National News

Residential Construction in October at Highest Level in 5 Years

October was a great month for residential construction, with both the single-family and multifamily markets rising to new post-boom levels. Though the government shutdown handicapped the Census Bureau’s data on residential construction, what it did report in its latest

NAR: Pending Home Sales Down Slightly in October

Pending home sales were down in October, and there remain several pitfalls for housing in the coming months. Pending home sales fell yet again in October, and the terrain remains a bit precarious for housing, according to the latest

Price Gains Across the Nation, According to September Case-Shiller

According to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard & Poor’s, the home price picture remained a very positive one for the nation: The U.S. National Home Price Index rose 3.2 percent in the third quarter of 2013,

Existing-Home Sales Down in October for 2nd Straight Month

Inventory shortages continued to cramp existing-home sales’ style, according to the latest analysis by NAR. Existing-home sales were down for the second month in a row in October, falling 3.2 percent from September, according to the National Association of

The 5 Key Characteristics of Homes Purchased in 2013

What types of homes have proven most popular with homebuyers in 2013? We take a look at recent NAR data to find out. Consumer preferences are an ever shifting, evolving landscape, and few regions of the economy shift more

NAHB: Builder Confidence Unchanged in November

Builder confidence held steady in November, with more builders seeing conditions as good than bad. Builder confidence for the newly built, single-family home marketplace was unchanged in November from a downwardly revised level of 54 in the latest National

Is Housing in Atlanta Still Undervalued?

The housing market has seen strong price gains through much of 2013, but has it made up all that lost ground from the downturn? Let’s start with the good news: there’s no way that the national housing market is

What You Should Know About Mortgage Debt Forgiveness

I received no less than three phone calls last week from people who wanted to know if I had heard anything about whether the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 was being extended. I’m flattered that people see me

Homebuyer and Seller Trends for 2013

According to the 2013 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey, while housing has been recovering for the past two years, restrictive mortgage lending standards are preventing some financially qualified buyers from reaching their dreams,

The Top 10 Challenges Affecting Real Estate

While housing marches to the slow, steady drumbeat of recovery, the grass is getting greener and optimism is creeping back into the hearts and minds of both real estate professionals and homeowners. But the wild ride isn’t over, and

How Pricey, Really, is Atlanta’s Condo Market?

We often hear about how expensive condos are in our area, but how do they compare to other metro areas in the U.S.? Condo prices nationwide continued to increase in October, according to new analysis by the folks at

The 13 Ways That Home Size Impacts Room Size

There are many components to a house, but how does the house’s overall size impact the space of those components? The last couple of weeks, we’ve been looking at the typical sizes of newly built single-family homes, and how

3 Key Trends that Could Shape Housing

We keep wondering when/if the government will reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but key trends will determine how those reforms take place. It’s the question on many a real estate professional’s mind – when will the government get

NAR’s 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers: Homebuyer Characteristics

Christmas comes early every year for the Atlanta Agent staff with the release of the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from NAR. Rejoice – ’tis the most wonderful time of the year! No, we’re not celebrating an early introduction

The 4 Most Common Homebuilder Incentives – Then and Now

Homebuilder incentives were commonplace in the housing market in the months following the market crash, but how common are they now? In the months following the housing crash, homebuilders across the country were presented with a most unique of

How Many Sellers in Atlanta Lower Their Asking Prices?

How common is it for home sellers in our area to lower their asking prices? And how do we compare with other major metro areas? Signs have been quite clear in recent months that the housing market has noticeably

New Subscribe

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.