China Prints 3D 5-Story Building

China prints 3D 5-story building
 http://curbed.com/archives/2015/01/29/china-3d-printed-apartment-villa.php
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Unaffordable rents are making it hard for people to save for down payments, and they aren’t likely to ease up for at least two years, according to the latest Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey sponsored by Zillow and conducted quarterly by Pulsenomics. -- Trey Garrison in HousingWire http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32938-experts-unaffordable-rents-here-to-stay
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Shared and taken by Dieter Birr, Castle Neuschwanstein

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Zillow-Trulia deal receives FTC approval, will close in days

Zillow's once-controversial acquisition of its largest competitor is days away from completion, perhaps as soon as the markets reopen. The company announced late Friday that its proposed $2.9 billion merger with Trulia is expected to close within days, perhaps as early as Feb. 17, following notification that the Federal Trade Commission closed its investigation of the merger.

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The Center’s Laurie Goodman, Karan Kaul and Jun Zhu took a closer look at the impact of the premium cut on FHA refinance volumes and have concluded that roughly 2.4 million current FHA borrowers could benefit from refinancing. -- Trey Garrison in HousingWire http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32951-in-3-fha-borrowers-would-benefit-from-refinancing
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Shared and taken by Norbert Metz, Castle of Bourscheid / Luxembourg

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It’s finally official. After months of speculation, investigation, and consternation, Zillow and Trulia are now one and the same — Zillow’s acquisition of Trulia is complete.
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Building permits in January 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 1,053,000, down 0.7 percent from the revised December rate but up 8.1 percent from January 2014.

Housing starts in January 2015 were at a SAAR of 1,065,000, down 2.0 percent from December but up 18.7 percent from January 2014.  --  Department of Commerce

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Shared and taken by Xalima Miriel, Cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca (Spain)

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(Hint:  It's winter!)

Despite optimism in most forecasts, it looks like 2015 is off to a faltering start for the housing industry.

January was a bad month for housing starts, completions and permits, reflecting perhaps the reason forhomebuilder confidence to likewise be down for February.

Single-family authorizations in January were at a rate of 654,000; this is 3.1% below the revised December figure of 675,000.

Single-family housing starts in January were at a rate of 678,000; this is 6.7% below the revised December figure of 727,000. -- Trey Garrison in HousingWire http://www.housingwire.com/articles/32974-housing-market-starts-2015-on-several-weak-notes

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Shared and taken by Jasbir Randhawa, Captured in Mote Majra village, Mohali District of Punjab State, N. India; not far from Chandigarh.