First American Blog - The First Word

Many factors are involved in deciding whether it is the right time to sell your house: the condition of the property, the state of your neighborhood and, of course, whether it's a good time for you and your family to move to a new location. However, perhaps even more important than any of these factors in determining whether to list your home is...

When the housing crisis and economic recession hit, it put many prospective homebuyers’ plans on hold, forcing those considering purchasing a home into the rental market. Now, as the economy continues to improve, some of those renters are looking to own.

There are many reasons why the real estate market may be somewhat appealing to some right now. For the first time since the recession, there has been steady and consistent growth that has investors cautiously optimistic about getting back into the market. With additional government tax incentives for first-time buyers and a significant portion of...

The list of housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement held virtually unchanged in May at 100, down from 101 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI). The number of states represented on the list also held firm from the previous month, at 35 (including the...

This month’s NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index reveals that the number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a fourth consecutive month, rising from 30 in November to 41.The index identifies metropolitan areas that have shown at least six months of improvement in employment and housing prices as well as an increase in...