Is Dallas County’s Shelter-in-Place Order Unconstitutional?

Despite Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins loosening restrictions around real estate showings, a Dallas attorney says the shelter-in-place order is “unconstitutional.”

“It makes realtors, real estate agents, brokers look like people who need to be policed, like they need to be babysat,” Christopher Sullivan told NBC 5. “And I’ll tell you that’s the further thing from the truth. You have to be a licensed professional to provide these services and they can keep people safe.”

Sullivan’s chief issue is in regards to the rules surrounding showings. Realtors are obligated to provide protective masks to clients during a showing. However, few agents have access to such equipment, Sullivan says.

In his mind, it’s unequal treatment. However, Jenkins notes that the rules were developed with assistance from MetroTex Association of Realtors.

“The recent loosening of the rules around the provision of essential real estate services were drafted in consultation with the DFW Metro-Texas Association of Realtors and balance the need to provide an important service with the paramount needs of public health as we respond to this global pandemic.”

The full list of orders can be viewed here.

Watch Out! Copperheads Converge on Northaven Trail

From NextDoor comes word that the copperheads are out along the Northaven Trail, like this one caught taking a snooze. And yes, as if we needed something else to worry about, it’s copperhead mating season. Copperheads are fans of rocks, creeks, woodpiles, junkyards, and old construction areas. The venomous snakes shelter under boards, sheet metal, logs, or large flat rocks.

Copperhead mating season lasts from February to May, and then from late August to October, according to Livescience.com. They are also combative:

“Males may engage in ritual combat (body-shoving contests) when two or more meet in the presence of a receptive female,” said Beane. According to Penn State, the snakes that lose rarely challenge again. A female may also fight prospective partners, and will always reject males who back down from a fight with her.

When you’re out stretching your legs during your quarantine, be careful for you and your pets: Copperheads bite more people than any other U.S. species of snake, according to the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service.

Fortunately, copperhead venom is not very potent. Unlike most venomous snakes, copperheads give no warning signs and strike almost immediately if they feel threatened. Children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems may have strong reactions to the venom, however, and anyone who is bitten by a copperhead should seek medical attention.

Hispanic Homeownership Grows in Dallas, Houston

The latest “State of Hispanic Homeownership Report” from the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) was just released, and Hispanic homeownership in Dallas saw big gains in 2019.

Dallas gained more than 35,000 Hispanic homeowners in 2019, coming in second to Houston at more than 40,000 new Hispanic households. Other metro areas that posted big increases include New York/Jersey City, N.Y./N.J., Riverside/San Bernardino, Calif., and Phoenix, Ariz.

Additionally, Midland, Texas, saw the second-fastest growth rate of Hispanic homebuyers at 57.9 percent. Midland was a distant runner up to Columbus, Ohio, which grew its Hispanic homebuyer numbers by 73.7 percent.

The NAHREP report also included a forward-looking metric that calculated the number of “Mortgage-Ready Hispanic Millennials.” In the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, there are close to 69,000 qualifying Hispanic Millennials — a good forecast of how much the buyer pool increase in 2020.

Read the full report here.