Children at Risk ranked 1,196 public elementary, middle, and high schools in the Greater Houston area. The rankings were based on TAKS scores, attendance, SAT scores and other factors. HISD swept the top three positions for elementary, middle and high schools. Among the largest districts in the area, Katy, Clear Creek and Pearland ISDs performed the best, with at least 78 percent of their campuses ranked in the top half. Bob Sanborn, the president of Children at Risk, said "To get the best out of public … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2012
FHA 203K loan is perfect for foreclosures
The FHA 203k loan was written in 1978 with the revision of the National Housing Act (NHA). In the first 30 years of the program only 1,700 FHA 203(k) loans were written in the US. The loan was rewritten to become a direct process endorsement making the lender responsible for all steps in the process. FHA 203(k) grew rapidly between 1996 and 1997 but started declining because of the abundance of new housing with easy financing available. The FHA 203 (k) loan had all but disappeared when HUD in 2005 introduced … [Read more...]
Things to consider when buying Investment property
1. LOCATION. The location will determine the tenants who will occupy your property. More desirable properties will appreciate faster than those with undesirable locations. The average time the property is on the market vacant will be less. 2. PROPERTY CONDITION. If the property has major structural problems such as a cracked foundation, major rook leak, and sheet rock damage everywhere let us find you a property in better condition. These homes are money pits and will continually need expensive repairs … [Read more...]
Buying Rental Property
Houston continues to provide a great return on investment for investors who own rental property. Only 53% of Houstonians own their home. New homes sales are expected to reach over 20,000 homes in 2012. That number is far below sales in 2006 when builders built 49,543 homes. The current median price of a home is down 25.8% from 2006. According to the Kinder Institute at Rice University, Houston gained an astounding 1,200,000 people between 2000 and 2010, according to census figures, averaging 123,000 people each … [Read more...]
Where the jobs are in Houston
The Texas Workforce Commission’s goal is to improve the way Texans make career and education decisions by providing useful and reliable information about careers, educational training options and jobs. Using data about labor trends, business investment patterns and educational requirements of workers as a base, Business Specialist, Michael “Mick” Normington said Houstonians have the highest wages in Texas. PRODUCTIVITY IS KING! The United States is making more with fewer workers. The good news is a recovery in … [Read more...]