Blog entries tagged economy

Easy Ways to Save on Back-to-School Supplies

Daphne Hager — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:08:46 +0100

Back to school shopping can be a stressful time for parents and kids alike. And, trying to keep up with the latest trends and ever changing school supply requirements can be a little overwhelming. Just follow these simple, essential tips when you head out the door this August, and you will find yourself well equipped for the task at hand. With a little bit of planning and a sharp eye for bargains, anyone can save big bucks!

Be patient and wait for the sales and discounts. Some ofRead More...

New Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended Until September 30th

Daphne Hager — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:38:47 +0100

Late last Wednesday, Congress approved an extension for the home buyer tax credit. The extension will give approximately 180,000 potential new home buyers, who signed a purchase agreement prior to the original April 30 deadline, a little more time to close and fund on the property and still receive the $8000 credit.

The Senate approved the measure to extend the deadline until September 30, unanimously on Wednesday, one day after the bill easily passed through the House of RepRead More...

Positive Texas Real Estate News from Texas A&M University

Daphne Hager — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:55:04 +0100

In a recent study from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University new explanations are being offered as to why the Texas housing markets are proving to be much better than other states amidst the current real estate free-fall. And, it further suggests the reasoning behind their belief that the Texas economy will continue to fare better than the rest of the country in the upcoming months.

“Texas’ lower-than-national-average housing cost is one reason for the staRead More...

Single-Family Homes Sales Continue to Look Positive

Daphne Hager — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:53:51 +0100

According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), sales of all property types in Houston for May totaled 6,659, up 20.3 percent compared to May 2009. Total dollar volume for properties sold during the month was $1.3 billion versus $1.1 billion one year earlier, representing an 18.9 percent increase.

In May, sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled 5,693, up 19.1 percent from May 2009, marking the third consecutive month of increased Read More...

Mortgage Rates Fall Just Short of the All-Time Low

Daphne Hager — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:31:46 +0100

According to the Associated Press and Freddie Mac, mortgage rates on a 30-year fixed loan have fallen dangerously close this week to the all-time low.

Mortgage finance company Freddie Mac states that “the average rate sank to 4.72%, down from 4.79% last week. It was just above the record of 4.71 set last December.” They go on to state that “the average rate on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 4.17%, down from 4.2% last week and the lowest on records dating back tRead More...

Good News for New Home Builders

Daphne Hager — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:25:46 +0100

Some good news, and a possible clearing of the dark clouds looming over the new home construction industry, was revealed in a statistical report issued today. According to Realtor Magazine, construction spending rose 2.7 percent in April among residential, government buildings, and industrial segments.

Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, expressed his opinion on the rise, stating that “the government tax credits drove residential increasesRead More...

Houston: Model City

Melissa Burnham — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:07:15 +0100

Do cities have a future? Pessimists point to industrial-era holdovers like Detroit and Cleveland. Urban boosters point to dense, expensive cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco. Yet if you want to see successful 21st-century urbanism, hop on down to Houston and the Lone Star State.

You won't be alone: Last year Houston added 141,000 residents, moreRead More...

Did You Know Your Property Values Are NOT Set In Stone?

Greg Rivera — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:21:05 +0100

Did you know that your new 2010 property tax bill is not set in stone...at least not yet? Before you issue a check, consider this useful advice.

Make sure all of the deductions you're entitled to were, in fact, included.
If something just doesn’t add up, check the tax assessor's math as well as the description of your property. Sometimes the problem is simple human error, like miscalculated square footage or an incorrect number of rooms.
Visit your counties web site and check theRead More...

Lone Star College-Job Fair 2010

Greg Rivera — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:51:45 +0100

A variety of employers from across the Northwest Houston area to hire someone like you.

Open to all community members and students.

Please dress professionally and employers will require resumes.

April 14, 2010 - 10:00a.m. - 2:00p.m.
Lone Star College- University Park Conference Center 20515 SH 249- Houston,TX 77070

LoneStar.edu/job-fairs

Houston Amoung Handful of Cities for Metropolitan Growth

Greg Rivera — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:27:40 +0100

Forbes Urbanist, Joel Kotkin, recently addressed the 21st Century American City and how Texas is setting the pace, no pun intended. But, would you expect anything less from the self proclaimed “picante sauce” capital?

Kotkin suggests, “If one state is a poster child for economic recovery, its Texas, home to four of the 10 cities on our list. There's more to why Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston are faring well than just the state's energy industry. The tech, govRead More...

Proud to be a Texaplex

Greg Rivera — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:17:30 +0100

Everything is bigger in Texas and now we have a big new demographic to prove it – the Texaplex. “It's the triangular region of Texas that includes Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin”. Everyone is talking about the Texaplex creator, Dallas area real estate broker, and frequent blogger, David Winans and his bold new publicity venues used to generateRead More...

Job News: Wages are Rising

Greg Rivera — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:47:05 +0100

Money Magazine's Senior Writer Chris Isidore covered a surprising feature this week; wages are actually rising in the job market. While America has had eyes glued to the unemployment rate and lack of jobs on the market, paychecks have been getting bigger, which means personal income is rising.

This increase in consumer pockets, however slight it may be, can help boost consumer spending and create a demand that would trigger a resumed hiring status quo.

The U.S. government's montRead More...

Texas Population Continues to Grow as More People Call the Lone Star State Their Home

Greg Rivera — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:32:25 +0100

The Lone Star State is far from lonely, amid the economic crisis in 2009 Texas had the biggest growth in population compared with any other state. Whether it is the stable housing market or lower unemployment rates, or the numerous activities and resources, more and more people are deciding to call Houston their Home.

“There’s no place to move other than Texas” - the sentiment of Karl Eschbach, Texas State Demographer of the University of Texas at San Antonio. While Read More...

Houston Ranked One of the Best Cities to Find a Job

Greg Rivera — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:43:59 +0100

A leading job search engine, JuJu.com, has recently ranked 50 of America’s Major Cities to determine how difficult or easy it is to find a job. For those looking in the Houston area the prospects are better than good. For every job posted there are only 5.96 unemployed people, helping Houston to rank at #24 on the list – leading as one of the best places to find a job in America.

JuJu is a job search engine that allows prospective employees to easily search a comprehensive Read More...

The 2010 Housing Market

Greg Rivera — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:58:31 +0100

Forbes.com gathered economic experts Christopher Hyzy of U.S. Trust, Bernie McSherry of Cuttone & Co., and Carol Pepper of Pepper International in late December to discuss the prospective Housing Market in 2010. The three offered blunt yet hopeful future-telling, including special encouragement to young families seeking homes.

Pepper noted that she sees those in the higher end of the market waiting and expecting a market recovery, while those in distressed markets are in fact buyinRead More...

"Houston's Recovery has Begun," the Report Stated.

Greg Rivera — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:17:35 +0100

The numbers were presented Dec. 14 at a GHP-sponsored event at the Intercontinental Hotel featuring a panel of economic experts.

Demand for chemicals and plastics products used in construction and manufacturing will drive growth in 2010, the report said. An upturn in Asian economies is expected to bring growth to the city's wholesale trade sector, which will add 5,200 jobs.

Other sectors expected to see a net gain in jobs are health care (2 percent gain); food services (0.5 percRead More...

The End of the Recession and How to Protect Yourself Financially

Greg Rivera — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:25:44 +0100

The Houston area has weathered the storm of the recession well, staying afloat by having a thriving building and housing market that can create supply to meet demand, and by diversifying industries. But the area still felt the recession and is glad, along with the rest of the country that it may be at its end as many economists and government representatives have posited. While there is no official declaration yet that the recession is over, the country looks forward in hope to improvement inRead More...

Gaining Leverage Over Goliaths

Greg Rivera — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0100

The Piazza is the landscaped middle part of the Vintage Park shopping center. Retail analysts say opportunities for local independent retailers to snare prime locations are excellent now.

In early 2007, Rob Sherer approached Market Street in The Woodlands to see about launching in the center his comfort footwear concept, All About Feet.

There wasn't much interest, Sherer sRead More...

Texans More Optimistic about Economy

Greg Rivera — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0100

Texans on the whole are more optimistic about their financial future than the majority of Americans, this is according to a new survey by Citi released on November 12. The survey, which polled 500 Texas adults between September 12-15, showed that approximately 38% of Texans rated their economies as excellent or good, and 72% of Texans feel their financial situations will improve in the next year compared wiRead More...

Congress Giving Bomebuyers a Big New Tax Break

Melissa Burnham — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0100

Michael Conroy AP

WASHINGTON — Missed out on Cash for Clunkers? Congress has another deal for you: Buy a home before May 1 and collect up to $6,500 from the government. If you're a first-time homebuyer, get up to $8,000.

As part of the government's efforts to encourage people to spend money to help revive the economy, the House voted 403-12 Thursday to expand a popular tax credit for homeRead More...