Results from NAHB’s What Home Buyers Really Want  survey and a combination of Census Bureau/HUD data show that new homes generally do a good job of satisfying the typical buyer’s desire for living space, especially when compared to existing homes on the market. A simple way to get an idea of how new and existing homes match up with buyer preferences is to look at the share of homes above a particular size threshold. For example, 62 percent of the recent and prospective home buyers in NAHB’s survey want a home that’s at least 2,000 square feet—exactly the same as the share of new single-family homes started in 2011.

During New Homes Month in April, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is showing home buyers why they can afford a higher-priced home—if it’s new construction. Using data from the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2011 American Housing Survey, NAHB found that buyers can purchase a more expensive newer home and achieve the same annual operating costs as an older, existing home. “Home buyers need to look beyond the initial sales price when considering whether to buy new construction or an existing home,” says NAHB Chairman Rick Judson, a home builder from Charlotte, N.C.

(MCT)—We are now officially in the peak spring home buying-season. I was asked the other day for advice on what should be at the top of the list for homeowners after they move into their new home. That was an easy question to answer. My No. 1 piece of advice for recent homebuyers is to switch from the traditional monthly mortgage payments to either weekly or bi-weekly payments.

I hear a lot about the Federal Housing Administration, and much of it is simply wrong. “The FHA is the next subprime.” Untrue. “The FHA caused the housing crisis.” Also untrue. There is a lot of misinformation making the rounds, which helps neither brokers nor buyers. Here’s the low-down on what brokers or buyers’ agents need to know. What is FHA? The Federal Housing Administration, which was founded in 1934, is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The FHA insures loans made by the private market; it does not itself lend money. Its purpose is to provide access to safe, affordable financing when the private market cannot or will not participate. What are the benefits/drawbacks of an FHA loan? Historically, these loans have featured low down payments, closing costs and credit score requirements.

The strong jobs report and the rebound in consumer confidence in February suggested that businesses and consumers set aside their worries about fiscal drag ahead of the looming sequestration deadline, according to Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group. Activity in both the stock and housing markets also picked up recently and continues to act as a tailwind for the economy. Furthermore, the pace of manufacturing and service activity has expanded at a healthy pace and should contribute to growth this quarter. Although income and consumer spending took a hit at the start of the year and may slow again due primarily to tax increases, overall economic growth is expected to pick up in the second half of the year, coming in at 2.1 percent in 2013.

As homeowners receive their annual property assessments and taxable valuations in the mail, many will see the continued drop in the value of their home. Despite recent reports of declining "underwater" homeowners in the fourth quarter of 2012, there are still many homeowners looking for help. "Property values are starting to creep up in some areas, but many homeowners are still underwater and owe more than their home is worth," saiys Rick Bialobrzeski, GreenPath Debt Solutions director of communications. "Each week, we talk to hundreds of homeowners who are having trouble keeping up with their mortgage payments."

A recent study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows variations in home buyer preferences with regards to home size when it comes to age, race and ethnicity. NAHB’s “What Home Buyers Really Want,” surveyed more than 3,600 home buyers across the country on various characteristics of new homes. Based on the results, the median desired home size is 2,226 square feet. However, a closer look at the data broken down by buyer characteristics shows significant differences in how large a home different types of buyers want. Age plays an important role in a buyer’s preferences, with the amount of space requirements dropping steadily

As the time to file income taxes approaches, we need to take a new look at the changing tax landscape for homeowners. The dynamic atmosphere in Washington, D.C. has a different effect each year on which tax breaks are proposed, rescinded, changed, and extended for taxpayers who own a home. Thanks to the efforts of many real estate industry groups including the National Association of REALTORS®, many of the tax benefits that homeowners enjoy–which were on the chopping block over the past few months–have been protected and extended through the 2013 tax season.

Data through January 2013, released today by S&P Dow Jones Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller1Home Price Indices, a leading measure of U.S. home prices, showed average home prices increased 7.3% for the 10-City Composite and 8.1% for the 20-City Composite in the 12 months ending in January 2013. All 20 cities posted year-over-year gains with Phoenix leading the way with a gain of 23.2%. Nineteen of the 20 cities showed acceleration in their year-over-year returns. Despite posting a positive double-digit annual return, Detroit was the only city to show a deceleration.

Location, location, location near public transportation may be the new real-estate mantra according to a new study released recently by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Data in the study reveals that during the last recession, residential property values performed 42 percent better on average if they were located near public transportation with high-frequency service. “When homes are located near public transportation, it is the equivalent of creating housing as desirable as beachfront property,” says APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy.

February existing-home sales and prices affirm a healthy recovery is underway in the housing sector, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Sales have been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, while prices show 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases. Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.98 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.94 million in January,

(MCT)—Something has gone wrong with one of your clients. One of your employees has made a mistake or maybe you were the one who messed up. Either way, you have a hopping-mad person on your hands and a sinking feeling in your stomach. How do you deal? How do you recover? Start by taking a step back from the situation. As tempting as it might be to dive headlong into the debate over who is at fault, stop and take a deep breath first. It’s important to remember that your first move in an emotionally charged situation is to manage your own feelings before attempting to manage anyone else.

There’s a new type of homebuyer on the market. They know what they want and are ready to get their hands dirty to transform a house to meet their unique needs. Stereotypical luxury and prototypical homes do not entice them; rather these consumers strive to own homes that stand apart and suit their personal lifestyle… Enter the next generation of homebuyers. Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate has released national survey findings of 18-35 year-old Americans that reveal the next generation of homeowners are rewriting the rules to homeownership and reinterpreting traditional norms to fit their values. Results indicate that the next generation of homeowners seeks essential, purposeful homes (77 percent) equipped with the technological capabilities

Purchasing a home is an important life decision, and many factors can influence the home choices buyers make. The National Association of Realtors® 2013 Profile of Buyers' Home Feature Preferences examines the features buyers prefer when it comes to purchasing a home, as well as the differences in preferences when it comes to factors such as region, demographics and household composition. The survey captures buyers who purchased a home between 2010 and 2012.

While recent economic reports suggest that home building took a pause at the beginning of 2013, leading indicators point to more growth for housing in the months ahead. Per data from the Census Bureau, housing starts were down 8.5 percent in January. However, all of the loss was in the multifamily segment, where construction fell from an unusually high annualized rate of 365,000 in December to a steadier 277,000 rate in January.