Market Matters

Spring Home Buying Season Starts Outside Polar Vortex Source: Investor’s Business Daily The spring home buying season, typically the busiest of the year, is now under way, and activity is brisk in many markets. Geoff McIntosh, managing broker and co-owner of Main Street REALTORS®, said, “We continue to see an extremely active marketplace. We've had a lot of pent-up demand and incredibly short inventory.” McIntosh is treasurer of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Read the full story

Why You Can’t Find That Home For Sale on Zillow or Trulia Source: Seattle PI   According to a recent study, large website portals have fewer real listings and display far more duplicates and expired listings. Consumers who rely solely on these avenues for listings are missing a huge portion of the market. Read the full story

Why a boost in pickup truck sales means the housing market is in for good news Source: Washington Post Reportedly, there is a strong correlation between the real estate market and auto sales, particularly the pickup truck since they are related to the construction industry. With an increase in home building activity, more workers buy pickup trucks when they are hired by construction companies. Read the full story

Obama administration says housing agency won't need Treasury aid Source: Reuters   The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has adequate reserves and will not need a second subsidy, according to the most recent budget proposal from the White House. When the fiscal year closed on September 30, the agency ended up drawing $1.7 billion in aid from the Treasury to shore up its finances. Read the full story