The Changing Face of Texas
(Maler, Hunt) 4pp.
Texas' population is growing more from people moving here than being born here. That translates to more adults who need housing.
Reverse Mortgages: Alternative Home Equity Funding
(Gaines, Thomas) 8pp.
Some parents are warning their kids not to bank on inheriting the homestead. Reverse mortgages may not be beneficial for everyone, but their popularity is definitely on the rise.
A Horse is a Horse, of Course, of Course . . . Unless It Can Predict Land Prices
(Gilliland, Gunadekar) 3pp.
Spending on Picassos, ponies and pastures tends to dry up when economy tanks. A Center research study reveals an interesting relationship between prices of one such luxury item -- thoroughbred racehorses -- and land prices.
Debt Perception
(Dotzour, Klassen) 4pp.
Everyone in commercial real estate is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Credit is still tight. Deals are scarce. And investors have no idea when banks will begin to sell their accumulation of foreclosed properties. So what happens next?
Landslide
(Gilliland, Gunadekar) 2pp.
It had to happen. Land prices have been in the stratosphere, but now, as the laws of nature dictate, they are coming back to earth.
Transfer Fees: More Than You Bargained For
(Fambrough, Hunt) 2pp.
Texas law relating to transfer fees is complicated and confusing. Suffice it to say that while reading the small print in purchase contracts has always been a good idea, it's an ever better idea now.
Consumer Spending Survey: Texas Downturn Had an Upside
(Anari) 3pp.
Consumer spending data suggest why Texas has had it so much better than much of the rest of the nation during the recession. It turns out that states where housing costs are lower, home prices fell less than elsewhere.
