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5 Key Benefits of Good Property Management

With more people investing in real estate, property management is increasingly becoming handy for property owners. In fact, 23% of Americans regard real estate as the best way to create wealth. However, supervising a property can be daunting and requires significant time, effort, and expertise, which many property owners lack. Property management comes in handy…

Asset Living Ranks No. 3 on NAHMA's 2023 Affordable 100 List

Asset Living is now the third largest management company of affordable multi-family properties in the U.S. HOUSTON, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Asset Living, a Houston-based real estate management firm, has climbed up the ranks to become the 3rd largest management company of affordable multifamily properties in the United States. This announcement was made in…

‘It’s like illegal Airbnb’: Woman slams renters who try to sublet their apartment while they are on vacation

A New Yorker expressed frustration with a certain group of people that summer exposes—people who aim to sublet their apartments while they’re vacationing. The video comes from @depresseddancingdieke, an NYC-based creator and reached more than 126,000 views in four days on the platform since going up Saturday. Most of the content is conveyed in a…

More than 4 in 5 adults support building more homes in their neighborhood to boost housing affordability

Published: May. 31, 2023 at 7:00 AM CDT Support is growing among both homeowners and renters for “modest densification” or “missing middle” housing. New housing types, including medium to large apartment buildings, gain majority support if built near transit and amenities. 70% of respondents believe new housing is key to creating affordability in their community…

Think rent is high? It may get higher – Here’s how skyrocketing appraisals may affect renters

SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Property owners across Texas have balked at the sight of their 2023 appraisals, including rental property owners. With the recent increases in appraisals, landlords may start to see income loss and tenants may begin seeing parallel increases in their rent. Concho Valley Homepage spoke with Robbi Groat, President…

Business Leaders Praise Governor Abbott’s Property Tax Cut Plan

Business Leaders Praise Governor Abbott’s Property Tax Cut Plan – Oil & Gas Industry Today – EIN Presswire

FHFA issues RFI on multifamily property tenant protections

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued on Tuesday a request for input (RFI) regarding protections for tenants at multifamily housing properties backed by mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In particular, the FHFA wants to “solicit public input on issues faced by tenants in multifamily properties, and on any opportunities and potential impacts…

Developer building affordable housing in Houston amid climbing rent costs

HOUSTON – Reverend Leslie Smith II, founder and CEO of Change Happens CDC in Houston, is living his dream of building affordable homes for families. “Forty-one years ago, I had a dream that I bought some crack houses. I bought the crack houses. People were everywhere, trying to get in them,” said Smith. About eleven…

City of Austin Housing Public Facility Corporation Board of Directors will meet June 1.

City of Austin Housing Public Facility Corporation Board of Directors will meet June 1. Here is the agenda provided by the board: THE AUSTIN HOUSING PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION WILL MEET ON THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023 AT 10:30 AM, AUSTIN CITY HALL 301 W. SECOND STREET AUSTIN, TX AND SOME MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL MAY BE…

Permit Activity Plummets

Building permit activity in Fort Worth dropped significantly during the first quarter of 2023 as developers grappled with higher interest rates, increased input costs, and decreased consumer demand. Developers pulled 3,289 construction permits in the first three months of 2023 in Fort Worth, 27.3% fewer building permits than the 4,590 pulled during the same quarter…

Texas’ city, county regulations could be hampered by pro-business bill Senate advances

AUSTIN — Cities and counties couldn’t pass ordinances on subjects ranging from gas-powered lawn mowers to rental-housing evictions under a sweeping, pro-business bill the Senate advanced on Monday. Zoning, noise and nuisance ordinances wouldn’t be affected. But local governments could not regulate on any subject covered by eight Texas legal codes, including agriculture and property,…

In this newly built neighborhood of single-family homes, none are for sale

This is not a paywall, but The San Antonio Report depends on reader donations to support our nonprofit newsroom. We’re in the middle of our spring fundraising drive, and every dollar you give directly supports the journalism you rely on. Donations this week will be matched up to $10,000. Will you support us today? The…

After two years of incredible rises, rents in Austin start to fall

Lee esta historia en español To illustrate the price of rent in Austin is to draw a steep, steep hill. But for the past few months, that hill has leveled off as landlords have dropped rent prices. April rent numbers marked the first annual decrease in average rent since early 2021, according to data from…

Renters seeing some relief on housing costs

SAN ANTONIO — Rent is not any cheaper, but renters may have already seen peak prices. “I don’t think we’ve really come back to pre-pandemic levels,” said Jon Leckie, a researcher at Rent.com. “I think we’ve come back to normal growth levels that we saw before the pandemic. We’ve gotten back to normal growth trends,…

Big tax cuts for not-so affordable housing draw scrutiny in Houston and the Texas Legislature

After the Houston Housing Authority’s March meeting, Mayor Sylvester Turner sent a letter to the organization’s chairman, sternly rebuking him for going against his instructions when it moved forward with 14 new tax break deals, which still need final approval. At the authority’s April meeting, there wasn’t a single item on the agenda regarding such tax…

College Station City Council discusses proactive rental inspection program

The city council in College Station, widely known as a college town with 27,000 rental units, recently discussed implementing a reporting process for rental property maintenance violations by discussing the possibility of drafting an ordinance for a mandatory or voluntary Proactive Rental Inspection program. Currently there is no proactive rental inspection program required by the…

End of the line? Legislature takes aim at tax breaks widely used to create affordable housing

A taxpayer-funded financing mechanism meant to increase the supply of affordable housing — and that was conceived in San Antonio — has been under increasing scrutiny here in recent years, criticized by local figures ranging from neighborhood activists to Mayor Ron Nirenberg. More recently it’s sparked outcry in Dallas, Houston and other cities — even leading Houston Mayor Sylvester…

Austin slams the brakes on parking mandates

Austin City Council members on Thursday voted to throw out rules that require homebuilders and shop owners to provide a minimum amount of on-site parking. By doing so, they went the way of dozens of other cities across the country, including Portland, Oregon, and Anchorage, Alaska. “How we move people around is critical,” Council Member…

Council approves ‘bill of rights’ for renters

This is not a paywall, but The San Antonio Report depends on reader donations to support our nonprofit newsroom. We’re in the middle of our spring fundraising drive, and every dollar you give directly supports the journalism you rely on. Donations this week will be matched up to $10,000. Will you support us today? San…

A one-bedroom apartment comes with 1.5 parking spots. Austin could change that.

Austin City Council members will decide Thursday whether to stop requiring developers to build parking. With some exceptions, city rules require most residential and commercial developers to build a minimum amount of parking spots. The number depends on several factors, including bedroom count, units or square footage of what’s being built. Council Member Zo Qadri,…

Proposed law would kill protections for renters facing eviction in Texas

A bill is moving through the Texas Legislature that would make it illegal for cities or counties to protect renters from eviction. If passed, the legislation would kill a handful of local ordinances, including one in Dallas, that give renters more time to catch up on rent before losing their home. Featured Local Savings Featured…

One-fifth of all Americans rent storage spaces — what that says about renters’ growing need for space

The self-storage industry is growing — according to StorageCafe, close to 53 million square feet of new self-storage space will join the U.S. landscape in 2023. But what does that tell us about the current state of renters’ — and homeowners’ — need for extra space? Over one-fifth of all Americans currently rent storage units….

Renters Bill of Rights: Housing Industry Expresses Concern About One-Size-Fits-All Legislation

BY BRANDI SMITH Recently, the White House unveiled its proposal for a Renters Bill of Rights, a set of principles which aim to “increase fairness in the rental market and further principles of fair housing.” The document addresses a range of issues including eviction, rent control and fair housing. While some advocates for renters have…

Texas Senate passes bill to eliminate single-family zoning in neighborhoods

Texas Senate passes bill to eliminate single-family zoning in neighborhoods The Texas Senate passed a bill on Thursday that opponents say would eliminate single-family zoning in neighborhoods across the state. DALLAS – The Texas Senate passed a bill on Thursday that opponents say would eliminate single-family zoning in neighborhoods across the state.  Supporters of the…

Austinites voted for more affordable housing. Where did your money go?

Investigative Summary: Over the past five years, voters have given the green the light to the City of Austin to use $600 million for affordable housing. The money you approved in 2018 is largely out the door, so what did the city do with it? And how will they use the money you voted for…

Plans for 80-story residential tower in Austin scaled back by nearly half

Amid challenging conditions in the real estate and lending markets, a proposed 80-story residential tower that had been planned to be the tallest high-rise in Texas has now been scaled back to 45 stories. Instead of soaring 80 stories — 1,035 feet tall — and having 450 apartment units, Wilson Capital, the Austin-based real estate…

Dallas renters could get more time, clearer instructions if eviction rules pass

Dallas renters could see more clear communication about eviction notices and timelines, as well as in more languages than English, if the city adopts recommendations made by city staff. Dallas’ Assistant City Manager Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira has recommended three changes to the proposed permanent eviction ordinance. One is that the ordinance be publicly available in English,…

Austin ISD looking to identify a development partner for teacher housing site

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Rental prices in Austin could be impacting teacher retention in Austin ISD, but the district is hoping to help keep teachers with current and future programs and housing. “In AISD, we have an exclusive deal with the Austin Apartment Association,” Arnoldo Gutierrez, assistant superintendent of human capital with Austin ISD, said. In…

Embrey to develop first single-family rental community in Boerne

San Antonio-based Embrey is planning a single-family rental project in the growing city northwest of San Antonio as the company expands its investment in a hot segment of the housing market. Collection at Boerne will be the first such community in the city, according to Transwestern, a commercial real estate company.  The 214 units will be built…

Giant $400 Million Dallas Plan to Boost Affordable Housing

To combat the soaring cost of owning or renting a home in Dallas, the City Council Housing Committee Monday heard a plan to spend as much as $400 million public dollars to attract and build affordable housing.  A 2024 public improvement bond referendum could include $150 million for housing. That’s far more affordable housing support…

San Antonio firm building Texas’ tallest tower is now planning giant mixed-use development in Austin

AUSTIN — Kairoi Residential keeps building bigger in Austin. Seven months after the San Antonio real estate firm started construction of what’s expected to become the tallest skyscraper in Texas — the 74-story, 1,022-foot-tall Waterline tower downtown — it has revealed plans for a goliath master-planned development facing the Colorado River on the near east side….

Crime Drops in District 8 as New Development at RedBird Rises: Is There a Connection?

Dallas Police Department crime dashboard Can the revitalization of the Shops at RedBird, fueled by millions of dollars in city incentives  “save” District 8 from crime and poverty? Some say it already has. Some say southern Dallas and Oak Cliff don’t need saving. And some say it goes a long way when residents take pride…

Can a landlord lock me out of my apartment? Renter’s rights FAQ

HOUSTON – From unhealthy and dangerous living conditions to sky-high rent increases, we get a lot of questions about your rights when it comes to renting. The issues impact a lot of people. At least half of all Houstonians are renters. We brought some of your questions to Lone Star Legal Aid attorney Eric Kwartler…

Is Legal Marijuana Giving Local Housing Markets in 2023 a Buzz?

Not exactly. As more states have legalized weed, it’s not giving real estate values the same sort of high they received a decade ago when homebuyers were moving to states like Colorado eager to start cannabis businesses and legally toke up. But it doesn’t appear to be hurting home values either, according to a recent…

Bachman Lake tenants deserve stronger support from the city

Reporting bad landlords who won’t fix apartments to maintain adequate living conditions should be easier for Dallas tenants, especially for those who are the most vulnerable because of their economic or immigration status. It has been a little over a month since this newspaper reported the hazardous conditions endured by Bachman Lake-area tenants, including moldy…

Company will seek land for another luxury tower in Fort Worth

The company recently topped out Deco 969, the first residential tower in Downtown Fort Worth in about 30 years. FORT WORTH, Texas — Read this story and more North Texas business news from our partners at the Dallas Business Journal While Deco 969 remains under construction, Southern Land Company has begun prowling downtown Fort Worth…

The U.S. housing market explained in 5 charts

(Stacker) – The once white-hot housing market may finally be starting to cool, but it’s not a buyers’ market just yet. As mortgage rates and home prices remain high, potential homebuyers are deciding not to take the plunge, mostly due to a lack of affordability. But with the U.S. short about 6.5 million homes, according to…

Appraisal notices on way to Travis County property owners; values reflect 'stabilizing' market

For the first time in years, Travis County homeowners shouldn’t face sticker shock when they receive their 2023 appraisal notices. Notices will be mailed to 434,362 Travis County property owners beginning this week. The notices, which will be sent between mid-April and early May, include the market value assigned to a property as of Jan….

Buying a Home in Texas Often Requires Outbidding Big-Money Investors

Business Buying a Home in Texas Often Requires Outbidding Big-Money Investors A pair of bills at the Lege seek to help Texans compete for real estate against these deep-pocketed companies. By Glenn Hunter April 14, 2023 2 Texas Monthly; Getty Raysall Robertson feels drained when she reflects on her ordeal of the last couple of…

Planning Commission moves to create new zoning category to allow more housing

Friday, April 14, 2023 by Jonathan Lee The Planning Commission took a step on Tuesday to create a new zoning category that commissioners say would allow more housing to be built across the city. “We’re not building enough housing, and whatever we can do to change that and get transit-supportive density on the ground, we’ve…

City of El Paso offers funding for development of affordable housing

The city of El Paso has released a notice of availability of $15 million in Housing and Urban Development Home Investment Partnership Program funds to support the development of multifamily affordable rental housing. The funds are available for the development of affordable housing units. Private investors or developers, public agencies and community housing development organizations…

Dallas City Council OKs overhaul of housing plan to bolster accountability

After some heated debate, the Dallas City Council approved a housing policy Wednesday aimed at addressing longtime racial disparities that have persisted after decades of discriminatory practices. Twelve council members voted in favor of the housing policy. Adam McGough and Cara Mendelsohn, who represent areas of northern Dallas, voted against it. Mayor Eric Johnson was…

Houston Working Hard to Persuade Residents and Newcomers They Don't Need to Move to the Burbs

Is there a place in Houston itself for all the people moving to the Greater Houston area or will the city continue to lose residents and newcomers to the suburbs where there’s more undeveloped and lower cost land? One way the city of Houston is combating an already high housing demand is by providing affordable…

AISD, Austin Apartment Association partner to find affordable rentals for teachers

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District is taking steps to help teachers find more affordable housing. “In AISD we have an exclusive deal with the Austin Apartment Association,” said Arnoldo Gutierrez, assistant superintendent of human capital with Austin ISD. In a partnership announced on KXAN, the school district is working with the Austin…

During National Fair Housing Month, Commissioner Ellis announces $15M investment in affordable, safe, healthy housing

At the start of National Fair Housing Month, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis on Tuesday strongly advocated for Commissioners Court’s approval of a $15 million investment in federal funds for county officials to purchase over 100 single-family homes for affordable housing. Many of these homes will go into the County’s Community Land Trust for long-term…

Do Houston affordable housing NIMBYs in Tanglewood have a point? (Editorial)

Tanglewood homeowners are at it again. Trekking a few blocks from their Galleria-area enclave, where houses sell for millions, to the Houston Housing Authority (HHA), they are demanding an end to a program that has expanded affordable housing options across the city, including their leafy boulevards.  It’s a travesty, they say, that Deerwood Apartments — a…

Mayor, Lubbock Apartment Association presents check to Meals on Wheels

LUBBOCK, Texas — Mayor Tray Payne and the Lubbock Apartment Association presented Lubbock Meals on Wheels on Wednesday with a check from money raised during the 41st Annual State of the City address in February. Every year a portion of the proceeds from the State of the City address go to a charity chosen by…

Building boom in Conroe worries city leaders of infrastructure readiness

While the construction of new apartment complexes around Conroe is providing needed housing for the growing community, city leaders say the building boom is raising concerns about future water, sewer and road capacity issues as development continues. “The influx of these apartment complexes has really put us behind the eight ball from an infrastructure perspective,” Councilman…

Texas State Bill Targets Local Tenant Protections Against Eviction

A bill before the Texas state legislature would block city and county governments from issuing new laws to restrict evictions or enforce existing local regulations, potentially affecting thousands of renters in Austin, Dallas and beyond. The proposal comes in response to ordinances passed by those cities as well as San Marcos, a fast-growing Austin suburb,…

‘Record number’ of new apartment units coming to Austin market in 2023

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Popular West Campus bar Cain & Abel’s is turning into a new housing high-rise after a demolition permit was filed with the City of Austin. “It’s kind of sad. You would think places like this would stay here forever,” said University of Texas student Jimmy Lahey. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Popular UT West Campus…

Dallas must end Airbnb nightmare

Dallas’ housing market and our residential neighborhoods are being destroyed right in front of us. International booking platforms like Airbnb and VRBO have created a gold rush that is driving wealthy investors to snap up houses and turn them into mini-hotels — a crisis for both existing residents and those trying to find housing. This…

See the 80 Houston-area apartment complexes that offer affordable units in exchange for tax breaks

The Houston Housing Authority on Friday launched a website where users can find affordable apartments the agency has created through tax breaks with complex owners. The site, affordablehousinghouston.com, includes a map of the 80 apartment complexes that have agreed to make units affordable in exchange for being exempted from property taxes.  The Houston Housing Authority…

AISD Moves Toward Affordable Child Care in Old Pease Campus

Interim Superintendent Matias Segura at the March 23 meeting of the Austin ISD Board of Trustees (Screenshot via Austin ISD) With Republicans pushing bills this legislative session that would erase mention of LGBTQ+ students in public schools, Austin ISD‘s Board of Trustees wore matching Pride shirts at their March 23 meeting to show that the…

Iconic Imperial char house in Sugar Land poised for $1B redevelopment into mixed-use district

Stepping into the Imperial Sugar char house in Sugar Land, it can be hard to imagine how the nearly 100-year-old structure was once central to an industrial powerhouse southwest of Houston. Inside, graffiti stains brick walls, mold covers cracking cement and pigeon feathers clump in a corner. Looking up, there is rusty equipment hanging and…

City Announces Request for Qualifications for South Austin Multifamily Rental Housing Development Opportunity

Austin, TX – The Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) released a competitive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) solicitation to develop, own, and operate a proposed approximately 90 to 100-unit multifamily apartment on a 2.5-acre property owned by AHFC located at 5900 South Pleasant Valley Road in south Austin. Later this year, AHFC will release a separate…

Conroe limits number of units in new apartment complexes in hopes of preserving trees

New apartment complexes built in Conroe will now have fewer units, a move city leaders say will better control development and preserve trees. The council unanimously agreed Thursday to lower the number of units for multifamily developments to 12 from 20 per acre. Norm McGuire, assistant city administrator and director of public works, said the…

Texas Rent Relief application portal closing early with more than 70K submissions

Texas Rent Relief application portal closing early with more than 70K submissions | KVEO-TV Skip to content ✕ × Close Ad

‘I don’t want to be homeless’: Texas rent relief gets +10K applications in just hours

Texas rent relief gets over 10K applications in just hours Skip to content ✕ × Close Ad

Texas renters got temporary help during the pandemic. Lawmakers are unlikely to extend it.

In the three years since the coronavirus pandemic began, a historic amount of money and attention has been aimed at keeping the nearly 40% of Texans who are renters in stable housing, providing a rare chance to test policies and programs that might have never been adopted in the state at such a scale otherwise….

College Station City Council explores several issues, including off-campus student housing rules

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Thursday night was a busy night for the College Station City Council and there were two housing-related items on the agenda. The first touched on off-campus housing. The Vice President of Student Affairs, General Joe Ramirez, presented to the council by saying Texas A&M is committed to making sure students…

Renters gain power in housing market

(NewsNation) — The rental market is “rapidly shifting in the favor of renters,” according to RealPage, a real estate software company. “Renters facing lease renewals suddenly have a lot more options — often attractively priced as apartment operators push hard to keep occupancy elevated,” RealPage economist Jay Parsons said in a report last month. Unlike in 2021…

Practical question: Where will all these people live?

25 cities where rents are rising the fastest

Elena_Alex_Ferns // Shutterstock 25 cities where rents are rising the fastest Row of contemporary residential townhouses. The cost of rent skyrocketed in the COVID-19 pandemic’s second year as homes for sale remained scarce. Millions of American millennials who couldn’t afford to rent were forced to squeeze into relatives’ homes. Rentlodex ranked cities with the highest…

Zillow names Austin the top pet-friendly city for renters looking to move

Published: Mar. 6, 2023 at 6:30 AM CST These 10 areas offer the highest share of pet-friendly units in the country Texas cities claimed the top three spots on the most pet-friendly list for renters. More than half of rental listings on Zillow indicate they allow pets, and twice as many renters filter for pet-friendly…