The More We Get Together
(Anari) 5pp.
Agglomeration is a term describing the benefits businesses and employees gain by locating in densely populated areas. Texas' top four metro areas and good examples of such benefits, as they produce some 77 percent of the state's GDP.
Extend and Pretend
(Dotzour) 4pp.
The commercial real estate sector is in the grips of the "extend and pretend" policy under which lenders are extending loans on troubled commercial real estate instead of foreclosing and taking the loss now. Eventually, the massive amount of distressed real estate will eventually flood the market.
Cash for Conservation
(Gilliland, Whitmore) 2pp.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program administered through the National Resource Conservation Service offers cost-sharing contracts to landowners who implement conservation practices. Supported practices are prioritized based on state and local natural resource concerns.
Border Business
(Hunt) 5pp.
Because of intensive news coverage, many people equate the entire border region with ongoing violence. But El Paso was voted the safest city in America in 2011. Businesses conducting new site selection should not overlook El Paso
Nothing Easy About Easements
(Fambrough) 4pp.
As large Texas tracts are broken into smaller ones, landlocked properties increase. Before purchasing land, buyers should investigate whether easements exist and, if so, what type they are. One attaches to property and benefits the buyer and subsequent owners. Another attaches to the person who receives it and may stay with them even if ownership changes.
Housing's New Reality
(Gaines) 4pp.
The housing market just isn't what it used to be. Expect the number of households choosing to rent to go up. Credit underwriting will remain tight. The inventory of available properties will continue rising. Texas home prices will remain stable through 2011.
