Recent Headlines

The Supreme Court Leaves The CDC’s Moratorium On Evictions In Place

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on a sunny day on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday June 16, 2021. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to lift a ban on evictions for tenants who have failed to pay all or some rent during the coronavirus pandemic. By a 5-to-4 vote, the court left in…

Industry groups urge Biden to let CDC eviction ban sunset

A broad swath of the housing industry is calling for the Biden administration to let the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) eviction ban lapse at the end of this month. In a letter, 12 industry groups including the National Association of Realtors, the National Multifamily Housing Council, which represents large rental landlords, the National Apartment…

Fannie Mae Extends Covid-19 Landlord And Renter Protection

{{featured_button_text}} Fannie Mae announced today that it would extend its forbearance program on multifamily properties until Sept. 30, 2021. This means that Fannie borrowers who own multifamily properties that they rent out can ask their lender to push out their monthly payments due to financial hardship from the Covid-19 pandemic. In doing so, the borrower…

Developers taking city incentives will have to take housing vouchers, too

SAN ANTONIO – Taking city incentives like fee waivers or tax abatements now means housing developments in San Antonio will be required to accept Section 8 housing vouchers from their renters. Landlords don’t generally have to accept housing vouchers, and the people who receive them often spend months trying to find a place that will…

Where Texas A&M real estate economist Jim Gaines sees ups – and downs – in the year ahead

Jim Gaines has been tracking the state’s real estate as an economist with the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University since 2005. Before he joined the center, Gaines spent 16 years as a real estate consultant for the accounting firms KPMG International and Arthur Andersen and five years as the president of…

After court nixes eviction ban, race is on for federal help

Lumber prices triple, raising home prices by $36,000

Even with record-low interest rates, the American dream of owning a home is becoming further out of reach for a large portion of the population due to massive lumber price hikes. Lumber prices have tripled over the past 12 months, driving up the cost of the average new single-family home by $35,872, according to new…

Houston Apartment Rents, Occupancy Up After Sluggish 2020

The story of 2020 was record home sales and a depressed apartment market. But in 2021, apartments seem to be coming back. To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code: <iframe src=”https://embed.hpm.io/397614/397612″ style=”height: 115px; width: 100%;”></iframe> After sliding during most of 2020, Houston apartment occupancy – and rents – are…

Federal judge strikes down CDC eviction moratorium

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority when it imposed a federal eviction moratorium. The Justice Department said it would appeal the ruling from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., meaning there won’t likely be any immediate impact on the ban, which…

D-FW apartment rents are headed higher after a pause for COVID

Dallas-area apartment rents are rebounding after setbacks during the pandemic. Average North Texas apartment rent increases stalled in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Landlords increased the number of freebies used to attract renters. But with the economy opening up and migration to the area continuing, local rents are again headed higher. D-FW apartment rents…

After yearlong ban, Austin and Travis County will let some landlords file evictions starting in June

Lee esta historia en español. Austin-area renters who have not paid rent for five months or more and have exhausted all rent assistance will once again be subject to eviction beginning June 1. Most other residential tenants and some commercial tenants will be safe from eviction until at least Aug. 1. On Friday, Austin and…

Texas Landlords Don’t Have To Disclose Flood Risk To Renters. A New Bill Would Change That

A neighborhood near Houston’s Addicks Reservoir flooded after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey. Taken, Aug. 29, 2017. To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code: <iframe src=”https://embed.hpm.io/397288/397236″ style=”height: 115px; width: 100%;”></iframe> During a tour of a first-floor apartment in Cypress, Tracy Quach, a piano teacher looking for a home…

‘The landlord’s issues have been overlooked’: Texas’ other housing problem amid COVID

Rent crisis spirals for landlords awaiting $47 billion in relief