When you live in a state heavily influenced by oil, saddle up and hold on for the ride. What comes up must come down, and real estate has room on the downside. The real question is really just how much. My clients are all energy professionals, and when I visit with them, nine out of ten have one thing in mind: housing prices in Texas. They buy out of need, but wait… didn’t most people already buy when Texas was booming?
Demand poured in and buying was frenzied. Now, demand is leveling off and prices will too. Where you purchased will dictate whether it will be a reward or a risk. If you think you’ll find a goldmine this time around, think again. The last time I saw a foreclosure in Tanglewood, Houston people were lined up for showings, and that was when banks weren’t even lending money. Now, Texas has more money pouring into the economy from all parts of the globe and a “deal” might mean just being happy with current pricing.
Considering residential pricing is not at $2500.00 per square foot yet, there are lots of deals in the area; but it’s all relative to what you’re used to. Getting a property that’s already discounted is a pretty good deal even though it doesn’t have a sale tag on it. But watch out for those new high rises, now that crude is at $50.00 per barrel, you may want to think twice about buying that new penthouse. If you have already purchased when crude was priced at $100.00, well, let’s just say you might have to wait for the next merry-go-round. High-rises take as long to build as a boom, so by the next time we see $80.00 oil, buyers will be back at those doorsteps again too.
read more…