-year in February, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. At a $808.9 billion annual rate, spending was actually down somewhat from January’s revised totals, falling slightly

Delinquency Rates at Fannie, Freddie Decline in February

The housing market received another dose of good news late last week with delinquency rate reports from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which both declined in February. The reports are the latest in a long line of positive developments

Investment Home Sales Surged in 2011

Sales of investment and vacation homes skyrocketed in 2011, with the combined market share jumping to its highest level since 2005, according to the 2012 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey from the National Association of Realtors. That survey found that,

Are Escalating Contract Failures a Problem?

An interesting nugget of information was tucked away in the National Association of Realtor’s latest press release on existing-home sales. Amidst the details on sales (which were down 0.9 percent monthly but up 8.8 percent year, in case you were wondering),

Dimensions of a Housing Recovery

All week, we’ve been reporting on the different dimensions of the housing recovery. From housing’s relationship with the greater economic progression of 2012, to positive projections from Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, to the continually high interest from Americans

Legislators Move to Save Mortgage Debt Relief Act

New legislation proposed in the House of Representatives would extend the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007, a federal provision that allows taxpayers to exclude from their income the debt reductions that resulted from mortgage restructuring or foreclosure settlements.

Barbara DiBlasi Marlin Elected as President of Women’s Council of Realtors

Barbara DiBlasi Marlin of Prudential Gary Greene Realtors, will serve a 2012 as president of the Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR) Fort Bend chapter. She will serve  a one-year term and will be responsible for presiding over monthly board

Elizabeth Triplett Joins Cannon Realty & Associates

Elizabeth Triplett is the newest associate Realtor at Cannon Realty & Associates, in Woodlands. Triplett specializes in apartment locating, presidential sales and leases. “We are so excited that Elizabeth has chosen to make the move to Cannon Realty &

HARP 2.0 Program Automated but Constrained?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last week finally integrated HARP 2.0 into their automation systems, and though refinancings are expected to increase dramatically, they could come with some strings attached that previous refinancings did not

Housing and the Economy Dance Cheek To Cheek

It’s long been one of the ultimate truisms in real estate that a robust economy, and all the positive employment and investment numbers that accompany it, is the finest contributor to a growing housing market, and agents, investors and

Freddie Predicts Reawakening for Housing

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft is predicting a reawakening, of sorts, for the housing market in his March 2012 Economic Outlook in a fashion that could read like a sequel to “Sleeping Beauty.” Analyzing economic growth, construction data and

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