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        <title>Austin Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/tags/texas/</link>
        <description>Austin Real Estate Blog - Cantera Real Estate - This multi-author blog covers the local Austin, Texas real estate market, housing trends, new developments, new MLS listings, Austin area news, and relocation info.</description>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-ranked-number-1-on-list-of-states-with-the-best-business-climate.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-ranked-number-1-on-list-of-states-with-the-best-business-climate.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Texas Ranked Number 1 on List of States with the Best Business Climate</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to Site Selection magazine, the state of Texas currently has the best business climate in the country. In being placed in the number one spot, Texas effectively ousted North Carolina from the position, which it has held for the past 10 years.

Atlas Van Lines annual study of corporate relocations in 2010, Texas saw more than 7,200 inbound relocations compared to just 5,300 outbound relocations. In all, 58 percent of inbound corporate relocations went to Texas. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of the new jobs created in the United States since June 2009 were created in Texas.

Despite these impressive figures, Site Selection analyzed a number of different factors in order to determine its 2011 rankings. Half of the total score was based on objective, data-driven information, while the other half was based on input provided by corporate real estate executives. The executives surveyed for the study placed Texas at the top due to the states lack of red tape, the amount of cooperation that takes place between the government and businesses, workforce availability, the lack of state income tax and the financial assistance that is available. Factors taken into consideration for the objective portion of the score included the following:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Governors Cup ranking, which is a tally of new and expanded facilities from the previous year that is determined by Site Selection each year&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Total projects per million population&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Placement in the Competitiveness Ranking, which Site Selection determines each year.&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Qualified New Plants projects to date within the given year&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;2011 business tax climate as determined by the Tax Foundation

The states included in the top 25 list of states with the best business climate were:&nbsp;&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Texas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Georgia&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;North Carolina&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Virginia&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;South Carolina&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Indiana&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Louisiana&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Tennessee&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ohio&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Florida&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pennsylvania&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Alabama&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oklahoma&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Utah&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Michigan&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mississippi&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Colorado&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kentucky&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;California&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Illinois&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;New York&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Iowa&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Maryland&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nevada&nbsp;If the state of Texas continues down the path that it has already started, it is likely to continue to hold onto the number one position for some time. Not only has the state seen significant economic progress in its four major metropolitan areas of Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, but it is also actively putting plans in place to help foster its booming business climate.
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            <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:53:58 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/the-texaplex-austin-dallas-houston-and-san-antonio.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/the-texaplex-austin-dallas-houston-and-san-antonio.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>The Texaplex - Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio </title>
            <categories>austin-area-info</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
David Winans is real estate broker in Dallas, Texas who coined the term &quot;Texaplex&quot; to describe the region encompassing Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston.  David has released a new video highlighting all of the great economic news coming from the Texaplex region.

  



&nbsp;

The TexaPlex Project 

David Winans &amp; Associates

&nbsp;



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            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:43:05 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-ranks-in-the-top-ten-for-entrepreneurs.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-ranks-in-the-top-ten-for-entrepreneurs.html</link>
            <author>crystal@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Texas Ranks in the Top Ten for Entrepreneurs</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to the State Entrepreneurship Index, which measures entrepreneurial activity on a state-by-state basis, Texas ranks number 9 in the nation in terms of entrepreneurial activity. As such, the state moved up an impressive 25 spots when comparing 2010 to 2008.

The index, which was developed by economists from the Bureau of Business Research and Department of Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, evaluates several different components. These include:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The percentage growth and per capita growth in the states business establishments&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The states business formation rate&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The number of patents held per thousand residents in the state&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The gross receipts of sole proprietorships throughout the state&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The number of partnerships per capita in the state

The information used in this system is gathered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, the IRS Statistics of Income Bulletin and the U.S. Statistical Abstract. After evaluating these factors, each state is assigned a ranking that is based on the states performance as it compares to the nationwide average.

While numerous factors have helped Texas achieve an Entrepreneurship Index score of 1.54, the increased amount of focus placed on public and private business schools has played a significant role in the change. In March 2010, for example, the University of Texas launched Texas Venture Labs, which made it possible for students to obtain work experience similar to that which takes place at venture capital firms. The program also serves as a resource to both student and faculty entrepreneurs. Other initiatives that have helped increase the states Entrepreneurship Index include the addition of the Acton MBA, the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University and the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:03:37 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texaplex-region-considered-to-be-a-leader-in-nations-economic-recovery.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texaplex-region-considered-to-be-a-leader-in-nations-economic-recovery.html</link>
            <author>brink@canterarealestate.com (James Brinkman)</author>
            <title>Texaplex Region Considered to be a Leader in Nation</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to Newsweek magazine, the &ldquo;Texaplex&rdquo; of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston is among the top ten regions in the country in terms of being poised for an economic recovery. This is largely due to the fact that the Texas metros have a strong energy sector as well as a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

In addition to having a strong energy sector, the Newsweek article found that the state of Texas is also an attractive market for those businesses that are looking for a place to relocate. This was largely due to the fact that the state has a &ldquo;pro-business attitude&rdquo; as well as a business tax rate that is relatively low when compared to other states. For these reasons and more, Texas now has more Fortune 500 companies than any other state in the country.

Not only are businesses moving into the area, but the four cities are also experiencing a great deal of migration from workers who are looking for a job. In fact, Houston and Dallas both have higher immigration rates than Chicago. Furthermore, if the job market remains the same in the area, the cities are likely to start seeing a mixture of ethnicities that is similar that found in Los Angeles and New York.

Overall, Newsweek found that Texas has the most job growth in the country. While the states emerging tech center was one reason for this growth, the continually growing University of Texas also contributed to this expansion. Furthermore, Texas enjoyed a great deal of private sector growth from both outside and local companies and firms. Some of these include Nokia, Samsung, Fujitsu and Siemens.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:40:08 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-has-the-greatest-net-relocation-gains.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-has-the-greatest-net-relocation-gains.html</link>
            <author>crystal@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Texas Has the Greatest Net Relocation Gains</title>
            <categories>market-statistics</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
A report recently released by Allied Van Lines found that Texas passed all of the other states in the country when it came to net relocation gains last year. As such, 2010 represents the sixth year in a row that the Lone Star State has been at the top of the list.

According to the data collected by Allied Van Lines, Texas experienced a net total of 1,640 moves between January and November 2010. This figure is derived by calculating the number of people moving into the state and then subtracting the number of people who move out of the state with Allied Van Lines services.

Although these figures do represent a drop when compared to 2009, at which time Texas has 2,000 net moves, the state still had a significantly larger net number of moves than its closest competitor. Second place Colorado, for example, saw a gain of only 400. Florida, South Carolina and Arizona took the third, fourth and fifth place positions. In terms of the total number of shipments made in Texas, the Lone Star State actually took the third place position.

While California had a total of 12,301 shipments and Florida had 9,892 shipments, Texas had 9,594 shipments.

On the other end of the spectrum, several states lost more residents than they gained in 2010. The states at the bottom end of the spectrum were Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, all of which had a great deal of difficulty staying afloat during the recession.
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            <pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:33:23 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/report-finds-texas-is-poised-to-lead-the-nations-economic-recovery.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/report-finds-texas-is-poised-to-lead-the-nations-economic-recovery.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Report Finds Texas is Poised to Lead the Nation</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
A recent report issued by BBVA Compass bank has determined that Texas is poised to lead the country to its economic recovery. 

There are many reasons why the Lone Star State is in position to lead the country toward recovery, with oil prices being among them. Other reasons include the fact that the state has enjoyed a relatively stable housing market as well as limited fiscal challenges. The state has also continued to add private jobs to its market while its exports, particularly coal and petroleum products, have remained strong. In short, Texas has managed to remain relatively positive while most states have experienced a decline in growth.

According to the report, Texas is likely to enjoy a 2.8 percent growth in its gross domestic product this year. This is well above the projected national growth of 2.3 percent this year. Last year, Texas created 182,200 private sector jobs, which accounts for approximately 16 percent of the total number of private sector jobs in the country. Austin alone added about 2,700 private sector jobs from October of 2009 through September of 2010. Furthermore, the capital city added 17,300 private sector jobs last year.

Fiscally speaking, the state of Texas has the 16th lowest projected state deficit out of 46 states, with the projected budget deficit for 2010 being approximately 10 percent. Nonetheless, the report found that Texas is likely to emerge from its deficit with little difficulty. This is largely due to the fact that the state has a relatively large rainy day fund combined with stable home prices.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:28:47 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/survey-finds-texas-is-the-most-popular-destination-for-relocating-americans.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/survey-finds-texas-is-the-most-popular-destination-for-relocating-americans.html</link>
            <author>jim@jimolenbush.com (Jim Olenbush)</author>
            <title>Survey Finds Texas is the Most Popular Destination for Relocating Americans</title>
            <categories>market-statistics</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
A recent survey conducted by Relocation.com found that a growing number of Americans are deciding to make the move to Texas. In fact, Texas knocked California out of the top position in terms of the most popular places for Americans to move to. In all, the Website found that the number of people who were interested in moving to Texas jumped by 50 percent when comparing the results of the survey taken in February 2011 to June 2010.

In order to come to these conclusions, Relocation.com surveyed a total of 1,000 people as part of an ongoing survey process that started in March 2009. According to officials from the Website, there are several reasons why Texas has become a popular option for Americans who are interested in moving. The two biggest reasons, however, are the stable real estate prices found throughout the state and the relatively low unemployment rate when compared to the rest of the nation. In fact, while the national unemployment rate hovers at more than 9 percent, it is just 8.5 percent in Texas. In Austin, things look even better with an unemployment rate of 6.9 percent.

Interestingly, the survey found that fewer Americans were choosing to move because they were facing a foreclosure on their homes. On the other hand, approximately four percent of those who were surveyed said they were able to purchase their first homes because of the drops in real estate prices that have been seen around the country. Ten percent of the survey participants said they were moving because they wanted to move to a more desirable neighborhood or because they were interested in purchasing a bigger home.

The top five states for those who were relocating were:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Texas&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Florida&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;California&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;North Carolina&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Georgia
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            <pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2011 18:27:05 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-takes-the-lead-in-national-job-growth.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/texas-takes-the-lead-in-national-job-growth.html</link>
            <author>crystal@canterarealestate.com (Crystal Guthrie)</author>
            <title>Texas Takes the Lead in National Job Growth</title>
            <categories></categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Americans for Prosperity Foundation reports that Texas added more jobs to its job market than any other state during the month of May. In fact, the study found that the state added 43,600 jobs to its employment roster. In addition, the Texas Workforce Commission and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics have found that Texas enjoyed the greatest amount of growth within the non-agricultural job market when comparing month to month while also achieving the greatest monthly increase over a three year period. In the Austin region alone, about 2,000 jobs were added in May. This is certainly good news for all of Austins residents, including those who have managed to hold onto a job throughout the recession, as the addition of jobs is indicative of a recovering economy. Clearly, the sooner the citys economy recovers, the sooner things can move back to a more normal pace within the capital city.

&ldquo;Individuals and businesses are flocking to Texas during these rough economic times.&rdquo; Said Peggy Venable, who is the State Director of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. &ldquo;The reason for this is clear  our business environment is competitive, taxes are low, and we have no income tax. All of the right elements are in place to ensure prosperity and opportunity in our state.&rdquo;

On a national level, the unemployment rate hit 9.7% during the month of May, but feel to 6.9% from 7% in the capital city. Undoubtedly, Austinites are hopeful that this trend will continue over the months ahead. As the housing market appears to be leveling out within the capital city, experts are confident that unemployment  and the economy in general  will continue to move in a positive direction in Austin as well as in the rest of the state of Texas.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:19:17 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-recognized-as-one-of-the-countrys-best-places-to-relocate-to.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/austin-recognized-as-one-of-the-countrys-best-places-to-relocate-to.html</link>
            <author>brink@canterarealestate.com (James Brinkman)</author>
            <title>Austin Recognized as One of the Country's Best Places to Relocate To</title>
            <categories>austin-area-info</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ According to a report released by RelocateAmerica.com, Austin is the third best city to relocate to in the United States. Austin residents have known this for quite sometime, which is part of why the city and the surrounding area has been growing so rapidly over the last several years. Still, it is good to know that the capital city of Austin is receiving recognition for all that it has to offer to those who are looking for a great city to move to.Of course, this isn't the first time Austin has been recognized as a great place to live or as a great place to move to. In fact, the city took the number two position in the &quot;America's Top 100 Places to Live for 2010&quot; report. This particular report, on which Huntsville, Alabama took the number one position, focused primarily on the recession and which areas are most likely to enjoy a quick recovery. On the RelocateAmerica.com survey, Austin took third behind Huntsville, Alabama and Washington D.C. as the best overall places to move to. This particular list was compiled based on the nominations of RelocateAmerica.com users as well as the Websites editorial team. When analyzing reviews and interviewing residents, the company took a number of specific factors into consideration as well. These included:&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Economic data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Environmental data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Education data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Crime data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Employment data&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Housing dataIn a separate study, Austin was also recognized as the fifth most &quot;earth-friendly&quot; locations in the United States. The top four locations, in order from first through fourth, included Portland, Oregon; Boston, Massachusetts; Madison, Wisconsin; and Boulder. Colorado. Considering all that the city does to provide an eco-friendly environment for its residents coupled with the high level of green-consciousness the city's residents are known to have, this also does not come as much of a surprise for those who live in the Austin area. ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:26:27 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/construction-starts-in-austin-predicted-to-increase-in-value-by-30.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.jimolenbush.com/blog/construction-starts-in-austin-predicted-to-increase-in-value-by-30.html</link>
            <author>brink@canterarealestate.com (James Brinkman)</author>
            <title>Construction Starts in Austin Predicted to Increase in Value by 30%</title>
            <categories>austin-news</categories>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
According to McGraw-Hill Construction, construction activity is expected to pick up some momentum in 2010, with the city of Austin enjoying the greatest growth. In fact, the 2010 Texas Construction Outlook predicts that construction starts will increase in value by 16 percent this year, with a total statewide value of $52.5 billion. Austin will nearly double the statewide prediction, with the report forecasts indicating that the city's construction starts will increase in value by 30%.Austin isn't the only city that will surpass the statewide predictions, but some other major Texas cities are predicted to fall short of the state average. Some of the other predictions include:&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Houston - predicted to grow by 17%&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dallas - predicted to grow by 16%&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;El Paso - predicted to grow by 8%&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;San Antonio - predicted to grow by 6%In Austin, the report predicts that housing starts will grow by a total of 31%, which will increase the value to $21.8 billion in the city. Commercial construction, on the other hand, will actually fall by 1% to $17.6 billion. With the help of federal stimulus funding, however, public works and utilities construction is predicted to get a boost.The New York-based McGraw-Hill Construction company has been compiling project and product information as well as specifications, plans, industry news and forecasts for over a century. So, the fact that the company has such faith in Austin is a good sign for the city and it's economy. After all, an increase in the value of construction starts is a good indicator that the economy is moving in the right direction. Of course, just as with the rest of the country, the city of Austin still has some ground to make up before it can confidently say that the recession is over. Nonetheless, reports such as this one released by McGraw-Hill Construction as well as other reports stating that Austin is the number one city for investment in commercial real estate are among the many reasons why Austin is poised to be one of the first cities to fully recover from the recession.The fact that construction starts are predicted to increase in value throughout the state of Texas is also a good sign for the country's economy as a whole. Obviously, every market is different and there will still be those that continue to struggle throughout 2010. Nonetheless, reports such as this one give hope that our country's economic troubles may be coming to an end.

&nbsp;
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            <pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:23:42 -0600</pubDate>
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