News / Features

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

Toll Brothers the Latest Revitalized Builder

Toll Brothers has joined the league of revitalized builders, including Lennar and Hovnanian, if comments from the luxury builder’s CEO are any indication. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Douglas Yearley said his company has been experiencing some of

OCC Foreclosures Finished 2011 With a Sigh

Foreclosures launched by Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)-registered banks and servicers fell by 16 percent in the fourth quarter and by 17.9 percent year-over-year, according to the latest data from the agency, capping off an entire

Housing Prices with a Dose of Reality

Standard & Poor’s released the latest Case-Shiller Indices yesterday, and as has been the trend the last few months, the research firm reported declines in price, specifically a 3.9 percent year-over-year drop in the 20-City Composite, which measures home

Homeowner Aspiration Remains High in Fannie Survey

Despite economic strife and continued difficulties in the housing market, Americans continue to see homeownership as preferable to renting, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey. A study involving 3,000 Americans that focuses on the state of homeownership aspirations in

Principal Reduction Effort Gains Considerable Steam from Unlikely Sources

The principal reduction, and whether the GSEs will embrace it as a central policy for aiding distressed borrowers, is undoubtedly among the most contentious issues facing housing right now, as Acting FHFA Director Ed DeMarco has resisted repeated calls

Case-Shiller Declines 3.9 Percent in January

The Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, which measure the 10 and 20 largest metropolitan areas via composites, showed monthly and yearly declines in the latest release from Standard & Poor’s. The 10-city composite showed an annual decline of 3.9 percent,

Pending Sales Maintain Yearly Gains in February

The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index increased from 88.4 in February 2011 to 96.5 in February of this year, an uptick that suggests some of the strongest existing-home sales in years. A leading indicator for

Chow Ng has Joined Weichert Realtors-Waynne Murray Team

Chow Ng has joined the sales team at Weichert Realtors-Wayne Murray Properties and will serve buyers and sellers in the Greater Fort Bend County. Ng is a resident of Stafford. “We are always gratified when a new agent sees

Homebuilder Stocks Hits Highest Point in Two Years

Investors say they are  “cautiously optimistic,” about the housing market as home builder stocks have hit their highest point in two years after a six month rising period. According to an article by the New York Times, the market

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