Houston’s real estate activity was unusually high in November despite the Thanksgiving holiday, even as inventory hovered at historically low levels. Renters also brought much-needed business back to the lease market following slight declines in October. 

There may be a construction boom, but builders still have a lot of ground to make up from a decade of underbuilding, according to a new report from Zillow.

A movement sparked by the pandemic is causing Americans to pack up and relocate. As it turns out, Florida and Houston are top-ranking destinations for many people. 

With home prices continuing to reach new heights  across the country, many potential homebuyers are seeing the mobile-home market in a brand new light as single-family home prices become less affordable for young and middle-class buyers. 

As more money is being spent on real estate than ever before, the booming market is on pace to shatter records this year, according to a recent CoreLogic report.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced its 2022 conforming loan limits (CLL) for conventional loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“Despite higher mortgage rates, purchase applications had a strong week, mostly driven by a 6% increase in conventional loan applications.” — MBA associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting Joel Kan

During week 47, real estate agents entered 1,359 properties into the Multiple Listing Service for the week ended Nov. 29 compared to 1,563 during the same period last year.

Investors across the country are looking to cash in on skyrocketing house prices and rents, putting them in competition with new buyers trying to work their way to homeownership. Real estate investors bought a record 18% of the homes sold in the third quarter, according to a new Redfin report.

Led by Jennifer Keller, Hamilton Thomas Homes broke ground in October in Balmoral, where it will build 31 homes on 45-foot sites. Homes will range from 1,700 to 3,000 square feet, with pricing in the mid-$300,000s, according to a press release. 

“If I had to choose only one word to describe September 2021’s housing price data, the word would be ‘deceleration. Housing prices continued to show remarkable strength in September, though the pace of price increases declined slightly.” — S&P DJI managing director Craig Lazzara.

Coventry Homes will expand its building program to the 460-acre community of Candela, the builder announced in a press release. Priced from the $530,000s, homes will be situated on 70-foot sites with designs ranging from 2,915 to 4,573 square feet. Floor plans have not yet been released. 

New Houston listings gained momentum in suburban and rural areas in November while remaining sluggish in urban areas, according to the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

“Motivated by fast-rising rents and the anticipated increase in mortgage rates, consumers that are on strong financial footing are signing contracts to purchase a home sooner rather than later.” — NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun

While the housing market may be hotter than usual, the shift toward seasonal norms is starting to show and could benefit both buyers and renters. 

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has partnered with Panorama Travel Solutions to offer exclusive travel deals and discounts through the NAR Travel Club.