Home sales rise to highest level in 2.5 years
MSNBC.com - November 23, 2009

WASHINGTON - First-time buyers seized on a tax credit, combined with low mortgage rates and falling prices, to boost home sales in October to their highest level in 2 1/2 years... Read More

America's Fastest-Recovering Cities Forbes - November 19, 2009

Though Omaha, Neb., seems second-rate to some, Warren Buffett may have been on to something when he chose it for the headquarters of his massive holding company, Berkshire Hathaway. According to our research, the city has hit upon a formula to weather the economic downturn better than any other in the country. While no region has escaped the recession, in Omaha, three Texas metros, a handful of Northeastern manufacturing bases and select southern cities, diversified industry and relatively stable housing fundamentals have provided local residents with comparatively secure standards of living... Read More

What the Pelosi Health-Care Bill Really Says Wall Street Journal - November 7-8, 2009

The health bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bringing to a vote (H.R. 3962) is 1,990 pages. Here are some of the details you need to know... Read More

Apartment Know-How in NoHo?
The Wall Street Journal - September 30, 2009

About two years ago, the owner of the Gallery at NoHo Commons was close to selling the apartment complex in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles for more than $140 million, a person familiar with the matter said... Read More

Moody's Ex-Compliance Head to Testify
The Wall Street Journal - September 30, 2009

As scrutiny of credit-ratings firms in Washington heats up, a second former official of Moody's Corp. has emerged and is expected to testify about concerns that he took to regulators earlier this year... Read More

Texas Existing Home Sales, Prices Drop
September 25, 2009 - RECON

TEXAS (Real Estate Center, NAR) – A total of 19,884 existing single-family homes were sold in Texas last month, a 12 percent decrease from August 2008, according to MLS data compiled by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University... Read More

The Quietest Trillion September 12-13 - The Wall Street Journal

The furor over President Obama's trillion-dollar restructuring of American health care has left hisother trillion-dollar plan starved for attention. That's how much the federal balance sheet will expand over the next decade if Mr. Obama can convince Congress to approve his pending takeover of the student-loan market... Read More

U.S. Mortgage Rate Up, But Housing Optimism Surfaces July 23, 2009 - Reuters

Fixed U.S. mortgage rates rose after falling for three straight weeks but remain sharply lower than a year ago, improving the chances of a stabilization in the worst housing market since the Great Depression... Read More

U.S. Housing Market Bottom May Be In Sight: Fitch July 15, 2009 - Reuters

The long-awaited bottoming of the U.S. housing market may be in sight, but a recovery could take as long as 18 months and will likely be muted, Fitch Ratings said in a report on Wednesday. "Single family housing starts and new home sales..." Read More

Building Five Sold at Southlake Office Park July 13, 2009 - Fort Worth Business Press

Building Five of The Chapel Hill Office in Southlake was purchased by Stephen Swann of Expedition Capital Partners. Swann purchased the 7,000-square-foot building, which is 100 percent occupied, for investment purposes. "I am excited to own a building in Southlake because I believe in the long-term fundamentals of its office market," ... Read More

Which Cities Will, And Won't, Recover The Fastest July 22, 2009 - Forbes

The three most important things in real estate: location, location, location. It's true for recovery from a real estate bubble too. Overall, many economists expect the national economy to return to growth later in 2009, perhaps as soon as this summer. But that won't be the case everywhere. While some cities are poised for a quick rebound, others face a slog to recovery that could take years. Poised for swift recovery are many Texas cities... Read More

Foreclosure Postings Dip For August July 16, 2009 - San Antonio Express-News

Bexar County foreclosure postings have been on a steady upward march lately. But a drop in postings for the Aug. 4 auction - the lowest number since the March auction - could signal the local foreclosure market is entering a quieter phase... Read More

Wind-Farm Startup Company Gains Offshore Lease Off Mustang Island July 16, 2009 - Caller-Times

CORPUS CHRISTI - Large wind turbines higher more than 500 feet tall could come to the coast of Mustang Island. The Texas General Land Office announced Thursday that it leased two areas off Mustang and South Padre for a proposed wind farm... Read More

DFW Office Market Hit Hardest
July 17, 2009 - Real Estate Center Online News

DALLAS (Marcus & Millichap) - The Dallas-Fort Worth office market will be hit harder by the recession than any other Texas metro this year because of the Metroplex's reliance on national consumer spending, ... Read More

Commercial Foreclosures Rise Sharply in Travis, Williamson July 15, 2009 - Austin American-Statesman

Commercial property foreclosures are up 139 percent this year in Travis and Williamson counties, a far steeper increase than that of home foreclosures, according to a report released Tuesday. In all, 523 properties were posted... Read More

Austin Investors Buy, Lease Back Fitz Manufacturing Plant July 14, 2009 - Dallas Morning News

Austin-based investor AIC Ventures said Tuesday that it has purchased a manufacturing plant in suburban Fort Worth. AIC bought the 129,000-square-foot Fitz Manufacturing Industries building at 6625 Iron Horse Blvd. in North Richland Hills... Read More

Dallas-Fort Worth Apartment Rents Decline 0.6% July 15, 2009 - Dallas Morning News

The recession and rising unemployment are taking a bite out of apartment landlord's income. Apartment rents are falling in most major markets around the country - especially those that cater to high-end renters, according to a new report by RealFacts, a California-based apartment analyst. Dallas-Fort Worth is among the almost two-dozen markets... Read More

Blog Contest: Dallas Dirt's First Heat Sweep July 17, 2009 - Real Estate Center Online News

The votes have been tallied for the first heat of RECON's "Favorite Texas Real Estate Blog" contest, and Candy Evans' Dallas Dirt is the winner. "From the ups and downs of the local industry to the purchase by the former First Family of a home in Dallas to Jonas brothers moving into the territory, Candy's Dallas Dirt has become... Read More

Two Texas Metros Among Most Undervalued July 17, 2009 - Real Estate Center Online News

HOUSTON (U.S. News & World Report) - Houston and College Station-Bryan are among the ten most-undervalued places to live in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. Houston ranked second thanks to its relatively stable housing market, pro-business climate and sound local economy... Read More

Builders Pick Up The Pace On Area New-Home Starts July 2, 2009 - Austin American-Statesman

Austin-area homebuilders picked up the pace in the second quarter, a sign that the new home market might be poised for a rebound and prices could be headed up, some observers say... Read More

Austin's Secrets For Economic Success: Why Texas' Capital Is Such A Great Place For Job Growth - And The Good Life
May 12, 2009 - Forbes

Few places have received more accolades in recent years than Austin, the city that ranked first on our list of the best cities for jobs. Understanding what makes this attractive, fast-growing city tick can tell us much about what urban growth will look like in coming decades... Read More

Tax Credit for Home Purchase Could Rise
June 23, 2009 - USA TODAY

Lawmakers and businesses are calling for expansion of a tax credit for first-time home buyers that has helped spark home sales in an otherwise dismal real estate market. With the tax credit scheduled to expire in the fall, some business groups say the amount of the credit, now capped at $8,000, should be raised to $15,000... Read More

Obama Pushes for Less Risky Home Loans
June 21, 2009 - Associated Press

If President Barack Obama gets his way, consumers who take out mortgages would automatically get a "plain vanilla" loan - such as a traditional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage - unless they opted for a riskier variety. Obama's plan to revamp financial regulation aims to protect borrowers from the confusing and high-risk mortgages... Read More

Austin Association of Realtors MLS Report for May 2009

Download the .pdf report here.

Housing Statistics Need Closer Inspection
June 23, 2009 - Money & Investing, The Wall Street Journal

Those seeking a home-price bottom should beware that price gauges can send false signals. On Tuesday, the National Association of Realtors releases May home-resale data. Economists expect an annualized sales pace of 4.8 million units, down 33% from May 2005 ... Read More

San Antonio Economy Outperforms Nation
June 19, 2009 - San Antonio Express-News

The San Antonio economy has outperformed all of the nation's largest cities through first quarter in 2009, according to a Brookings Institution report. The city has become accustomed to being labeled a top economy. It recently ranked ... Read More

Study: Texas Ranks First for Business
June 17, 2009 - Austin Business Journal

Texas has been named the country's No. 1 state for business once again, this time by Directorship, a publication that caters to corporate boardroom leaders... Read More

H-E-B Buys Land Here For 400-Square-Foot Distribution Center
June 17, 2009 - kwtx.com

H-E-B has purchased a 160-acre site in the Temple Industrial Park for construction of a 400,000-square-foot distribution center that will ultimately employ more than 100... Read More

Lowe's Opening Southeast San Antonio Store 
June 17, 2009 - San Antonio Business Journal

Lowe's Cos. Inc. is set to open its newest home improvement store in San Antonio this week. The new Lowe's store is located on Goliad Road... Read More

UK Firm Unveils 360 MPG-Equivalent Hydrogen Car
June 16, 2009 - Houston Chronicle

Britain-based Riversimple, a company founded by former race car driver Hugo Spowers and backed by Porsche scion Sebastian Piech, today unveiled the prototype for a two-seat, hydrogen powered car promising fuel consumption equivalent to 360 miles per gallon... Read More

Amarillo by Mid-Afternoon
June 12, 2009

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) - Dr. Mark Dotzour has data and will travel - this time to the Texas Panhandle. The Amarillo Association of Realtors has invited... Read More

Dotzour on Commercial Real Estate's Future
June 12, 2009

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) - The Center's chief economist recently spoke at the 2009 Houston Real Estate Roundtable, where he had much to say about the future of commercial real estate in Texas and in the United States. Check out Dr. Mark Dotzour's speech... Read More

Obama's Mortgage Relief Plan: The Details
By Maura Reynolds and E. Scott Reckard - Los Angeles Times

The Obama administration's plan for a housing rescue helps two groups of homeowners largely left out of previous efforts and also aims to deny benefits to those who have been unwise or greedy, according to details released last week... Read More

Texas Real Estate Industry Readies for New Green Standards
Austin Business Journal

Architects, contractors and developers are preparing for upgraded green building standards that will be rolled out next year. The U.S. Green Building Council in November changed its scoring system for buildings seeking certification under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, standards. ... Read More

More Than One Way to Lose Your Home
June 12, 2009 - Associated Press

A growing number of homeowners who are current on their mortgages are discovering there are other ways to lose their homes. Falling behind on homeowner association dues, for example. Many homeowners are learning that condo and neighborhood associations may have... Read More

Pocket Wireless Plugs Into Coastal Bend  
June 12, 2009 - Corpus Christi Caller-Times

San Antonio-based Pocket Communications will open 11 stores in the Coastal Bend July 1 - ten in Corpus Christi and one in Kingsville. And three more are expected to open by the end of July. ... Read More

Council OKs conservation audits for property sales
Austin Business Journal

The Austin City Council approved an ordinance Thursday requiring energy conservation audits and other disclosure requirements as part of the sales process for commercial, multifamily, and single family properties. The ordinance would become effective June 1, 2009...Read More

Market Turmoil Frightens Off Young Investors
Participation in 401(k) Plans Is Dismal, as Is Savings Rate; 'I Don't Know Where to Start'
By Mary Pilon

The idea of saving for retirement always terrified Zack Teibloom. With the stock market's big drop this year, it seems even more daunting.

"I don't even have one K, let alone 401 Ks," says the 23-year-old Mr. Teibloom, a recent college grad who works as an editor for a small magazine in Chicago. "I'm worried that if I put money away, it won't even be safe the way the markets are going."...Read More

How Low Interest Rates Contributed to the Credit Crisis
By Ethan Penner 

"What inning are we in?" How many times have we all heard that inane question asked and answered in the credit-driven downturn that we've been suffering through for over a year now?

We've heard many answers from financial industry and government leaders, such as "the worst is behind us," or "we'll not need to raise any further capital" -- only to learn in short order that our leaders really did not have the ability to make the market bend to their will...Read More