Interesting information from the Texas Tribune …
Almost no foreclosure activity makes Austin and most of Texas very different from what you read about in most of the national press. Continue reading
Home sales grew by 20% last year. At the same time, the number of homes for sale declined by 21%. There is a growing number of buyers chasing a shrinking number of homes, and prices are going up. Continue reading
It is encouraging that funding mechanisms for water infrastructure and the Texas State Water Plan are getting attention in preparation for the legislative session than opens in January. One prominent leader proposes what sounds like a very sensible use of dollars that are already in-hand. Continue reading
In case you missed it, the Texas Legislature enacted new rules in this year’s session aimed at making sure that property owners claiming the Homestead Exemption from a portion of their property taxes are legitimately using the home as their primary residence. That law took effect on September 1, 2011. If you already own your … Continue reading
There’s no way to put lipstick on this and improve the national picture. The housing industry is troubled and is likely to remain so for some time to come. But I encourage folks who already own homes in Austin, or plan to, to keep the faith. Our fair city’s performance remains much stronger than national news stories will lead you to believe. Continue reading
I’ll have more to say later about home values around the country, but many folks in Austin and elsewhere have the impression that Austin is a relatively expensive place to live. At least as far as housing is concerned, the data discussed here places Austin very well, especially among large metropolitan areas. Continue reading
A new high ranking for Texas as a business destination, and new announcements from California companies coming here … Continue reading
Equally impressive is that 4 of the Top 5 cities in that ranking are in Texas! Continue reading
The Austin Chamber of Commerce posted an interesting report today based on the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The outlook is optimistic. I want to comment on just a couple of charts from the Chamber’s article, and one from the source report.
Continue reading