January 2012

Those fees have only been around since 2007, but the law creating them was repealed in 2011. Even grandfathered transfer fees must meet strict requirements to comply with the law.

Although the ongoing debate over the national deficit accounts for much of the shouting going on in Washington, the truth is that American households need to pay off their debt, too.

This year (2012) looks to be a better one for Texas’ economy, but the United States as a whole is still attempting to overcome serious obstacles to recovery.

Yes, the recession was awful. But exactly how awful and how long the pain lasted depended on where you live in Texas. Here’s what made a difference.

Some people never throw tax records away. Others don’t keep them long enough. Knowing what to hang on to, why you need it and for how long can save both storage space and headaches.

Texas’ record-breaking drought isn’t the only thing pounding the agricultural sector. Changes in national farm policy aimed at deficit cutting pack a punch, too.

Conventional wisdom says changing the rules in the middle of the game is a no-no. Texas law backs this up. Once a project permit application is filed, most new land use regulations don’t apply.

Investors are still expecting a deluge of distressed commercial real estate to pour into the market. The question remains: “When?”