April 2018

Recent history suggests that flooding is the new norm in Houston, a city with an extensive network of bayous, lakes, and other waterways. Research provides clues to what will happen—and in which neighborhoods—the next time a catastrophic storm strikes.

The dot-com bubble burst. The Great Recession. Since 1990, Texas’ housing market has had more ups and downs than passengers on the New Texas Giant at Six Flags. Well, buckle up, because the latest Real Estate Center projections indicate the market is on the upswing.

Harris County averaged 40 inches of rain from Hurricane Harvey, nearly a year’s worth of rainfall. But if you think the storm’s deluge and ensuing floods hurt all Houston neighborhoods equally, think again. A recent Center study finds that lower-income neighborhoods were hit the hardest.

More than a third of Corpus Christi households reported home damage after Hurricane Harvey made landfall. Eight months later, many residents there are still piecing their lives back together. The area’s overall housing market fared better, escaping the storm relatively unscathed.

Texas land markets may have gotten off to a rocky start in 2017, but by the end of the year many regions were seeing significant improvements in land prices. The reason? Oil.

Forget spending your lunch hour driving across town to get real estate documents notarized. Beginning July 1, a new Texas law removes the hassle by allowing notaries public to assist you online. And don’t worry, the law includes measures to help ensure security.