There is an argument that diminishing a landowner’s water rights directly diminishes the value of the land itself, and so constitutes a “taking” by governmental authority. There are differences in the needs of a landowner who plants cotton compared to a rancher, or compared to a landowner who bottles and sells water. At the same time, Texas is growing quickly, and cities’ water needs are under stress.
Continue reading
Times and markets may have changed in recent years, but the benefits of being a home owner rather than a renter are still the same. (And it’s a great time to buy now!) Continue reading
The Greater Austin Chamber Of Commerce posted some very interesting information this week about Texas and our major metro areas, and their relative performance economically. This post focuses on just a few charts. Continue reading
As the national economic recovery takes hold, Austin’s outlook will continue to improve, leading to more jobs, more in-migration, more builder confidence, and real growth in building permits. We may have another dip in front of us this year, but I expect the climb in the 12-month moving average shown above to be a sign of things to come this year and next. I believe that 2011 will mark our transition into another growth cycle in 2012.
Continue reading
Instead of discussing Austin employment statistically, sometimes it’s important to focus on specific employers. Here is a variety of success stories. Continue reading
I decided to assemble a more complete comparison of home prices in the Austin area and in the Case-Shiller indices (10-city and 20-city composites). The result? Here’s what a housing bubble looks like. Continue reading
The Realtor® Code Of Ethics and the Texas Real Estate Commission Canons Of Professional Ethics — the foundation for trust. Continue reading
CBS Evening News featured Austin yesterday as the top job-creating city in the country … Continue reading
CBS Evening News, 5:30 PM CST, Friday, January 7, 2011 — Katie Couric on Austin Continue reading
For the sixth consecutive year, Allied Van Lines reports that Texas enjoyed the highest level of net in-migration in the United States. I went to Allied Van Line’s source data and found the strength of Texas’ attraction even more impressive than the report sounded. Continue reading
