News / Features

Houston Association of Realtors Announces Election Results

The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) annual board of directors election results are in. Votes were tabulated with use of BigPulse, as online voting

NY Congressman Suggests New Round of Housing Stimulus

Democratic congressman Gary Ackerman of New York is suggesting a new round of housing stimulus, this time focused on first-time home buyers and potential

Texas Economy Defies National Trend

According to an extensive report by the Houston-based private equity firm SigmaBleyzer, several important economic factors, including housing and construction, rose in Texas for July, a fact that defies current national economic

Delinquency Rates Up, But Foreclosures Down

The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties increased in the second quarter of 2011, but loans under foreclosure decreased, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Delinquency

Housing Scorecard Mixed, But Shows Improvement

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury have released the July edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard, and, like most of the recent housing data, it shows a mixed

Should Homebuyers Choose 15- or 30-Year-Mortgages?

With rates at historic lows, potential home buyers now have a number of unexpected factors to consider when buying a house, namely the costs and benefits of 15-year and 30-year

Green Movement Survey

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Home Sales Skyrocket in Central Texas

In a sales report released yesterday, the Austin Board of Realtors reported that home sales in the Central Texas region soared 32 percent in July from a year

NAR Data Shows Improving Numbers, but Tough Financing

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released its July housing data yesterday, and though the data showed a marked improvement from July of 2010, it also showed a housing market that continues to continues to grapple with tougher

Mortgage Rates Now at 50-Year Low

Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey today, which shows both fixed and adjustable mortgage rates are reaching all-time record lows, providing even further incentive for homeowners looking to

Rockspring Capital CEO Speaks of “Unique” Market at Land Forecast Breakfast

Rockspring Capital President and CEO Jim McAlister IV spoke at the Land Forecast Breakfast hosted by O’Connor & Associates, focusing on the overall land market trends of Texas. Will Condrey, of Cushman & Wakefield, also spoke at the event,

U.S. Investigating S&P Bond Rating Practices

According to a New York Times report published earlier today, the U.S. Justice Department is investigating Standard & Poor’s (S&P), the nation’s largest credit ratings agency, for its questionable ratings of risky mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the

NAR Raises Milestone Sum, Avoids Potential CIVIX Lawsuits

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has raised $7.5 million for an multiple listing services (MLS) licensing agreement that will allow MLSs and Realtor associations full access to valuable property listings without legal

New Report Finds Mortgage Fraud Still High

Interthinx, an analytics company, released its comprehensive Second Quarter Mortgage Fraud Risk Report late last week, and among its chief findings were that on a national level, mortgage fraud risk declined 2.3 percent over

Realtors Grapple with July’s Home Sale Spike

Home sales in Houston increased nearly 17 percent in July, and though Realtors and media outlets are downplaying its significance, instead referencing last summer’s home buyer tax credit as the true cause of the sale spike, there was positive

Hand in Hand? Housing’s Impact on the Economy

With new data on housing starts out recently and July sales data on the horizon, economists and journalists are debating what role housing plays in the U.S. economic

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