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Home Sales Drop...Employment Tops Nation

By
Real Estate Agent with Bill Cherry, Realtor 0124242

TEXAS EXISTING HOME SALES DROP IN FEBRUARY

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) - Just over 12,000 existing single-family homes were sold in Texas last month, a 10 percent drop from February 2010. That's according to the most recent Multiple Listing Services (MLS) data compiled by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.

The median home price in Texas was up 3 percent from February 2010, at $145,800. There was a 7.2-month inventory.

February 2011 MLS data for many Texas cities (current as of today) are available on the Center's website. Here is a sampling:

  

Sales

Change from
Last Year

Median
Price

Change from
Last Year

Months'
Inventory

Abilene

 91

 down 2%

 $110,000

 up 12%

 6.2

Austin

 1,214

 down 3%

 $190,000

 up 4%

 5.9

Bay Area

 334

 up 6%

 $153,200

 up 4%

 9.8

Beaumont

 108

 no change

 $116,700

 down 16%

 10.7

Brazoria
County

 54

 down 17%

 $115,000

 down 6%

 9.7

Collin
County

 604

 down 9%

 $205,200

 up 4%

 5.1

Dallas

 2,390

 down 14%

 $158,700

 up 6%

 6.6

Fort Worth

 464

 down 19%

 $107,200

 down 3%

 6.9

Houston

 3,603

 down 2%

 $151,900

 up 4%

 7.5

Longview-
Marshall

 113

 down 3%

 $124,300

 up 4%

 9.4

Montgomery
County

 372

 up 2%

 $179,100

 up 5%

 7.3

Port Arthur

 36

 down 20%

 $126,700

 up 35%

 11.6

San Antonio

 1,100

 down 12%

 $146,400

 up 3%

 7.9

Texarkana

 51

 down 18%

 $110,000

 down 16%

 9.2

Waco

 107

 down 11%

 $118,600

 up 4%

 9.3

Texas

 12,008

 down 10%

 $145,800

 up 3%

 7.2

 

TEXAS OUTPERFORMS NATION IN JOB GROWTH

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) - The Texas economy gained 230,000 jobs from February 2010 to February 2011, an annual growth rate of 2.3 percent. Over the same period, U.S. nonfarm employment rose 1 percent.

The state's private sector posted an annual employment growth rate of 2.5 percent compared with 1.5 percent for the U.S. private sector from February 2010 to February 2011.

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.2 percent in February 2011, unchanged from February 2010, while the nation's rate decreased from 9.7 to 8.9 percent over the same period.

All Texas industries except financial activities and information industries had more jobs in February 2011 than in February 2010.

All Texas metro areas had more jobs in February 2011 than in February 2010. Petroplexes Odessa and Midland ranked first and second, respectively, in job creation followed by Longview and Dallas-Plano-Irving.

The state's actual unemployment rate in February 2011 was 8.2 percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment rate followed by Amarillo, Lubbock, College Station-Bryan and San Angelo.

For more information, read the Real Estate Center's latest monthly economic review.

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

 DALLAS - PARK CITIES

Since 1964

214 503-8563

Comments(1)

Robert Schmalz
West Los Angeles Real Estate Group - Santa Monica, CA
Cal. Lic Broker

I am sure it is the same all over the country. I know it is the same in my market of West Los Angeles. Also lets not leave out that great numbers report showing prices going down again. I actually had a buyer change his mind on putting in an offer on a house based on this report.

Mar 29, 2011 01:56 PM