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2008 Real Estate Center Market Reports Available Online
1552 Views :: 4 Comments :: :: Real Estate, Market Analysis
The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University 2008 Texas Metro Market Reports are Available Online Now


The 2008 real estate market reports for the Texas top 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas are now available on the Real Estate Center’s website. 

The reports cover real estate related census data, employment, major industries, business climate, education, transportation, infrastructure issues and growth patterns. 


The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University

The Center is the nation's largest publicly funded organization devoted to real estate research. Most of our $2 million in annual funding comes from real estate license fees paid by more than 140,000 professionals. A nine-member advisory committee appointed by the governor provides research guidance and approves the budget. 

The Center's staff conducts research on financial, socioeconomic, public policy, trade, legal, land use and local market analysis issues related to real estate. 

The results of Center research are communicated in a variety of formats, including this website, print publications and videos. The Center's flagship periodical, Tierra Grande, a quarterly magazine,  has a circulation of 142,000. Twice a week, an electronic real estate newsletter, Real Estate Center Online News (RECON) is sent to over 25,000 subscribers. Some of the most requested publications: include:

English-Spanish Real Estate Glossary
The Texas Property Tax System
Market reports on Texas' 25 MSAs

Real Estate Center staff members also travel around Texas disseminating research findings through speaking engagements to industry and citizen groups and conferences such as the Annual Outlook for Texas Land Markets and the Annual Ad Valorem Taxation Legal Seminar. 

The Real Estate Center is part of the Mays Business School at the Texas A&M University 


TEXAS COAST MARKET

See the Real Estate Center’s video on Texas Gulf Coast at: http://recenter.tamu.edu/video/videoPlayer.asp?vid=45

See Texas Gulf Coast Market Statistics at: http://www.texasgulfcoastonline.com/Sales.aspx

See New Developments on Texas Coast at: http://www.texasgulfcoastonline.com/NewConstruction.aspx

See Information about the Texas Coast at http://www.texasgulfcoastonline.com/TxGulfCoastCityInformation.aspx

All the major Texas Metro markets made the top 10 "recession proof" list by Forbes Magazine:
(these markets make up over 80% of the second home buyers on the Texas Coast)

Here are the 10 cities that Forbes sees as practically recession-proof, along with the percentage of growth for median-priced homes in the past year.

1.  Oklahoma City, Okla. Median home price: +8.2 percent
2.  San Antonio, Texas +7.9 percent
3.  Austin, Texas +6.4 percent

4.  San Jose, Calif. +11.2 percent
5.  Raleigh, N.C. +4 percent
6. Salt Lake City +2.5 percent
7.  Houston +1.1 percent
8.  Seattle +1.2 percent
9.  Charlotte, N.C. +3.3 percent
10. Dallas-Fort Worth +.5 percent
In recent speeches across the state, Dr Gaines of the Real Estate Center has touted Texas as a sure bet for the future, the following slides were used in his presentations:

 

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By Michael Stuart @ Sunday, May 11, 2008
The pain of America's housing bust varies enormously by region. Hardest hit have been the “bubble states”—California, Nevada and Florida, as well as parts of the industrial Midwest.

ByCNBC @ Sunday, May 11, 2008
Buffett Real Estate CEO Sees Housing Comeback

The battered housing market has steadied and is ready to bounce back off an inevitable pullback from its boom times in the earlier part of the decade, said Ron Peltier, the CEO at Warren Buffett's Homeservices of America real estate company.

"I think the real truth is the market has been in a phase of correction," Peltier said.

"We are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel." At the same time, Peltier gave a candid analysis of what led to the housing meltdown in the first place.

He said the market sprinted ahead of itself price-wise, while unscrupulous lenders and appraisers compounded the industry's problems by putting too many people in houses they couldn't afford.

As for how things shape up going forward, Peltier said market has returned to its pre-boom times, with home sales tracking at about 5 million annually.

"I think that's a normalized market and I think that's a sustainable level," he said.

But he divides the market into two parts: the primary market of discretionary sellers, and the distressed market, which includes some of the areas that saw the meteoric rise and now are suffering the consequences of excess.

By Michael Stuart @ Monday, May 12, 2008
The Media is the primary cause for the current slowdown for new home sales in the Texas Coast real estate market.

Media stories have an immediate and significant impact on buyer and seller behavior.

We all know buying a home is the most expensive purchase most people will make and one fraught with uncertainty and complexity.

Clearly from the statistics reported by the Government and local real estate expert analysis, you can see that the Texas market fundamentals are as strong as ever and lead the nation.

It's the bad news in California and Florida that dominates the media stories about real estate - and they fail to mention that Texas is not in the distress those other states are in.

The impact on new second home purchases on the Texas Coast, is mostly a matter of buyer hesitancy from the impact of that negative press.

By Topretirements @ Monday, May 12, 2008
Finding Opportunities

New home sales fell 8.5% in March, according to the Commerce Department. The vacancy rate for homes is at 2.9%, the highest level recorded since the Census Bureau started keeping track in 1956. Over 18 million U.S. homes were empty in this year’s first quarter. Sound like bad news?

Not everybody thinks so. There are those who believe that the bottom of the real estate market is either here, or will be here soon.

The optimists believe that the mismatch between inventories which is high, poor demand and over priced homes will eventually be resolved and the real estate market will return to equilibrium.

The pessimists believe that the bad market from March 2007 to March 2008 will continue well into the future, fueled by factors like baby boomers fleeing the suburbs for low tax sunbelt retirements.

In the meantime there are deals to be had. A number of developers are offering incentives, which include: guaranteed buy-backs, help selling your existing home, special prices, reduced interest rates, and lots of “free-be's” (landscaping, granite countertops, finished basements, etc.).

So there are plenty of deals to be had.

As always, cash buyers who are ready to sign a
contract will get a better deal than a window shopping customer who needs a mortgage.

Of course there is always the difference between a come-on and real deal. So if you are tempted by an incentive, analyze it carefully to find out its real benefit.

Go out and visit the property and ask questions of the neighbors and HOA (Home Owners Association).

The bold and the brave can easily find deals - if they do their due diligence and are willing to be patient.

Beware of new developments where the promised amenities are not in yet, they may never be.

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