Leave it to a credit ratings agency to be the bearer of pleasant news. Fitch Ratings, one of the major ratings agencies in finance, stated in a report released earlier today that economic conditions in 2012 may be more

A particular mortgage from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has suddenly become costly for private lenders, as the weak housing market has exposed an unforeseen loophole in the mortgage’s distinguishing

The long-debated high rise ordinance, which would set guidelines for new high rise developments in residential neighborhoods, is facing a new round of scrutiny, this time by the Houston City Council in today’s session, according to The Houston Chronicle‘s Zain

Home values in the U.S. declined by 0.3 percent from September to October, according to the latest Zillow home index, a measure that formulates the median prices of metropolitan areas using the company’s controversial “Zestimates” data According to a

A good amount of the literature today on the housing market focuses on the various things that “hold housing back.” From tough lending environments to excess inventory, the topic is a common one, and all the reasons, from foreclosures

Mortgage lending has returned to its pre-bubble requirements, and some homebuyers are unable to meet private banks’ standards for income, credit scores and other financial factors. We’ve covered on numerous occasions the ascent of Federal Housing Administration loans in

First it was the 2011-2012 federal budget; then the Super Committee, and its potential $1 trillion deficit-cutting measures; now, it’s the payroll tax cut extension, and though all the previous moments of fiscal gridlock in Washington only mentioned housing

It’s one of the most common complaints among Realtors, builders and analysts – tight lending from private banks has not only restricted potential homebuyer’s access to credit, but has been one of the leading contributors to the housing downturn

The Houston City Council voted last Wednesday to adopt recent Construction Industry Council recommendations to raise the city’s energy standards to 5 percent more than the Texas state minimum. In addition to the 2012 standards, the council also established

At the close of the summer, appraisals were a hot topic, with builders and Realtors alike criticizing the shoddy documentation and lackluster criteria that often defined the appraisal experience. Though news about government assistance and foreclosures quickly overtook appraisals,

For most of 2011, housing has been on a sidewayspath, neither faltering nor rising above the sleepy market that took over after the immediate losses following 2007. A new piece by CNBC’s Albert Bozzo, though, suggests that 2012 will

Houston Realtor Traye Wise had no idea the photos taken for one of his listings, 5304 Michaux St., would cause such a stir. But with interior photos like the one pictured here (brought to our attention via Swamplot), how

New legislation introduced in the Senate yesterday would place Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on a 10-year timeline, liquidating the two GSEs and turning its components over to the private sector. According to a HousingWire report, the Mortgage Finance

The National Association of Realtors (NAR)has zeroed in on the secondary mortgage market, calling for reforms to what it sees as a major contributor to a sustained housing recovery. In testimony before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises,

Typically, income and credit scores are main factors in determining mortgage rates, but a new study from the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economicssuggests that gender plays a substantial role. Brought to light by an AOL Real Estate piece

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released the White House’s latest Housing Scorecard, a cumulative report that assesses a wide number of factors in the housing market. Like most