Real Estate News Archives
October 2010
- Compared to '09, Texas home sales level through September
While sales have struggled over the past few months, home sales in Texas have remained steady this year.October 31st, 2010 8:00pm - Houston named one of the most affordable cities in the country
One of the most important concerns for any family looking for a place to live is affordability - how much it actually costs to live in a certain location. According to a study by Forbes, living in Houston homes is one of the most affordable choices.October 29th, 2010 10:05am - Interest rates rise again
After declining to nearly 60-year lows, mortgage rates have now risen for the second consecutive week, although they are still well below normal levels.October 29th, 2010 9:57am - Houston employment shows slight improvement
While much of the state has seen significant gains in employment in recent months, local employers have failed to generate the same level of improvement, a result which may handicap the Houston real estate market to some extent.October 28th, 2010 10:46am - Rise in Houston foreclosures among highest nationwide
The number of Houston foreclosures increased sharply during the third quarter of the year, increasing more than nearly any other major city in the country.October 28th, 2010 6:43am - New home sales increase once again
Data from the Commerce Department showed that the sales of newly built single-family homes increased 6.6 percent in the month of September, reaching their fastest sales pace since June.October 27th, 2010 11:22am - MBA: Low mortgage rates won't drop, and are set to rise
Despite suggestions that the Federal Reserve will take steps to use lower interest rates to help spur the economy, the Mortgage Bankers Association says that rates are unlikely to drop much lower, and are expected to rise significantly in the latter part October 27th, 2010 11:18am - CoreLogic: Houston home prices rise
A new report says that Houston home prices have risen over the past twelve months, although much of the improvement may be due to demand for foreclosures.October 26th, 2010 11:25am - FHA head calls on lenders to ease credit standards
David Stevens, the commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration, is calling on lenders to help revive the home lending market, saying that many of them are keeping many worthy borrowers from getting a mortgage.October 26th, 2010 11:20am - National home sales improve, but show price declines in Houston
The National Association of Realtors says that a strong uptick in existing home sales is part of a national recovery, although the group also noted a drop in home prices in Houston.October 26th, 2010 6:53am - Proportion of first-time buyers continues to drop
While the first-time homebuyer tax credit may have helped bring a number of buyers into the market, its expiration may now be encouraging many of them to stay on the sidelines, as the number of first-timers entering the market has continued to fall.October 26th, 2010 6:50am - Montgomery County home sales fall again
For the third straight month, existing single-family home sales in Montgomery County have fallen below last year's levels, although the decline was less severe than the drop in sales for Houston homes as a whole.October 25th, 2010 6:40am - Report: Tax credit boosted home prices by 10 percent
A new report says that without the federal homebuyer tax credits, home prices across the country would be well below current levels and continuing to decline.October 22nd, 2010 4:00pm - Houston's unemployment rate falls
New figures from the Texas Workforce Commission shows that the city's jobless rate dropped in September, which should give a boost to the Houston real estate market and local businesses.October 22nd, 2010 10:04am - Budget cuts may force delays in Metro's light rail projects
Those hoping to eventually use the new Metro light rail lines to get into the city may have to wait even longer, as budget issues have forced the agency to suspend or cancel more than 120 contracts related to the expansion - delays which could set back thOctober 22nd, 2010 9:55am - Commercial real estate prices continue drop
A new report from Moody's Investors Services says that while overall commercial real estate prices have fallen, some parts of the market are still improving.October 22nd, 2010 6:38am - Interest rates and home prices should balance out for homebuyers
Low home prices and interest rates have made many people consider buying a home that otherwise may not have. But as AOL Real Estate reports, before looking at Houston homes, those buyers need to think about what that they can afford to pay.October 22nd, 2010 6:35am - South Houston homes hottest in the area
While the sales of Houston homes has largely remained sluggish in recent months, some local areas are seeing much higher demand than others. According to a report by ZipRealty, South Houston homes were the "hottest" during the third quarter of tOctober 21st, 2010 10:45am - Fed: Texas real estate market to remain sluggish
The latest Beige Book report from the Dallas branch of the Federal Reserve finds that analysts expect the local homes market to be "subdued" over the next few months.October 21st, 2010 5:52am - Houston wages rose as employment fell
New data shows that the average wages in Houston rose, even as the city shed jobs in the first part of this year.October 21st, 2010 5:50am - Mortgage applications show double-digit declines
The number of people looking to purchase Houston homes last week likely fell, as total mortage volume dropped by more than 10 percent during the week ending October 15, according to the latest release from the Mortgage Bankers Association.October 20th, 2010 10:54am - Sales of Houston homes show third straight year-over-year decline
Sales in the Houston real estate market in September were down compared with last year for the third consecutive month following the expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credit.October 19th, 2010 11:12am - Housing starts show moderate improvement
While the Houston real estate market is still struggling to recover, homebuilders began working on an increased number of new homes last month.October 19th, 2010 11:10am - Houston jobs market tops among NFL markets
The Houston Texans are in first place in the AFC South, and a new report says that the city's long-term job growth is also ahead of all others in the league.October 19th, 2010 6:12am - Del Webb to locate new retirement community in Richmond
Retirement community builder Del Webb has now announced plans for a new development in Richmond.October 19th, 2010 6:04am - HUD grant to encourage development of Houston suburbs
A $3.75 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Houston-Galveston Area Council will be used to help develop transportation, jobs and other infrastructure in the suburbs surrounding Houston in the hopes of creating more suOctober 19th, 2010 5:58am - Homebuilder confidence rebounds
Although it still remains firmly in negative territory, homebuilder confidence across the country rebounded this month.October 18th, 2010 5:50am - Bernanke signals lower interest rates may be on the horizon
As mortgage interest rates continue to set new lows, comments by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke suggest that those looking to buy Houston homes may see even lower rates in the coming weeks.October 15th, 2010 9:00am - Houston one of the best-performing cities nationwide for job creation
A new study says that the Houston real estate market should continue to be stable, given the city's place as one of the top-performing cities in the country in terms of job creation, salary growth and technology growth.October 15th, 2010 8:57am - Economic recovery may spur higher demand for green housing
While interest in green homes has leveled off during the recession as many people looked for housing bargains, analysts say that demand may soon pick up as the economy recovers.October 15th, 2010 6:29am - Falling credit scores in Houston may slow home sales
Credit scores in Houston have dropped significantly over the past few months, meaning that many of those considering purchasing Houston properties may find themselves out of luck.October 14th, 2010 6:06am - Texas foreclosure rate drops sharply in September
As the national controversy surrounding foreclosures persists, they have continued to increase in many parts of the country. However, Texas actually experienced a sharp decline in foreclosure activity last month.October 14th, 2010 6:00am - Despite end of drilling ban, workers still face hurdles
Although the announcement that the White House was ending its ban on deepwater drilling was welcomed by many Houston residents, companies still face a number of obstacles before they can get back to work.October 14th, 2010 5:57am - Houston named 'market to watch' for commercial real estate
A new report says that the Houston real estate market is one that could show significant improvement in the coming months.October 13th, 2010 11:21am - National homeownership affordability at 40-year highs
A new study from Beacon Economics says that a combination of falling home prices and low interest rates have made owning a home more affordable now than anytime in decades.October 13th, 2010 6:06am - Poor economic numbers discouraging potential homebuyers
A new report says that the high jobless rate and slow economic recovery are providing a disincentive for people to become the owners of Houston homes.October 12th, 2010 10:30am - Analysts blame slow housing formation on inflated housing inventory
As the Houston real estate market, like many around the country, continues to deal with an increased inventory of homes for sale, analysts say that the underlying problems are jobs and household formations, and not foreclosures.October 12th, 2010 6:02am - Report: Loan stability helped Texas home prices remain level
While many cities across the country saw housing prices drop precipitously during the recession, a report from Freddie Mac says that prices in the Houston real estate market were insulated from many of those losses because of a relative lack of risky loanOctober 11th, 2010 10:08am - Bank of America halts foreclosures nationwide
As the nationwide foreclosure controversy continues to grow, Bank of America now says it will stop all foreclosure sales nationwide while it completes a review of its foreclosure procedures.October 11th, 2010 5:50am - Report: Local economy supporting improving commercial real estate market
Growth in many of the region's biggest industries helped fuel an improving Houston real estate market during the third quarter of this year, according to a new report from Transwestern.October 8th, 2010 9:55am - Report: Buying more affordable than renting in Houston
Choosing to buy or rent is sometimes a very difficult decision. But a new report says that buying a Houston home makes more financial sense than paying rent.October 8th, 2010 5:41am - Report: Seasonal home sales slowdown happening early
A new study finds that the usual seasonal decline of home sales is happening earlier than normal this year, and dragging down home prices at the same time.October 7th, 2010 10:26am - Houston home sellers making significant price cuts
A new report says that the prices on many Houston listings are being significantly cut in order to attract interest from buyers.October 7th, 2010 10:22am - Purchase applications spike to highest post-tax credit levels
The number of mortgage purchase applications increased significantly, as many potential homebuyers worked to apply for a loan before new regulations from the Federal Housing Administration took effect.October 7th, 2010 5:41am - Average Houston home prices fall
A new report says that the average price for Houston homes fell for the second consecutive month in September, and may continue to drop over the next few months.October 7th, 2010 5:38am - Developer unveils plans for new master-planned community in North Houston
Coventry Development Corporation has now announced plans to construct a new master-planned community in the area north of Houston, which is set to begin construction during the first half of next year.October 6th, 2010 5:47am - Houston housing inventory falls in September
Showing the continued relative strength of the local real estate market, the inventory of available Houston home listings dropped in September.October 6th, 2010 5:44am - Office vacancies rise, but may have hit bottom
A new report says that while office vacancies increased during the third quarter of the year, the slowing trend may mean that the market may have finally begun to bottom out.October 5th, 2010 11:21am - High-quality photos increase selling prices
A new report says that using a professional-quality camera to take photos for real estate listings can help boost the selling price of the property.October 4th, 2010 10:36am - Pending home sales show gains again
Pending home sales rose once again in August, although, like most current housing statistics, they still trail numbers from last year.October 4th, 2010 10:32am - Flood insurance extension signed before deadline
President Barack Obama signed a one-year extension to the National Flood Insurance Program into law Thursday, avoiding the fourth lapse in the program over the past year and preventing a stall in Houston home sales in flood zones as well as those across tOctober 1st, 2010 9:52am
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