DFW construction starts fall 16% in first three months of 2019 via Dallas Morning News

North Texas construction starts declined sharply in March.

Starts for both new commercial and residential building fell 25% from a year ago, according to Dodge Data & Analytics' tracking.

With March's data, Dallas-Fort Worth construction activity for the first quarter was down 16% from the first three months of 2018.

Read more...DFW construction starts fall 16% in first three months of 2019 via Dallas Morning News

Dallas-Fort Worth Economic Indicators April 2019 via Dallas Fed

Dallas–Fort Worth economic growth continued to be healthy in March. Payroll employment in the first quarter expanded at its fastest rate in two and a half years. Unemployment fell to an 18-year low, and the Dallas and Fort Worth business-cycle indexes expanded further. Office leasing activity and industrial demand remained solid in the first quarter.

Read more...Dallas-Fort Worth Economic Indicators April 2019 - Dallasfed.org

Texas Employment Forecast April 2019 via Dallas Fed

Incorporating March job growth of 2.2 percent and a third consecutive increase in the leading index, the Texas Employment Forecast suggests jobs will grow 1.8 percent this year (December/December), with an 80 percent confidence band of 0.6 to 3.0 percent. Based on the forecast, 226,700 jobs will be added in the state this year, and employment in December 2019 will be 12.9 million.

Read more...Texas Employment Forecast April 2019 via Dallas Fed

What Features Do Apartment Renters Value Most? via NREI

To attract residents, apartment managers are mixing amenities like swimming pools with activities like fitness classes.

“It isn’t enough to have the fitness center, clubhouse, pool mix… Instead, provide these as services that busy millennials and active boomers want,” says Tara Jeffcoat, senior research analyst for research firm Yardi Matrix, based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

To get the right combination of apartment amenities, services and features, developers and property managers need to look at research on what their residents want, so that they can tailor the properties to their local apartment markets.

Read more...What Features Do Apartment Renters Value Most? via NREI

Kingsley: Boston and Chicago Tied for Most Satisfied Rental Markets via Multifamily Executive

National renter satisfaction spiked this past quarter with 78.5% of residents reporting “Good” or “Excellent” satisfaction with their renting experience, which is up significantly from the 77.9% of residents who were satisfied at the end of 2018. Another quarter of increasing resident satisfaction marks a total of six continuous quarters of resident satisfaction on the rise.

Read more...Kingsley: Boston and Chicago Tied for Most Satisfied Rental Markets via Multifamily Executive

More Americans are moving, mostly to Sun Belt suburbs via The Hill

A decade after the worst recession in modern history froze many Americans in place, the number of people with enough economic security to move is starting to rise once again, according to new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Those estimates show more Americans are moving from Rust Belt and Northeastern cities, including some of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, in favor of booming cities and suburbs across the Sun Belt and the West Coast.

Read more...More Americans are moving, mostly to Sun Belt suburbs via The Hill

Multifamily Ramps Up As Relocations Mount via GlobeSt

Headquarter relocations, expansions and corporate moves have characterized the Texas market for the last decade. Every metro has experienced one or more major corporate move during that timeframe, according to a list by the HT Group.

Most notably, Apple announced it would nearly double its Austin-area workforce with 5,000 new jobs and potentially 10,000 more over time. The move is expected to make Apple the largest private employer in Austin and will be the company’s biggest corporate location outside of California.

Read more...Multifamily Ramps Up As Relocations Mount via GlobeSt

ALN Monthly Market Stats April 2019 via ALN Apartment Data

ALN Data just released their March 2019 market stats on occupancy and rents for over 80 markets. In Texas, it includes DFW, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Corpus Christi and more. It is a must read from a great provider of apartment data.

Read more...ALN Monthly Market Stats April 2019 via ALN Apartment Data

Eleventh District Beige Book April 2019 via Dallas Fed

Moderate expansion continued in the Eleventh District economy. Manufacturing output increased. Retail sales were flat, and growth in the nonfinancial services sector softened. Loan volumes expanded led by growth in commercial real estate lending, and home sales rose, further boosting optimism in outlooks. Soil moisture was mostly adequate, though rains delayed crop planting in some areas. Activity in the energy sector expanded. Employment rose moderately, despite a tight labor market. Wage growth remained elevated, while price growth was mixed. Outlooks stayed positive or improved in most sectors with the exception of nonfinancial services.

Read more...Eleventh District Beige Book April 2019 via Dallas Fed

Houston Economic Indicators April 2019 via Dallas Fed

Houston job growth, leading and coincident indicators, and oil and fuel prices have improved over the past few months. Mining-related employment continued to grow, and bank lending expanded faster in the region than the nation. Taken together, the trends suggest the outlook for Houston remains positive.

Read more... Houston Economic Indicators April 2019 via dallasfed.org

Austin Economic Indicators April 5, 2019 via Dallas Fed

The Austin economy grew moderately in February. The Austin Business-Cycle Index expanded but remained below its long-term trend. Recent job growth was generally positive across sectors, outside of weakness in the health and private education industry. Hourly wages ticked down, while home prices declined and sales increased.

Read more...Austin Economic Indicators April 5, 2019 via Dallas Fed

Texas Economic Indicators March via Dallas Fed

Texas economic indicators pointed to moderate economic growth in February. Job growth was near its long-run average, and unemployment remained low. The Texas Leading Index improved. Oil prices have been gradually rising since the beginning of the year, though the rig count has been falling. Construction spending slumped in the month, but existing-home sales improved.

Read more... Texas Economic Indicators 3/25/19 via dallasfed.org