Houston Real Estate Blogosphere
Houston Real Estate Blogosphere brings together all the blog posts of REALTORS from the Houston area in one place
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Home Values & Recent Sales
The most recently published posts in the Home Values & Recent Sales category
The great Houston home-grab continued in April as local property
sales tore through the month at full-throttle. Buyer demand and an
ever-shrinking supply drove home prices to the highest levels of all
time.
According to the latest monthly report prepared by the Houston
Association of REALTORS® (HAR), home sales surged 27.2 percent compared
to last April, accounting for the 23rd co...
Read Post [Posted on 05/22/2013 By John Askins]
When it comes to remodeling, exterior replacement projects have routinely rewarded home owners with more bang for their buck.This year is no different: REALTORS® recently rated many exterior improvements as among the most valuable home investment projects as part of the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.Two additional siding replacement projects were in the top 10, including foam-backed vinyl ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/22/2013 By John Askins]
Houston is HOT - and I am not referring to the summer heat ! Take a look at just few of the reports on Houston.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Houston had the fastest rate of job growth.
America Public Media - Marketplace reported that "there are very few areas around the country, growing as ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/21/2013 By Connie Vallone]
Home sellers are more than twice as likely to get their homes sold if they use a REALTOR®, rather than trying to sell their home on their own, according to a survey conducted by HomeGain of 400 home owners nationwide. Seventy-three percent of the home owners surveyed said they used a REALTOR®. On the other hand, 21 percent of those surveyed said they tried to sell their home themselves. The survey...
Read Post [Posted on 05/21/2013 By John Askins]
Low mortgage rates and stabilizing incomes are keeping home
affordability high and giving home buyers “ample buying power,”
according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
The Wall Street Journal highlights the following example on just how
affordable housing has become: “Assuming a 5 percent down payment, a 3.5
percent mortgage rate, and 25 percent of a gross income devoted to ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/20/2013 By John Askins]
The monthly cost of owning a home is more affordable now than in the past 15 years, and is less expensive than renting in numerous cities, according to a Wall Street Journal survey.
Low home prices mixed with low mortgage rates—hovering at 4 percent or even lower—are creating an appealing buyer’s market, analysts say. For example, buyers today have a 77 percent increase in their borrowing power c...
Read Post [Posted on 05/20/2013 By John Askins]
Turn your yard into the
ultimate neighborhood party spot
When Rika Houston knocks on
doors to invite neighbors over for an impromptu screening, she's never short of
takers. Located in the front yard of the Los Angeles home she shares with her
husband, architect Brian Ten, the cinema is unlike any other in town. Sinking
into the cushy sofa with lanterns lit overhead, guests wa...
Read Post [Posted on 05/17/2013 By Diana Walton]
More than Half of Americans Think Home Prices Will Rise in Year AheadPublished: May 08, 2013Americans think the housing market has reboundedMore than half of Americans now expect the country’s home prices to climb within the next year, illustrating a growing optimism toward the health of the housing industry, according to Fannie Mae’s April 2013 National Housing Survey.The share of people who...
Read Post [Posted on 05/17/2013 By Evelyn Randle]
Thinking about remodeling your floors and countertops, then this video is for you.
VIDEO: http://livewellnetwork.com/Deals/episodes/Floors-and-Countertops/8416176
To find our more about me visit my Web site at www.michellerayproperties.com or give me a call at 832-715-5819. You can also look me up on Facebook by searching Michelle Ray Properties.
Michelle L. Ray - ABR, CN...
Read Post [Posted on 05/15/2013 By Michelle Ray]
There is a lot of information available to consumers regarding home values, both for buyers and sellers. Unfortunately, third party sites like Zillow and Trulia offer a false sense of accuracy in the ever-changing Houston market. Thankfully, HAR offers a lot of free information to the public on HAR.com. Of course, your local Realtor is the best source for comparable properties in the&nb...
Read Post [Posted on 05/15/2013 By Kelly Stewart]
15-Year Rates Sink to New Low of 2.65%
Daily Real Estate News Friday, May 03, 2013
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Fixed-rate mortgages pushed lower for the fifth-consecutive week, with low mortgage rates further driving the housing recovery over the near term, says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
This week, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hovered near its all-time record low, while 15-year rates set ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/14/2013 By Arnold Cazares]
Latest Average Listing Price, Days on Market and Price Reduction for the Clear Lake Area through April 2013 - http://www.realtybymonica.com/Web/AR407026/Blog/post/?post_id=53727Average Prices and Days on Market have remained stable from March although Price Reductions for condos and town homes increased dramatically.
Average prices have begun rising above 250K but price reductions have ri...
Read Post [Posted on 05/14/2013 By Monica Foster]
A Colorado State University (CSU) study looked into home prices in
conservation developments, where residential real estate is limited and
usually 50 percent to 70 percent of the land is set aside as open space.
The research shows that home buyers are willing to pay a premium to
live near such open, undeveloped tracts. Sarah Reed, co-author of the
study, and her colleagues compared 2,222 ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/12/2013 By John Askins]
It is no secret that our property taxes here in the Houston market are not for the faint at heart. They have to be a huge part of a buyer's decision and purchasing ability when looking for the perfect house. This was one of my lessons in real estate or (stark reminders) from the experiences of this past week.My clients and I had found an AMAZING home. It was a foreclosure th...
Read Post [Posted on 05/11/2013 By Renee Buckhoff]
The U.S. housing markets where homes are selling the fastest are
mostly in the West, according to a new survey by ZipRealty. In fact,
some western markets have seen a big rise in homes selling in seven days
or less.
ZipRealty identified the following five markets as the fastest selling markets:
Orange County, Calif.
Median days on the market (as of March 31): 15 — a 71 percent year-...
Read Post [Posted on 05/11/2013 By John Askins]
