All of the Houston area falls into zones 8b (15-20 degrees) or 9a (20-25 degrees), with zone 9b (25–30 degrees) along the coast. Global warming is hitting not just home but garden for much of the country. The color-coded map of planting zones often seen on the back of seed packets is being updated by the government, illustrating a hotter 21st century. It is the first time since 1990 that the U.S. department of Agriculture has revised the official guide for the nation’s 80 million gardeners, and much has … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2012
New Home Construction will increase in 2012
Dr. Ted C. Jones Chief Economist for Stewart Title rates the Houston job market as tops in the United States. Houston added 87,000 new jobs last year with 9,100 jobs added in November 2011. Home sale have been going up for the last 4 months. According to Dr. Jones, Houston has seen the bottom of the market. The current median price for a home is down 25.8% from 2006. There is an increase in multi-family homes as rent prices are increasing. We are building half the number of homes needed by the population and … [Read more...]
2012 HARP Program Eligibility Calculator
The federal government has made changes aimed at making it easier for many borrowers who owe more on their home loans than their houses are worth to refinance into lower-cost mortgages. There are several criteria that must be met to qualify for the updated Home Affordable Refinance Program, though. For instance, your current loan-to-value ratio (the amount of your loan, divided by the value of your home) must be greater than 80 percent. The real estate Web site Zillow.com has introduced a calculator to help … [Read more...]