January 2011

Stiff competition with China spurred Laredo’s industrial market to get itself in fighting form. Now, thanks to improvements in infrastructure and technology, the border city is poised to win back business.

Businesses feeling the pinch of hard times may consider asking their landlords to revisit the lease terms. In some cases, restructuring a lease is sensible for both tenants and landlords.

The past ten years proved a heck of a ride for the housing market, and in the end, the numbers were pretty much back where they started. To crank things up again, all the available homes on the market need to … well, find homes.

Commercial real estate professionals have expressed frustration with the paucity of transactions. Suggestions for jump-starting the stalled market include reviving the Resolution Trust Corporation, creating a system of real-time valuations, and encouraging the government to set the rules and get out of the way.

Like everything else in these post-recession days, the state’s income is recovering but at a slow pace. Even so, Texas can count its blessings because it is doing better than the nation as a whole.

Some say Texas property taxes are high enough to cause altitude sickness. But a comparison of all 50 states shows that Texas is not anywhere near the top when all types of taxes are considered.