All Blog Entries by Erika McCann 
There are currently 35 blog entries published by Erika McCann.
Houston-One Of The 5 Best Housing Markets For The Long Term
Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 9:37pm. 21 Views, 0 Comments.
According to The Wall Street Journal's Market Watch, Jan 23, 2012:
"A strong jobs recovery is working in this market’s favor, where the oil drilling and services sector rules. It’s also an area with high population growth — almost triple the national average, according to Local Market Monitor. “The housing boom was all one way, with prices up 21%. The recession was almost non-existent, with jobs down just 1% [over the past year],” Winzer said. At left, the shuttle flight control room at Johnson Space Center. When NASA’s shuttle program ended, jobs were cut at the Johnson Space Center, but it continues to be one of Houston’s most popular family attractions"
It's a great time to buy in Houston!- call an Houston real estate expert:…
Better to Buy than Rent in Most U.S Cities.....
Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 9:45pm. 39 Views, 0 Comments.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it's now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than to rent one in most major U.S. cities. Houston is no exception.
According to real estate web site Trulia, buying was cheaper than renting in 74% of the country's 50 largest cities in July. In just 12% of the cities, including New York, Seattle and San Francisco, renting was cheaper. In the remaining 14% of cities, renting was less expensive but close to the cost of buying. Why ot build up equity?
In addition to a continuing decline in home prices, lowest interest rates ever have added a lot of weight to the buy side of the scale. The overnight average rate for a 30-year fixed was just 4.19%…
Houston named as one of 10 cities poised for greatness in 2012!
Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 2:46pm. 45 Views, 0 Comments.
Read more about this here:http://www.mainstreet.com/article/lifestyle/10-cities-poised-greatness-2012?page=10
Moving to Houston? Living in Houston but want to change neighborhoods? call or email me, I can help!
Erika@McCannProperties.com or 832-244-0029
HOUSTON HOME SALES REMAIN IN POSITIVE TERRITORY FOR A SIXTH STRAIGHT MONTH
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 at 9:46pm. 79 Views, 0 Comments.
Consumers kept the Houston real estate market humming in November, accounting for the sixth consecutive month of positive home sales this year. The year-over-year increase in single-family homes sales, along with another rise in pending sales and further decline in months inventory, reflects a market that continues to benefit from a healthy absorption of housing inventory as 2011 winds down.
Houston Leads Nation In Job Growth
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 7:11pm. 150 Views, 0 Comments.
Houston may be know as Space City, but this week it has another new title: the job-creation capital of the United States.
Houston added 65,600 nonfarm jobs between August 2010 and the same month this year, the biggest raw gain by any of the country's 100 major metros, according to statistics released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Following behind Houston in raw employment gains are New York City (up 57,400 jobs in the past year), Boston (up 50,600), and Dallas-Fort Worth (up 50,200).
Reported in the Houston Business Journal, September 27, 2011
Houston Home Sales Increase a Stunning 30% In August, 2011
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 at 9:40pm. 166 Views, 0 Comments.
According to the latest monthly data prepared by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), August sales of single-family homes climbed 30.2 percent versus one year earlier. This increase follows home sales gains recorded in January, June and July of this year. All segments of the housing market, from the sub-$80,000 to the $500,000 and above, experienced positive sales in August. On a year-to-date basis, sales rose 1.8 percent. Compared to August of 2009, a year with no unusual market influences such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 10.4 percent.
"The Houston real estate market's vital signs appear to be quite healthy as we move from the summer buying season into the fall, but we must remain mindful…
Houston No. 1 in New Housing Construction
Friday, August 26th, 2011 at 12:10pm. 167 Views, 0 Comments.
Houston is leading the nation in residential construction activity, according to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The agency found the total value of all private housing projects approved in the Houston area collectively last year was $4.17 billion. The figure tops the highest value listed among the nation’s 366 metropolitan areas.
Dallas took second place at $3.87 billion in authorized private housing units in 2010, with New York’s $3.05 billion figure rounding out the top three areas.
For info on all new Houston homes and builders, contact Erika
Mortgage Rates Hit New 50 Year Low-August 18, 2011
Friday, August 19th, 2011 at 8:00pm. 92 Views, 0 Comments.
Mortgage rates reached record lows this week, according to the weekly market survey from Freddie Mac. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate loan fell to 4.15 percent, with borrowers paying an average point of 0.7 percent. That rate is down from 4.32 percent last week.
It is “the lowest in over 50 years,” Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist at Freddie Mac, said in a news release. The survey’s previous low was 4.17 percent in November 2010.
Average fixed rates for 15-year mortgages were already in three-point territory and this week they dropped even lower, to 3.36 percent, with an average of 0.6 points. Rates on adjustable-rate loans fell too.
With the great Houston market, now is the time to buy that perfect home!
Contact…
HOUSTON HOME PRICES REACH A RECORD HIGH IN JUNE 2011
Thursday, July 21st, 2011 at 7:28pm. 140 Views, 0 Comments.
Home sales increase for the second time this year!
Reported by the Houston Association of Realtors July 19, 2011 — Houston home sales rose for the second time this year in June, with the average price reaching an all-time high and the median price achieving the highest level in nearly two years. The sales increase reflects the slowdown in home purchases that set in a year ago following expiration of the home buyer tax credit. The credit triggered a surge in home buying during the spring of 2010 that resulted in slower sales volume during the remainder of that year.
The average price of a single-family home rose 3.7 percent from June 2010 to a record high of $228,650. The June single-family home median price—the figure at which half of the homes sold…
Houston-Predicted To Be One of The Next Boom Towns-Forbes.com July 2011
Monday, July 18th, 2011 at 8:16pm. 114 Views, 0 Comments.
What cities are best positioned to grow and prosper in the coming decade?
Houston came in at No 5 and here's why:
To determine the next boom towns in the U.S., Forbes, took the 52 largest metro areas in the country (those with populations exceeding 1 million) and ranked them based on various data indicating past, present and future vitality.
Forbes started with job growth, not only looking at performance over the past decade but also focusing on growth in the past two years, to account for the possible long-term effects of the Great Recession. That accounted for roughly one-third of the score. The other two-thirds were made up of a a broad range of demographic factors, all weighted equally. These included rates of family formation (percentage growth…