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	<title>Houston North</title>
	<link>http://www.houstonicon.com</link>
	<description>Real Estate market trends, analysis &#38; commentary, investment strategies &#38; opportunities, local community info, and new construction close-out shouts - based in North Houston.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:13:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>The Woodlands Home Sales Rising in 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Home sales in The Woodlands just keep climbing, despite a slow Greater Houston market. For the second quarter of 2010, our local market beat 2009 numbers for sales activity and price growth.]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/the-woodlands/860/the-woodlands-home-sales-rising-in-2010</link>
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		<title>So Your Houston Home Didn&#8217;t Sell - Now What?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In most of Houston, second-attempt for sale listings are quite common. About half of all listings for single-family homes either expire or terminate with no sale. In many cases home sellers must face the reality of an expired listing without even a single offer to negotiate.
So as a hopeful home seller, what is the next [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/sell/home-sales-blog/822/so-your-houston-home-didnt-sell-now-what</link>
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		<title>The Woodlands Homes Sales Strong in Q1 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
In this market report, we investigate The Woodlands home sales statistics for the first quarter of 2010 - as compared to the first quarter of 2009. We&#8217;ll look only at single-family home sales (no condos or town homes), and we&#8217;ll compare to Q1 of 2009 unless otherwise noted.
The Woodlands home sales showed impressive gains across [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/the-woodlands/807/the-woodlands-homes-sales-strong-in-q1-2010</link>
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		<title>The Woodlands Township Board of Directors - Early Voting Starts Today</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A quick notice for The Woodlands folks to remember that we're filling some pretty important positions within our local government. Voting starts today, so if you're not educated enough to have an opinion, then get to work! Included in this post is a list of candidates and some notes from my interview with Randy Scott - up for Position 4 in the current election.]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/the-woodlands/787/the-woodlands-township-board-of-directors-early-voting-starts-today</link>
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		<title>The Woodlands Homes Report</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Single-family home sales in The Woodlands gained some momentum at the end of 2009, but how did the year's performance stack up against 2008? Some of The Woodlands Villages finished ahead, most stayed at par, and a few struggled throughout the year. The Woodlands Homes Report for 2009 is a detailed look at our local market from the village perspective, complete with analysis and commentary from Icon Real Estate in The Woodlands.]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/real-estate-market-insight/743/the-woodlands-homes-report</link>
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		<title>Texas Mortgage Laws: Introducing the Owelty Deed</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Texas mortgage laws are rarely described as logical, but the obscure Owelty deed--a legal instrument used in divorce or other equity partitions--is very much logical. In this post, our good friend Brandon Polka offers some Owelty education.]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/sell/home-sales-blog/783/texas-mortgage-laws-introducing-the-owelty-deed</link>
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		<title>Condominium Financing Update</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Policies, procedures, panic…OH MY! Following the 2009&#8217;s overcompensation trend, financing just got a bit more complex in the condominium market. Or, should I say condominium catastrophe?!?   In this week’s entry, we will focus on the new hurdles that stand between a mortgage team (buyer and mortgage professional) and the prize: mortgage financing for [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/find/home-buying/708/condominium-financing-update</link>
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		<title>Do You Qualify For The Home Buyer Tax Credit?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2010 home buyer credit is great news for both first-time buyers and repeat home buyers, and it's in effect until June 30th, 2010. The full credit for repeat buyers is $6,500, while the first-time buyer credit is available at $8,000. This incentive is a legitimate credit (not a deduction), and it does not have to be paid back. Find out what it is, how it works, and if you qualify.]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/find/home-buying/692/do-i-qualify-for-the-home-buyer-tax-credit</link>
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		<title>Hope for Home Values?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Legislation proposes an 18-month break from the new HVCC appraisal policy
Thanks to Mississippi Rep. Travis Childers (D) and California Rep. Gary Miller (R) for introducing a bill that would suspend the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) &#8212; a new federal policy that encourages ultra-conservative appraisals and disconnects appraisers from local Realtors and mortgage brokers. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/sell/home-sales-blog/573/hope-for-home-values</link>
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		<title>New Homes Market Insight: Builder Price Reductions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[New Home Buyers: Houston Home Builders are offering price discounts of 5% to 30% this summer! Sound ridiculous? It's the reality of the 2009 New Homes Market in Houston. Find out how we got here, what to expect, and how to find the best deals.<!-- ckey='2C9BFFA3' -->]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/find/home-buying/472/new-homes-market-insight-builder-price-reductions</link>
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		<title>Houston Area Year End 2008 Housing Market Report</title>
		<description><![CDATA[According to Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) For the full-year 2008 Houston housing market, the numbers showed mixed results. There was a 17.3 percent decline in volume of total property sales and total dollar volume tumbled 15.9 percent, which matched the market’s 2005 full-year total dollar volume. However the average sales price for a single [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/real-estate-market-insight/252/houston-real-estate-statistics-2008</link>
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		<title>Houston Real Estate Market report, December 2008</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Property sales throughout the greater Houston area ended 2008 as they began, with lower volume following two consecutive record years. Overall property sales fell 16.0 percent last month when compared to December 2007, and sales of single-family homes were down 13.5 percent, according to new monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR). [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/real-estate-market-insight/250/houston-real-estate-market-performance-2008</link>
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		<title>Mortgage Rates Drop! What Does it Really Mean for Home Buyers?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Mortgage rates drop by a full 1% since early November. What does that translate to for home buyers? Just about a 10% reduction in monthly mortgage obligation. Or for some buyers, it means they can afford to finance around 11% more home. Take a look at the real implications of the recent rate drop. 8J4AMQJU4W8E]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/find/home-buying/208/houston-real-estate-interest-rate-trends</link>
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		<title>Foreclosure Auction Opportunity Houston Area!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I have stumbled upon a unique opportunity for our investors. If you have ever wondered how a foreclosure auction works read on and if possible join us at the Hilton Houston Westchase, Saturday December 20th, 1pm. The auction is being hosted by Hudson &#38; Marshall. From what I can tell there will be approximately 100-125+ [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/invest/houston-investment-property/202/houston-real-estate-foreclosure-investment</link>
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		<title>Houston Real Estate Market Report, October 2008</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Houston housing market continued to feel the effects of the troubled national economy in October and residual business interruptions caused by Hurricane Ike. New monthly data released by the Houston Association of REALTORS®  (HAR) reflects improvement from market performance in September, when Ike derailed thousands of real estate transactions. However, the number of property [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/real-estate-market-insight/199/houston-real-estate-market-performance-2008-2</link>
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		<title>6 Step Home Selling Process&#8230;A Guide to Selling Your Home.</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Choosing an Agent
Buying and selling a home is one of the most important decisions of your life. The first thing to do is to find a REALTOR® you can trust.
Icon Realty agents are all full time, experienced agents that have made a decision to align themselves with a growing, innovative real estate company. Our family [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/sell/home-sales-blog/178/houston-realtor-home-selling-process</link>
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		<title>Houston Real Estate Market Report, September 2008</title>
		<description><![CDATA[For the thirteenth consecutive month, the Houston Real Estate Market shows a rise in home prices despite a decline in the number of homes sold.
Despite Hurricane Ike’s rampage, the month of September brought Houston’s overall housing market mixed results when considering all listing categories. Total property sales and total dollar volume fell, however average and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/real-estate-market-insight/143/houston-real-estate-market-2008</link>
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		<title>Houston Area Investment Type Analysis in a Down Market</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve had discussions with a few investors here recently who are looking to sink their money into something a little more lucrative then our weakening stock market. I&#8217;ve decided to write a post to inform others who may be thinking of investing here locally in the Houston area real estate market. If you are looking [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.houstonicon.com/invest/houston-investment-property/159/houston-real-estate-investment-analysis</link>
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