Median home values, improving sales and stronger inventories were all features of the 2012 first quarter report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Median existing single-family home prices rose year-over-year in 74 out of the 146 metro areas tracked

A new chart of analysis has reinvigorated the homeownership vs renting debate, with another nod of economic approval heading for the homeowners’ corner. Assembled by analyst Ben Walsh for Felix Salmon of Reuters, the chart uses the most recent data from

The wave of foreclosures that many analysts had anticipated has, thus far, failed to materialize (knock on wood), and its absence is making some reconsider the housing market. As the Wall Street Journal explained in a recent story, the biggest

The federal conforming loan limit was one of the most highly contentious issues in the tail end of 2011, but based on recent statistics, all that controversy seems to have been for naught. Originally passed in late 2008 to

After a couple of mild months, construction spending rebounded in March, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. For the month, spending was up 6.0 percent from March 2011 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $808.1

Month after month, data comes out affirming the rising demand for rental units, and like the wider world of real estate, fresh and unusual details often accompanies it. A recent Wall Street Journal piece on the rent/homeownership dichotomy has presented

Foreclosure activity was down in the latest foreclosure report from RealtyTrac, which covered foreclosure filings, default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions for the first quarter of 2012. The total properties in these catergories is reported to be 572,928 properties during

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury just released the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard for March, showing improvement in some areas from previous months. Raphael Bostic, an assistant secretary for

By Lani Rosales, AGBeat RealSupport CEO and President Carrie Gable set out to put real estate assistants in agents’ offices without taking up an extra desk, making the process completely virtual. What separates RealSupport, founded in 2000, in the

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is raising awareness for fair housing to celebrate the 44th anniversary of  the Fair Housing Act, which was introduced in 1968. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion,

An interesting nugget of information on contract failures, was tucked away in the National Association of Realtor’s latest press release on existing-home sales. Amidst the details on sales (which were down 0.9 percent monthly but up 8.8 percent year, in case

All week, we’ve been reporting on the different dimensions of the housing recovery. From housing’s relationship with the greater economic progression of 2012, to positive projections from Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, to the continually high interest from Americans

Baird & Warner has unveiled an unconventional ad campaign that addresses theresidential sales market head-on and encourages consumers to see the possibilities of how homeownership can lead to a more fulfilling

How did existing-home sales look in January? Is Quicken Loans preparing to take the stand in the nation’s highest court? And could Illinois become even more smoke free? We look at the week’s top news (Feb. 20 – Feb.

How affordable have homes become? How did residential construction begin the year? And how will foreclosures react to the mortgage settlement? We survey the week’s top news in real estate (Feb. 13 to Feb. 17) by the

By Bill McBride Construction employment increased by 17 thousand jobs in December, and is now down 2.18 million jobs from the peak in April 2006. Total construction employment increased by 46 thousand jobs in 2011. This was the first