Real Estate News Archives
February 2011
- Pending home sales fell in January
The National Association of Realtors Pending Home Sales Index dropped 2.8 percent in January, falling from a mark of 91.5 in December to 88.9 last month.February 28th, 2011 9:18am - Americans are confident housing market will stay steady
A recent poll discovered that 78 percent of Americans think the current housing market will continue to be stable, or even improve, over the next calendar year. About 61 percent of those polled still think the recession will make the economy worrisome oveFebruary 28th, 2011 9:11am - Survey: Sellers fare better using Realtors than trying on their own
A recent survey discovered that those who sell their houses with a Realtor had a 50 percent higher success rate than those who went the "for sale by owner" route.February 28th, 2011 7:39am - Commercial vacancy rates declining, rent rates are increasing
Vacancies are predicted to lower in the office sector, industrial real estate, retail and multifamily rentals over the course of the next year, and rent is forecast to go up 3.4 percent this year.February 28th, 2011 7:21am - New home sales declined more than expected in January
New housing sales were below forecasted January figures, which could be in direct correlation to the poor weather across much of the country, as well as declines in the western and southern states.February 25th, 2011 6:29am - Fixed-rate mortgage rates drop below five percent
Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped this week, going below 5 percent, which is encouraging news for the Houston real estate market, since more people are likely to apply for mortgages and purchase homes.February 25th, 2011 6:26am - Chronicle: Completion of long-awaited highway to provide new transportation options
The ring road Houston's city planners envisioned as long ago as 1952 is finally complete, according to the Chronicle, as the last stretch of the Sam Houston Tollway opened last weekend.February 25th, 2011 2:00am - Texas foreclosure sale rates below the 2010 national average
The Texas real estate climate continues to be better than the national market, as the sales of Houston foreclosures continue to be lower than average.February 24th, 2011 11:44am - Changing neighborhoods illustrate shifts in Houston property market
Large-scale shifts in the demographic information reported in the last census are an indicator of the almost dizzying rate at which the societal and ethnic makeup of Houston is changing, according to a report in the Chronicle.February 24th, 2011 2:00am - Report: Foreclosures on Houston homes down
The number of houses in Houston being successfully foreclosed at a recent auction in Harris County dropped, even though more properties were listed than last month, Foreclosure Information and Listing Service told the Houston Business Journal.February 23rd, 2011 2:00am - Houston property data to be available from new source
New services for mortgage risk management are now available from Houston-based Stewart Lender Services, the company announced this week, allowing for better analysis of mortgage loans and other debt.February 22nd, 2011 8:17am - Two industries of particular importance to Houston property values
The federal government's actions will play a key role in the rate at which two of Houston's big industries recover from the recent economic trouble, according to Metrostudy-Houston, which will in turn directly impact the city's real estate market.February 22nd, 2011 6:49am - Apartment renters survey turns up important facts about economy at large
In what may be considered big news for both the Houston property market and that of the nation at large, Apartments.com announced Tuesday that almost 30 percent of those looking for a new apartment were doing so because of a job opportunity.February 22nd, 2011 6:46am - Report: National home prices drop, but changes in patterns are seen
Purchase prices for U.S. homes dropped by 3.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to research released this week by S&P/Case-Shiller, but some large urban markets began to exhibit different trends.February 22nd, 2011 6:43am - Houston Realtors take home awards from 2010 recognition event
Along with several individual honorees, the Houston Association of Realtors took home a group prize for the most innovative real estate program of the year for their "H-Town Day" in 2010, the Texas Association of Realtors announced today.February 21st, 2011 6:28am - Experts say drug ring bust could make almost a dozen Houston properties available
A large-scale bust of 15 suspected members of a nationwide drug smuggling operation may result in 11 Houston real estate parcels going on the market if their forfeiture is approved.February 18th, 2011 7:33am - Reports: Floating Houston condos on the way
A unique development that will see condos for sale on a floating island in the country's inland waterways will go north for the summer and south to Houston for the winter, according to a report from the Chronicle.February 18th, 2011 7:32am - Harris County population growth could mean higher values for Houston real estate
Between 2000 and 2010, Harris County, Texas, has seen a 20 percent population increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning that more housing is needed to shelter the extra residents. The county had 3,400,578 residents in 2000 and 4,092,459 in 20February 18th, 2011 7:30am - Food deserts inexcusable in Houston, says Chronicle editorial
Poor nutrition and low Houston property values are just two of the negative consequences of so-called "food deserts" - urban areas where there are insufficient grocery options available to residents, according to a recent editorial in the HoustoFebruary 18th, 2011 7:28am - Further evidence of sunnier days ahead for Houston real estate with green building announcement
A firm of green home builders will showcase eight new models of eco-friendly housing in a large-scale open house event on March 5 and 6, GreenEco Builders announced today.February 17th, 2011 10:17am - Houston properties demolished to praise from the neighbors
A set of Houston apartment buildings that had long since become a byword for crime and decrepitude was demolished by city authorities earlier this month, and people from the neighborhood said it was about time.February 17th, 2011 10:16am - Houston property will be sold to fund city budget gap
An abandoned gas station and a public works building will be sold by the city of Houston to help bridge a $54 million gap in the municipal budget, according to the Houston Chronicle.February 16th, 2011 8:21am - Report: Big deals show Houston property market could be heating up
The owner of Houston's second-tallest office building - MetLife - is putting a half-stake in Wells Fargo Plaza up for sale, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.February 16th, 2011 8:18am - Study finds fewer homeowners heading for foreclosure
Credit demand and the rate of delinquency in mortgage loans fell off at the end of 2010, according to TransUnion, marking the fourth consecutive quarter in which those statistics moved in a positive direction.February 16th, 2011 7:09am - Study finds home sellers cutting asking prices nationwide
Houston properties were not among those listed in ZipRealty's latest report on home prices, but several other well-populated areas were unlucky enough to receive special mention from that company for seeing the biggest drops in home asking prices.February 15th, 2011 10:16am - Survey: Nearly three in four Americans want to own their home
Home ownership is a part of the American dream for almost three quarters of the respondents to a recent Trulia poll, the company announced recently.February 15th, 2011 10:14am - New Year brings good news for Houston real estate
Statistics tracked by the Houston Association of Realtors rose almost across the board in January 2011, as signs of the recovery's continued health continued to appear, the group said in a statement.February 15th, 2011 10:12am - Report: Mortgage rates rising in many categories
Statistics released recently by government-backed mortgage giant Freddie Mac indicate that rates for home loans are steadily increasing across the board, indicating a possible revival of the market.February 14th, 2011 2:00am - Houston property owners could be affected by new city initiative for green tech
A new program in Houston designed to encourage property owners to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings will offer incentives for some types of renovation, Mayor Annise Parker announced this week.February 10th, 2011 4:24am - Report: Mortgage rates spike, causing slowdown in applications
The number of Americans applying for mortgages shrank quickly over the past week, according to statistics from the Mortgage Bankers Association, thanks in part to a sharp upturn in interest rates.February 9th, 2011 11:56am - Home prices in America changing, but general trend is good
Several years after the onset of the economic downturn prompted by a housing crash, that market sector may be in the process of recovering value, according to a study from analysis firm CoreLogic.February 8th, 2011 7:50am - Report: Houston property market boosted by housing starts and job growth
Several factors point to a continuation of the gradual economic recovery in the Houston area, according to a report from MetroStudy, including positive job growth numbers and improving housing starts.February 8th, 2011 7:49am - Economic stress index slightly above state average in Houston
The Associated Press' measurement of economic stress for the Houston area is slightly higher than the statewide average for Texas, but conditions are still better than in many areas of the country.February 8th, 2011 7:47am - Debate over loan limits won't affect Houston
As lawmakers in Washington, D.C. debate the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, some of the discussion has focused on the reduction of loan limits for government-backed loans. However, those changes won't affect the Houston real estate market.February 7th, 2011 10:39am - Houston wage growth tops nationwide
The Houston real estate market may get a renewed boost this year, as workers in the area are earning more, which could give them the financial flexibility to purchase a home.February 7th, 2011 10:37am - Houston home prices continue climb as national market turns
A report from Clear Capital finds that home prices in the Houston real estate market have continued to climb while the national market may also be beginning to turn.February 4th, 2011 10:49am - Realtors: Tight lending standards stopping 15 percent of sales
As those looking to buy Houston homes have likely noticed, the process of getting a mortgage has become significantly more difficult over the past few years. Officials with the National Association of Realtors say lenders know they are turning away creditFebruary 3rd, 2011 11:38am - Mortgages rates remain steady as applications bounce back
The Mortgage Bankers Association says mortgage rates have continued to remain historically low, while mortgage volume has picked back up following a drop the week before.February 2nd, 2011 11:52am - Report: Houston home prices to slip
While prices in the Houston real estate market have remained relatively level, a report from Fiserv says that the median home price will slide slightly in the early part of this year.February 2nd, 2011 11:51am - Texas home sales fall below '09 levels
Data from the Texas Association of Realtors finds that the number of homes sold in the state last year was down from 2009.February 2nd, 2011 11:50am - Houston construction demand picking up
While demand for construction in the Houston real estate market remains below levels from past years, employment in the industry is beginning to pick up.February 1st, 2011 11:45am - Nationwide homeownership levels fall
A government report shows that fewer Americans owned their own home in the fourth quarter of the year than any period since 1998.February 1st, 2011 7:57am - Report points to future water problems in Houston
A number of recent studies have shown that a large number of people are moving to the Houston real estate market for its strong jobs and economic markets. But another recent report says that may not be a good thing in the long run.February 1st, 2011 7:54am - Commercial vacancies remain high along FM 1960 corridor
While the Houston real estate market has remained one of the steadiest nationwide, a report from the Texas A&M Real Estate Center finds that the FM 1960 area is still struggling somewhat with high vacancy rates.February 1st, 2011 7:52am - Commercial mortgage market to bottom out in 2011
While the national economy appears on its way to recovery, a recent report finds that it may take the commercial real estate market another year to turn around.February 1st, 2011 7:51am
My Account
Log in, to view your saved searches and add to your favorite listings.
Forgot your password? Click here!
... So You Can:
- View detailed property information
- Print detailed property flyers
- Save your searches & favorite homes
- Inquire about a private showing
- Map individual property locations
- Share your favorite homes with friends
