The federal conforming loan limit was one of the most highly contentious issues in the tail end of 2011, but based on recent statistics, all that controversy seems to have been for naught. Originally passed in late 2008 to

Just as many consumers ponder what McDonalds burgers are really made of, real estate professionals and journalists ask an equally probing question: What is a “McMansion”? According to research completed by Brian Miller, a sociologist at Wheaton College who has

A mill fire in the British Columbia is impacting the current price of lumber, though the future for the construction material is still debatable. The result of wood dust, the fire has pushed the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite

Despite a tough mortgage market, Houston’s housing market continues to flourish, thanks to consumer demand and a strong local economy. For the Houston area, home sales increased 9 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, and the median home price

Foreclosure rates continued their year-over-year declines in CoreLogic’s National Foreclosure Report for March, a monthly assessment of the foreclosure markets. The 69,000 completed foreclosures in March 2012 were 14,000 less than in March 2011, though they were a slight

The jumbo loan market, once a dominant force in mortgages, is a shadow of its former self, and with the Dodd-Frank legislation pending, some are wondering when the super-sized lending option will make a true return to the housing

In survey after survey, Americans reaffirm their interest in owning a home, but a new obstacle is hindering that dream for recent college graduates – student debt. Now totaling more than $1 trillion, according to a recent report from

Falling home values have been one of the more stubborn inhibitors to a true housing recovery, but new research by Clear Capital has found no such problems in the REO market. According to a HousingWire article on the research,

After a couple of mild months, construction spending rebounded in March, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. For the month, spending was up 6.0 percent from March 2011 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $808.1

Houston-based SWMJ Construction announced that they will no longer only be a government rehabilitation and remodeling and small to medium commercial construction group; the company will enter the residential remodeling industry because, the company says, the Houston market has

Freddie Mac’s average 30-year FRM fell again last week to 3.88 percent, an incredible 0.90 percent lower than April of 2011. Though low rates have become a seeming custom in recent months, an article from CNN Money offers one essential reminder –

By now, every agent has heard at least once how important the Internet is, but a new survey from HomeFinder.com has reaffirmed the continuing importance of real estate agents. In a wide-ranging consumer survey of nearly 400 HomeFinder.com users, the website

Few sectors of real estate were hit harder in the recession than new construction, but projections from noted economist suggest times may be changing. According to economists from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and other firms, a

An acquisition that would merge the two largest commercial MLS services in the nation has come under fire from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its anti-competitiveness. The merger, in which CoStar would purchase LoopNet, is an $860 million

Remarks made by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan have confirmed the Obama White House has no immediate plans to reform the country’s GSEs “anytime soon.” Though HousingWire, which reported on Donovan’s statement, highlighted the political nature of the policy –

As the Ashby High-Rise moves forward toward construction, the project remains a source for creative protest plans from neighborhood residents. According to a Houston Chronicle article on the unrest, more than 300 people met Tuesday night to strategize new methods