According to the most recent Texas Quarterly Housing Report, the effects of last year's federal homebuyer tax credits continued to linger for the Texas real estate market in the second quarter of 2011. Continue reading ...

According to the latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy, the word "robust" describes the annual job growth rate for the state's private sector for the year ending in June Continue reading ...

What do you get when you compare seasonal summer home buying in a single month to the same month a year earlier shortly after a home buyer tax credit expired? If it's July 2011 in Houston, Texas, it's a nearly 17 percent increase in home sales. Last year's third quarter slowdown in home sales continues to make this year's generally "typical" real estate activity appear slightly more positive than it otherwise would be considered. July marked the third time in 2011 that sales volume entered positive territory. It also saw the average price of a single-family home reach its highest level for a July in Houston. Continue reading ...

As you know the three rules of real estate are location, location, location - right? Well this is especially true in Houston. Because we are such a sprawling city with plenty of land to build on as you go outside the city. Many developers have done just that. The problem is, not all of these neighborhoods end up being a big success. What I mean by that is that there is not a sustained history of the re-sale homes appreciating in price and selling fairly quickly(liquidity) - these are the two main factors that indicate whether the public views an area as desirable or not. Continue reading ...

Q: This has been a rough year, economically. Are things better for people outside of Texas? Continue reading ...

With the 82nd Texas Legislature coming to a close, the Texas Association of Realtors confirms the recent regular session was a legislative success for Texas homeowners. Continue reading ...

Most homeowners associations are well-run and provide great benefit to residents through their amenities environment. It's not hard, however, to find stories about seemingly one-sided disputes between HOAs and homeowners. To be honest, some of the reports, like tales of foreclosure or huge, unannounced assessments, are upsetting. Continue reading ...

According to CNN.com's analysis of 2010 Census data, nine of the top 10 counties that closely mirror the racial and ethnic makeup of the US population are in Texas. Brazos County claimed the top spot out of every county in the country, followed by Lee County, Galveston County, Colorado County, Wilbarger County, Austin County, Ellis County, Milam County, and Williamson County. Continue reading ...

Houston home sales rose for the second time this year in June, with the average price reaching an all-time high and the median price achieving the highest level in nearly two years. The sales increase reflects the slowdown in home purchases that set in a year ago following expiration of the home buyer tax credit. The credit triggered a surge in home buying during the spring of 2010 that resulted in slower sales volume during the remainder of that year. Continue reading ...

Q: 2011 has federal energy tax credits of up to $500 for various home improvements. What areas of home improvement are included in the creditrs? Continue reading ...

Nationally, pending home sales rose strongly in May with all regions experiencing gains from a year ago, pointing to higher housing activity in the second half of the year, according to the National Association of Realtors. Continue reading ...

Insurance experts are warning people in areas burned by wildfires to prepare for the second disaster — flows of black water full of ash and debris that will flood these areas when the summer rains come. There is an urgency for buying flood insurance. There is a 30-day waiting period before a new flood insurance policy takes effect, and the summer rains typically begin in the first week of July. Continue reading ...

The 2010 home buyer tax credit continues to obscure an accurate gauge of how the Houston real estate market is performing. The 2010 federal incentive triggered a short-term surge in local home sales last spring that has skewed the year-over-year analysis most of this year. Continue reading ...

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has revised some home-loan rules that attempt to give us what we want. Continue reading ...

What some people consider a double-dip recession, others view simply as the continuation of the recession that has gripped the nation for the past couple of years. Continue reading ...

Texas' economy is not only outperforming the United States, but the state's nonfarm employment is growing twice as fast. Continue reading ...

Learn a simple way to determine if a crack in your home's floor could mean possible foundation problems. Most homebuyers are careful to have a home inspector check for foundation problems before they sign purchase papers. But that shouldn't be the last check. Recognizing early warning signs of trouble can forestall damage that costs tens of thousands of dollars or even jeopardizes the full value of a house. Luckily, some of the warning signs are easy to spot. Here's what to look for. Continue reading ...

The boost that the federal home buyer tax credit gave the Houston housing market in April 2010 continues to overshadow local home sales one year later. Sales of homes declined in April 2011 along with average and median prices, however volume rose among rental properties. Continue reading ...

Q: In a down economy, can't we all save money by renting instead of buying property Continue reading ...

Here are a few surprising and simple ways to cut your energy bill this season. Continue reading ...

Six reasons to lower your home price Continue reading ...

An increasing number of Americans are opting to buy smaller homes or even rent, experts say, as uncertainty about the struggling housing market, energy prices, and a lackluster domestic economy persists. Continue reading ...

According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of Realtors, March sales of single-family homes fell 4.4 percent versus one year earlier. As in February, the popular middle segments of the Houston housing market, consisting of homes priced between $80,000 and $250,000, experienced declining sales while the low and high ends saw an increase in number of sales. Compared to March of 2009, a year without unusual market factors such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 6.6 percent. Continue reading ...

Home Ownership Remains at the Core of the American Dream Continue reading ...

Reason #5 The subprime mortgage crisis brought underwriting standards back into the mortgage origination process. And while the final quarter of 2009’s financial meltdown led to a sense that financing had dried up, mortgage funds are now available. Continue reading ...

List your home with TheFullerTeam during April, May & June 2011 and receive a free iPad at closing! Continue reading ...

Every major price index points to a housing market that has hit bottom and is moving in a positive direction. After 30 months of declining values, home prices appear to be stable or appreciating in nearly every U.S. market. In August of 2010, the median home price was $182,600, amounting to an 11 percent increase over the low that was reached in February of 2010 at $164,000. Continue reading ...

For individual home buyers, there are only a few facts that really matter: • Can I afford this home? • Is it a good investment? • Does it meet my family’s needs? Continue reading ...

A Smart Buyer’s Guide to Seizing the Market It’s Prime Time! No doubt you’ve heard the news: The housing market hit a rough patch this summer. Sales of existing homes declined at a rate that took many by surprise, sending pundits into a “what’s next” tailspin. As the prognosticators pondered, savvy buyers didn’t miss a beat. They got that the doomsayers were taking a onedimensional view of the buyer’s market and that market skittishness gives rise to an even more favorable climate for buying a home. Continue reading ...

When buying or selling a home, never let negotiations die on "your side of the fence." For example, if you're selling a home, and someone makes an offer that is too low for you to consider, it is likely in your best interest to respond with a counteroffer that reflects even a tiny, modest concession in price. Continue reading ...

If I buy a house today, will it be cheaper tomorrow? In other words, if I buy now, what is the likelihood my property’s value will decline, and I won’t be able to sell it for what I paid for it? Put yet another way, have we hit bottom on home prices? Continue reading ...

The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February is 8.2 percent, down from 8.3 percent in January, and well below the United States unemployment rate for February of 8.9 percent. Texas total nonfarm employment jumped 22,700 jobs in February, for a total gain of 254,200 jobs from a year ago. Continue reading ...

February 2011 marked a slight slowdown in the Houston real estate market following a galloping start to the new year in January when home sales rose for the first time in seven months. Despite last month's decline in sales volume, average and median home prices rose to the highest levels ever recorded for a February in Houston. Continue reading ...

Fortunately, most Texans weathered the last decade far better than other Americans, particularly those in other high-growth states. But it was not easy. Nationally, the Great Recession's impact was most felt in employment. Between 2000 and 2009, the total number of payroll jobs declined 0.7 percent from 131.79 million to 130.92 million. Meanwhile, the total number of private sector jobs declined 2.4 percent from 111 million to 108.37 million. Job losses in the private sector were partially offset by an 8.5 percent increase in government jobs during the decade, from 20.8 million to 22.55 million jobs. Continue reading ...

Note: the following is an excerpt from an opinion piece printed by the Wall Street Journal in February 2011 It's enough to make you believe in miracles: The Obama Administration is now on record as saying that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should go out of business. It took a global financial panic and $140 billion in taxpayer losses, but on Friday there it was in black-and-white in the US Treasury's report to Congress on reforming the mortgage market: The Administration will "ultimately . . . wind down both institutions." Continue reading ...

Texas' property tax burden is legendary. Citizens from other states often point to the crushing levy as a deal killer when considering a move here. Continue reading ...

Despite the bone-chilling winter weather, Houston's housing market heated up in January, recording the first increase in property sales since June 2010. Pricing also heated up in the first month of the new year with the average price of single-family homes reaching the highest level ever for a January in Houston. Continue reading ...

The number of commercial and residential properties that went back to their lenders dipped at a recent Harris County foreclosure auction, though more properties posted for foreclosure than earlier in the year. Continue reading ...

Smart Business learned more from Dana Johnson, chief economist of Comerica Bank, about prospects for the Texas economy in 2011 and how it compares to the national economy. The following are excerpts from that interview: What is your outlook for the Texas economy for 2011? Continue reading ...

According to a recent report in the Oklahoman, home values are up over five years in Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Smith, Houston, Lubbock and Wichita, Kansas. The latest report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) reports the following metro-area values ticking up over the last five years in its all-transactions index, counting purchases and refis. Continue reading ...

For the fifth month in a row following expiration of the 2010 homebuyer tax credit, sales of single-family homes across Greater Houston declined in November while the prices of those homes rose. Despite the lingering sales chill, the market enjoyed boosts in both the average and median price, achieving the highest levels ever seen in a November. According to the latest monthly data released late December by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), November sales of single-family homes throughout the Houston market fell 22.0 percent when compared to November 2009. Continue reading ...

Employment in the Texas private sector is keeping the state's job growth headed in the right direction. Continue reading ...

Three Texas cities made Forbes' list of ten most affordable U.S. cities. Continue reading ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association's latest mortgage delinquency survey indicate Texas is faring better than the nation in actual foreclosures. Continue reading ...

Texas' five major metros have some of the lowest "shadow" inventories of unsold homes in the United States. Continue reading ...

According to statistics released late November by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), despite the fourth month of a downward trend in Houston real estate sales, the market enjoyed another boost in the average price and a nudge in the median price of single-family homes. Continue reading ...

Data released late September by the Texas Multiple Listing Services (MLS) show existing home sales and dollar volume up while average and median prices fell for the month. Continue reading ...

Texas economy gained 133,100 jobs from August 2009 to August 2010, an annual growth rate of 1.3 percent. During the same period, the U.S. economy added 278,000 jobs, an annual growth rate of 0.2 percent. The state's private sector posted an annual employment growth rate of 1.4 compared with 0.3 percent for the United States. Continue reading ...

A post-homebuyer tax credit calm prevailed across the greater Houston area for the second straight month in August, with property sales volume down, though not as dramatically as it was in July. Despite the decline, the average price of a single-family home continued to climb. Continue reading ...

Houston is expected to post the nation's strongest home price appreciation over the next year, according to a new report by Veros Real Estate Solutions. Houston's relatively low unemployment -- 8.7 percent in August -- contributed to the city showing an increase in home prices in the third quarter and that trend should only continue, says Veros' VeroFORECAST. Continue reading ...