February 2008 
There are 300 blog entries for February 2008.
New Housing Nearing Bottom, Says NAHB Economist
Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 7:37pm. 477 Views, 0 Comments.
The dramatic contraction in new housing that has hurt the national economy for some two years may be nearing bottom, NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders said this week.
After a "very slow" first half of 2008, Seiders said he believes the new home market will "solidify" in the second half. He said sales should go up some in the third quarter.
"The bulk of the housing contraction is now behind us," he said.
Seiders expects the Fed to lower interest rates at its March 18 meeting by another half point.
While the new economic stimulus package will be felt beginning in the third quarter, the nation's economy will only grow 2 percent for the year, said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac chief economist.
"That's not good," he said. "The economy must grow at 3 percent…
What the Average Homebuyer Wants
Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 8:16am. 564 Views, 0 Comments.
Two recent consumer surveys shed light on what housing features are important to today’s homeowners. The bottom line? An inviting space that can adapt to rapidly changing lifestyles.
According to an NAHB consumer preference survey conducted last year, consumers still want larger houses, but not as large as before. The typical American would like to have around 2,300 sf, said Gopal Ahluwalia, vice president of economic research for NAHB.
Items that would most influence a consumer’s decision to purchase a house are living space (79 percent), energy efficient features (72 percent) and better insulated and sealed homes (66 percent). Specialty areas that were deemed either “desirable or “essential/must have were laundry room (92 percent), dining room (81…
Loan program offers help to rural Texans
Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 8:13am. 578 Views, 0 Comments.
Loan program offers help to rural Texans
More than $119 million is available through the USDA's Guaranteed Rural Housing Loan Program to help rural Texans become homeowners. Assistance is available to low- and moderate-income applicants living in non-urban communities of 10,000 people or fewer. The maximum loan is determined by the applicant's income and repayment ability. More information is available at the USDA Web site.
Data show Texas real estate market stable
Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 1:08pm. 534 Views, 0 Comments.
As the nation struggles with a housing downturn, Texas often is cited as being among the best, safest places in the U.S. for real estate. Here's a look at what the real estate market is doing in cities across Texas, according to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. These are the year-to-date median home sales prices for existing homes as of November 2007 and the percent change from 2006: Abilene: $102,900, 3 percent; Amarillo: $117,600, 2 percent; Arlington: $130,900, no change; Austin: $184,000, 7 percent; Beaumont: $126,400, 9 percent; Brownsville: $116,300, 10 percent; Bryan-College Station: $138,900, 3 percent; Collin County: $199,900, 4 percent; Corpus Christi: $135,700, 4 percent; Dallas: $162,400, 3 percent; Denton County: $166,800, 3…
CEOs rank Texas, Nevada top states for doing business
Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 1:05pm. 500 Views, 0 Comments.
Texas and Nevada are rated by top executives as the best two states to do business, according to a recent poll of 605 chief executive officers conducted by Chief Executive magazine. Texas, which does not have a state income tax, was praised for the ethics and motivation of the employee pool there. Tax policies and regulations were weighed the most by CEOs, but quality of living was also an important factor.
[Associated Press]
