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As San Antonio Grows, So Does Its Confidence

"By capitalizing on the rapid growth of the health care industry as well as the long term effects of the Eagle Ford Shale deposits, San Antonio is putting itself in place to continue it's economic growth for the long-term future." Eric Lundblad, CCIM, Associate Vice President, Endura Advisory Group

As San Antonio Grows, So Does It's Confidence

By Morgan Smith, The Texas Tribune, 12.30.2011

SAN ANTONIO — In 2008, after 15 years as the Alamo City's largest corporate resident, AT&T announced it was moving its headquarters to Dallas — and taking 700 executives along with it. In the past, that San Antonio's first Fortune 500 company had outgrown its home might have seemed an insurmountable blow for this city with a pre-existing inferiority complex. But these days, it is not easy to shake the city's confidence.

In the last decade, companies have flocked to San Antonio, making it an economic center rivaling Houston and Dallas. With that business expansion has come energetic population growth: According to U.S. census numbers, in the past 10 years, San Antonio has added more people within its city boundaries than any other major city in the state. It has all attracted demographers' attention, at home and across the nation.

"San Antonio is sometimes seen as that sleepy southern city of Texas," said Steve H. Murdock, a former director of the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas state demographer. "If you look at its growth, if you look at its changes in the last two decades, it is a.... Read More.

Texas Poised to Outpace Nation (Again)

"The ingredients that have lead to our continued above market job growth (low cost of living, non-union, business friendly, “right to work” state, tort reform, etc.) should enable us to continue to do so for the foreseeable future." - David Held, Principal, Endura Advisory Group

Texas Poised to Outpace Nation (Again)

By Nancy McQuistion, Managing Editor, Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University - January 4, 2012/Release No. 11 

 

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (Real Estate Center) – Texas’ economic outlook for 2012 is positive. Job growth is occurring in several sectors, and a low cost of living is enticing businesses to move to the Lone Star State.

It will be tougher going for the nation, however, because of several factors. The housing market needs to clear a high number of foreclosures. Consumers need to pay off their debt. The banking system needs to write off bad debt. Small businesses need to start hiring again.

 

Writing for the January issue of Tierra Grande magazine, Real Estate Center Chief Economist Dr. Mark Dotzour says, “Fortunately, Texas is poised to outperform the U.S. averages. Home sales volume in Texas should show modest improvement over 2011, and prices should be stable throughout 2012.” Dotzour’s economic outlook is titled “Texas Sails On: Nation Battles Headwinds.”

 

Other articles detailing findings from the nation’s largest publicly funded real estate research organization are in the issue scheduled for mailing in late January.

 

 

• “Beyond a Reasonable Drought” by noted agricultural expert Dr. Joe Outlaw and Center Research Economist Dr. Charles Gilliland. Farmers, ranchers and service businesses that support them are suffering negative effects of the drought. To make matters worse, federal agricultural programs are on the chopping block to reduce the deficit.  

 

• “The Great Recession: Why Intensity and Duration Varied” by Center Research Economist Dr. Ali Anari. Why did some Texas metros fare better in the Great Recession? Results from the Center’s business cycle research program pinpoint several reasons. These included shares of employment in the government sector, education and health services industry, mining and construction industry, and the metro’s level of educational attainment. 

 

• “Dialing Down Debt: Road to Recovery Begins at Home” by Center Research Analyst Gerald Klassen. It will hurt, but American households will have to liquidate their assets and reduce debt if they want the economy to recover. This means selling luxury items including vacation homes, boats and RVs, as well as selling investments, declaring bankruptcy or suffering through foreclosure. 

 

• “For the Record: When to Toss Old Tax Records” by Center Research Fellow Dr. Jerrold Stern. At a minimum, tax records should be kept three years. However, a period of seven or more years is recommended. Tax and nontax factors play a role in the decision. 

 

• “Vested Rights: Project Protection for Developers” by Houston attorney Reid C. Wilson. Vested rights freeze land use regulations affecting property classification, building size, lot size-dimension-coverage and certain other matters once the owner or developer files a permit application for that project. 

 

• “The Trouble with Troubled Assets” by Center Research Economist Dr. Harold Hunt. The volume of distressed property sales was expected to be much higher by this time. So far, everyone is still waiting. However, according to commercial real estate insiders, distressed sales are on the way up. 

 

• “Terminated: Transfer Fees Outlawed” by Center legal expert Judon Fambrough. Transfer fees, money paid for transferring interest in real property, were implemented in 2007 legislation. Four years later, that law was repealed, prohibiting any future transfer fees and terminating existing fees that do not comply with the new legal requirements.

 

Eagle Ford Could Boost SA New Home Starts

"Demand for housing related to the Eagle Ford Shale production will help San Antonio home builders and spur residential development." - Teresa L. Corbin, CCIM, Principal, Endura Advisory Group

EAGLE FORD COULD BOOST SA NEW HOME STARTS

RECON - Real Estate Center Online News - January 16, 2012

SAN ANTONIO (San Antonio Express-News) – It's been a rough ride for the Alamo City's housing market since 2006, when area home starts hit a high of more than 19,000. But that could be about to change, especially with a little help from the Eagle Ford Shale.

Speaking to more than 500 industry insiders last Friday, Adam Haynes with Chesapeake Energy Corp., encouraged local builders to build homes in South Texas counties.

He said drilling activity in the Eagle Ford Shale has stressed the housing market and led to $2,000-plus monthly rents, so homes are needed.

The San Antonio Express-News reports that area home starts in 2012 are expected to be at least 10 percent above what they were in 2011, when builders started 6,843 homes. This will mark the first double-digit bump for the industry since 2006.

 

Texas Named 6th Most Enterprising State

"Texas continues to be among the top business friendly states in the nation" - Teresa L. Corbin, CCIM, Principal, Endura Advisory Group

Texas Named 6th Most Enterprising State

RECON, Real Estate Center Online News, January 10, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Urban Land Institute) – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released its "Enterprising States 2011" report, and it enhances Texas' reputation for being a business-friendly state.

The Lone Star State ranked sixth on the list of top ten states for low business taxes and regulations. The report said "the Lone Star State is a low-tax state that offers a low cost of living and has an enterprise-friendly climate that's paying off with high job growth rates. Recent state initiatives include a business tax reform that raises the revenue exemption.

Ahead of Texas were Tennessee, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and Indiana.

According to the Urban Land Institute, "states were ranked in a variety of performance metrics, including their tax and regulatory environments. Those environments were compared in five ways: overall state and local tax burdens, corporate taxes, small-business costs, state government budget gaps, and cost-of-living indices."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that states making the top ten were mostly inland locales, saying desirable coastal states don't always need incentives to attract business investment and expansion.