Affordability

Explaining Dallas’ Apartment Boom That Leaves Condos In The Cold

By Jon Anderson / February 20, 2020 /

Last column, I wrote about how single-family home construction is finally getting back on track after the deficit of building during and post-Recession. But it still hasn’t built enough of the right product to drop prices. Now let’s look at multifamily construction, a place designed for younger buyers not ready for pastoral lives in the…

Single-Family Homebuilding Getting Stronger But High Prices Linger

By Jon Anderson / February 20, 2020 /

Why are single-family homes in Dallas so expensive? In a word: Scarcity. It’s getting better, says Jon Anderson, but not quickly.

Losing Amazon HQ2 Gave Dallas Time To Figure Out Zoning Policy

By Jon Anderson / July 23, 2019 /

One of life’s joys is the “I told you so,” because it is so often precluded by a period of scorn and disbelief. Last week I had a bumper crop, but let’s talk about Amazon’s HQ2. You remember that? The corporate welfare pageant where municipalities fell over themselves, checkbooks flailing in the breeze, trying to…

Can a High School Grad Afford To Buy in North Texas?

By Candy's Dirt / July 20, 2019 /

From staff reports The good news? A person with a high school diploma could (in theory) afford to buy a home in North Texas. The bad news? It will probably take seven years (at least) to save the down payment. A new Zillow research report matched median mortgage payments in the country’s 50 largest metro…

Go Ask ALICE: Who Can Afford The Basics In North Texas?

By Candy's Dirt / February 3, 2019 /

More than 40 percent of Texans are one even minor catastrophe away from being unable to afford even the most basic needs, the United Way’s report on asset limited, income constrained, employed (or, ALICE) households revealed last week. The most recent ALICE report looks at how many in each state and county lived below its…