Housing has made considerable progress the last few years, but elements of the downturn still linger. Recently, there have been many promising developments in housing. New construction, for instance, is becoming more affordable, and new home sales are up

Mortgages were slightly easier to attain in September, according to a new analysis by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), which tracks access to credit, rose 0.3 percent in September to 126.5; any increase in

According to the new Mortgage Applications Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage applications increased 25.5 percent from the week prior. Refinancing activity increased by 24 percent, while purchase mortgages rose by 27 percent. Refinancing comprised 57.4 percent of all mortgage

The rental market in Atlanta has been red-hot for some time now, but what does that mean for homeownership? The average rent in Atlanta’s housing market is $885, and the area’s rental growth is faster than most other major metro areas. Those were the

China is currently steeped in economic turmoil, and its tumbling stock prices and overinflated real estate market have industry professionals asking the question: How will this affect the U.S. real estate market? The answer has major implications for agents, brokerages

Sales continued their strong march forward in August, as CoreLogic reported both year-over-year and month-to-month increases. While the extent of home price gains varied often and sometimes greatly from metro to metro in August, the national direction has remained

According to RealtyTrac and Ethnic Technologies, the share of Mandarin Chinese-speaking buyers paying in cash has increased to 46 percent in 2015, a 229 percent increase from 2005. This increase puts Mandarin Chinese in the lead in terms of cash sale market share

Nationwide, wage growth has lagged behind home prices; is that still true here in Atlanta? Back in April, we reported some unsettling news – per analysis by RealtyTrac, wage growth in the Atlanta area in 2013 and 2014 lagged far behind home

CoreLogic released June cash sales data this week, which showed that cash continues to trickle out of the market. Nationally, cash sales made up 31.3 percent of total home sales in June, down from 33.9 percent the same time

Green construction is growing faster than conventional construction. It currently provides 2.3 million jobs and $55 million in residential construction spending, which is expected to grow by $45 million by 2018. The homebuyers driving that growth are becoming increasingly eco-conscious, and the National Association of

Did the latest Case-Shiller present more of the same for housing? Home prices in the Atlanta area were up 0.8 percent from June to July and 5.8 percent from July 2014, according to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index from Standard &

The most popular home styles in the U.S. are ranch style, conventional, split level, colonial and traditional, according to a RealtyTrac study of 25 million homes. The least popular style homes are cottages, log homes, gambrel, garrison and tudor. Interestingly, those

New home sales were up in August, but is that a sign of a strengthening market? In August, new home sales rose 5.7 percent month-to-month and 21.6 percent year-over-year to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 552,000, according to

An interest rate hike is not a concern to buyers Buyers are more concerned about affordability, competition and inventory than an interest rate hike, according to a Redfin survey of 3,577 buyers done in late July. Only 5 percent of the

For decades, white buyers have largely dictated the direction of the housing industry. That may soon change, though, as a recent survey from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals found

One in four renters is severely rent burdened Based on current trends of rent gains outpacing incomes, the number of severely burdened renters could increase by up to 25 percent by 2025, according to a study published by the Joint