National News

MBA: Mortgage Applications Decline

According to the new Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications declined 6.2 percent from the week prior. Refinancing activity was down by 10 percent, while purchase mortgages were down by 1 percent. Refinancing comprised 56.9

Is Low Construction to Blame for Housing’s Inventory Woes?

A new NAR analysis argues that lack of new construction hinders housing growth New home construction is insufficient in a majority of metro areas, according to new research by the National Association of Realtors. NAR measured the amount of

Keller Williams Employee Base Increases Amidst Record Expansion

Keller Williams has increased its employee base by 17 percent since January 1 to more than 125,000 associates. In the first half of 2015, Keller Williams broke monthly records as the sales volume increased 26 percent to $100 billion,

realtor.com Unveils New Metrics Report…for Free

A few months back, Zillow Group, the new conglomerate of Zillow and Trulia, rolled out a new feature that allowed brokers to review a variety of listing metrics through its Zillow Data Dashboard, from impressions to total listing views.

New Fannie Mae Index Finds Homebuyers More Confident in 2015

Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group has launched the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), which provides details about the direction of the housing market. The index reports that in August, the HPSI dropped to 80.0 from 0.5 points,

U.S. Housing Market Ready for Interest Hike, Economists Say

Housing is well prepared for higher interest rates, according to a new survey The U.S. housing market is strong enough to stand up to an interest rate hike this year, according to a new Reuters report. The report, which surveyed 22

Is Urban Growth Outpacing Suburban Growth?

The 2010s may be on track to change tradition, with cities expanding faster their suburbs for the first time in 40 years, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. According to new research by the Census Bureau,

Pending Home Sales See Small Increase in July

Signings rebound slightly after June’s decline After a negative June, pending home sales saw a small increase in July, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator

Fall of Chinese Stock Market Leads to Lower Mortgage Rates

Average fixed mortgage rates in the U.S. have fallen to their lowest levels since May of this year amid substantial and ongoing global volatility out of China, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped

Minorities Will Drive Future Homeownership Growth

Hispanics and other minorities primed to begin housing boom Minorities are projected to have higher homeownership rates than whites from 2020 to 2030, especially among Hispanics, according to a new Urban Institute study. Although white homeownership growth will be

3 Important Trends in New Construction in 2015

The latest new home sales stats from the U.S. Census Bureau show many things are at work in the new construction marketplace According to the latest new construction report from the U.S. Census Bureau, new home sales in July

Boston Home Prices Strengthen in Case-Shiller Indices

Home prices continue to rise nationally, but what about the local housing market? Home prices in the Boston metro area rose 1.5 percent from May to June and 3.3 percent from June 2014, according to the new Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard

Residential Real Estate Brokerages Expecting More Money

During the economic downturn, the real estate industry floundered and thousands lost their jobs. But improvements have been made, and the industry is healing, which means the money is returning. By 2016, more than two-thirds of residential real estate

New Construction at Highest Level in 8 Years

New development – especially in the single-family sector – has been very strong in 2015 Housing starts in 2015 are running at their highest level in eight years, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau. With 641,000 new housing starts so

Keller Williams Acquires Team Leads Inc., Partners with HomeKeepr/Placester

Keller Williams has acquired Team Leads Inc., an agent team business solution provider based in Ontario, Canada, and entered into collaborations with two leading real estate technology providers, HomeKeepr and Placester. Team Leads Inc. will be rebranded as KW Team Leads

4 Significant Ways First-Time Buyers have Changed

The housing market has changed substantially in the last 40 years, and first-time homebuyers have changed with it Since the 1970s, the U.S. housing market has changed in numerous ways. The square footage of homes, for instance, has risen to all-time

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