Blog Articles | REPUBLIC TITLE

MUDS, PIDS, and Other Special Districts

September 27, 2023

by Republic Title Real Estate Articles Resources

The DFW area is home to some of the largest master planned communities and subdivisions in the country. As these areas are developed, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), Public Improvement Districts (PIDs) and other special districts are often set-up to finance the construction of vital public infrastructure that does not yet exist. The cost of the installation of this infrastructure is passed on to the final homeowners in the form of additional taxes that are paid after the community is developed. It is important for new home buyers in the area to understand these special districts and how they work to avoid surprises.

MUD- Municipal Utility Districts

What is it: A Municipal Utility Districts (MUD) is a governmental entity created to fund improvements, or infrastructure, or utility services to a designated area. Typically, a MUD is created in an area outside city limits or outside where a city was previously providing utility services.

Notification Requirements: Sellers of real property located in a MUD must provide a notice to buyers prior to the execution of the sales contract. The notice may be given separately or as an addendum to the contract.

How do I find out if a property is in a MUD? A MUD is created under the authority of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ). To find out if an address is in a MUD, you may search the address online: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/gis/iwudview.html. As of June 18, 2023, a MUD is required to make the completed notice available online, as well as file them with the county Real Property Records.

PID- Public Improvement Districts

What is it: A Public Improvement Districts (PID) is a special district created by a city or county to pay for improvements such as landscaping, parks, lakes and fountains and other recreational and pedestrian improvements. With a PID, a specific area receives funds for the improvements, and owners of the benefited land pay back the amount. This amount may be paid upfront or over a course of time, until the full amount is paid off. Unlike HOA dues, a PID may be tax deductible.

Notification Requirements: Sellers of real property located in a PID must provide a notice to buyers prior to the execution

of the sales contract. The notice may be given separately or as an addendum to the contract. A separate copy of the notice must be signed notarized and recorded at closing.

How do I find out if a property is in a PID? PIDs may appear on the County Appraisal District’s website, on Seller’s tax bills, or on the PIDs website. The PID is also required to file a copy of the notice in the county Real Property Records.

TIF-Tax Increment Financing

What is it: Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a tool that incentivizes economic development of a specific area called a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TRIZ) or TIF Districts. Cities, alone or in partnership with other taxing units, can use a TIF to pay for improvements to a zone in an effort to attract new development.

Notification Requirements: Seller is not required to notify a buyer if a property is in a TRIZ.

How do I find out if a Property is in TRIZ? The governing body of the city or county that created the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones TIRZ must send an annual report detailing the TIF project’s progress to the chief executive officer of each taxing unit participating in the TIRZ and to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. There are currently 19 active TIRZ Dallas and 11 in Fort Worth.

WCID- Water Control and Improvement District

What is it: A Water Control and Improvement District (WCID) is a special district that provides water, wastewater and drainage services to a specified area. Both a WCID and a MUD are types of Water Districts controlled by TCEQ.

Notification Requirements: Sellers of real property located in a WCID must provide a notice to buyers prior to the execution of the sales contract. The notice may be given separately or as an addendum to the contract.

How do I find out if the property is in a WCID? Property address may be searched thru TCEQs website: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/gis/iwudview.html.

Realtor Tip: All required notices given prior to the execution of the contract should be listed in the contract or are attached to contract at the time of signing. (See paragraph 6E(11) of the TREC One to Four Family Residential Contract.)

August 2023 DFW Real Estate Stats

September 26, 2023

by Republic Title Resources Stats Video

The North Texas real estate market in August 2023 continues to present intriguing dynamics. Here’s the latest data:

Average Days on Market:

Average days on market up across the board with Collin County up 47.8%, Dallas County up 33.3%, Denton County up 81%, Tarrant County up 70% and…Rockwall County: Surging over 2022 with an increase of 109%

Closed Sales Year Over Year:

Across all counties: Down, indicating a challenging market

Average Sales Prices:

Dallas County: On the rise by a remarkable increase of 16% , with an average sales price of $550,540
Collin County: Down slightly (2.2%), with an average sales price of $594,537

In this ever-evolving real estate landscape, understanding local market trends is essential. Whether you’re buying, selling, or investing, our team is here to provide expert guidance tailored to your needs.

Our stats infographics include a year over year comparison and area highlights for single family homes broken down by county. We encourage you to share these infographics and video with your sphere.

For more stats information, pdfs and graphics of our stats including detailed information by county, visit the Resources section on our website at DFW Area Real Estate Statistics | Republic Title of Texas.

For the full report from the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, click here. For NTREIS County reports click here.

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Spotlight on Fort Worth

September 22, 2023

by Riki Salmeron Resources

Whether you’re a lifelong resident or new to the area, there’s always something new to discover about your neighborhood. With that in mind, we created a Fast Facts sheet for cities and neighborhoods all over the DFW area. Our DFW Area fast facts have detailed real estate insights, things to do, places to shop and some of our favorite restaurants in each area.

Fort Worth is a vibrant city with a unique blend of Western heritage and contemporary charm. Known as the “City of Cowboys and Culture,” Fort Worth offers visitors a wealth of experiences, from exploring the Fort Worth Stockyards and attending thrilling rodeos to immersing themselves in the world-class art museums of the Cultural District. With its lively downtown, delicious Texan cuisine, and warm hospitality, Fort Worth embodies a rich history while embracing the energy of a modern metropolis.

Head to our website now to get all the details you need to stay up-to-date and in-the-know about your local neighborhood. Your community is waiting for you! republictitle.com/dfw-area-city-fast-facts

POPULATION

936K

AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME

$85K

MEDIAN AGE

33

HOUSING

57% OWN
43% RENT

AVERAGE SALES PRICE

$406K

AREA ACTIVITIES & FEATURES

• FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS
• FORT WORTH ZOO
• KIMBELL ART MUSEUM
• LOG CABIN VILLAGE
• MARSH BOARDWALK
• EAGLE MOUNTAIN LAKE
• MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
• PANTHER ISLAND PAVILION
• AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
• FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY
• FORT WORTH WATER GARDENS
• BOTANIC GARDENS
• TRINITY TRAILS

FAVORITE LOCAL DINING & DRINK SPOTS

• 97 WEST KITCHEN + BAR HOTEL DROVER • CATERINA’S • H3 RANCH •
• GRACE • LILI’S BISTRO • LONESOME DOVE WESTERN BISTRO • FORT WORTH FOOD WORK
• GAME THEORY • LOS VAQUEROS • RIGHTEOUS FOODS
• TASTE PROJECT/TASTE COMMUNITY RESTAURANT • JOE T GARCIA’S •
• BONNELL’S FINE TEXAS CUISINE • LITTLE RED WASP •
• REATA RESTAURANT • WATERS RESTAURANT •

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOPPING

• CATTLE BARN FLEA MARKET • STOCKYARDS •
• SUNDANCE SQUARE • THE SHOPS AT CLEARFORK • UNIVERSITY PARK VILLAGE VILLAGE •
• WEST 7TH • WESTBEND • THE VILLAGE AT CAMP BOWIE •

AVERAGE DRIVE TIMES

• DOWNTOWN DALLAS | 40 MINUTES
• DALLAS LOVE FIELD AIRPORT | 38 MINUTES
• DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | 30 MINUTES
• AT&T STADIUM & GLOBE LIFE FIELD | 25 MINUTES

**Print Version

Texas Housing Insight July 2023 Summary

September 11, 2023

by Republic Title Real Estate Articles Resources Stats

The persistent rise in mortgage rates continued to exert a cooling effect on the housing market. Texas’ home sales experienced an 8.4 percent year-over-year decline in July. Despite this diminished home demand, the scarcity of existing home sales contributed to a 2.1 percent increase in the state’s median price in 2023, leaving the index for shelter the greatest driver behind the escalating living costs. While existing home sales declined, residential construction starts continued to climb. At the same time, permits have fallen for several consecutive months, signaling a possible decline in starts in the near future.

Housing Market for New Construction in High Demand

More prospective buyers are dissuaded from making a home purchase in today’s high-interest environment, leading to a drop in sales. Compared with last month’s reading at 28,000 and July 2020’s record high at 38,400 transactions, Texas’ total home sales fell below 26,000 transactions this month. Monthly sales volume contracted 8.4 percent month over month (MOM) and 32 percent in three years (Table 1).

Despite the reduced housing demand, the market share of new construction sales ballooned. Within a year, the share of new construction sales rose from 15.2 percent to more than 20 percent, indicating every five closed listings is now a new home. Both demand and supply factors contributed to the increasing trend for new homes. The shortage of existing homes is due to current owners’ reluctance to give up their current homes. For more information on Austin’s new construction, read “Austin Home Price Illusion” at https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/tierra-grande/Austin-Home-Price-Illusion-2378.

Texas’ average days on market (DOM) stayed at 56 days for the second straight month, deviating from the steep rebounding trend that lasted for over a year. The current reading is merely three days short of the five-year average before 2020, which stood at 59 days. The consistent reading suggests that the housing market may have reached a state of equilibrium. Among the major metros, Austin and San Antonio reported a longer-than-average DOM of 69 days, while Dallas and Houston had DOM figures of 46 days and 49 days, respectively.

The number of active listings rose to 2.3 percent, reaching just above 85,000 listings. All four of the major metros posted positive monthly gains with Dallas accounting for the largest gain at 5.7 percent MOM while Houston remained at last month’s level with a 0.4 percent MOM game. Conversely, the state’s new listings dipped by 12.7 percent to 36,880 units, with Dallas contributing significantly to this double-digit decline by registering a decrease of 1,800 units in July. Amid the rise in active listings, months of inventory (MOI) had a marginal gain to 3.3 months.

Since the Fed hiked interest rates by another quarter point, both treasury rates and mortgage rates increased in July. The ten-year U.S. Treasury Bond yield grew 15 basis points, reaching 3.9 percent. Likewise, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation’s 30-year fixed-rate increased to 6.8 percent, up 13 basis points. The inflated mortgage rate is expected to further raise the cost of home ownership and decrease mortgage applications.

Single-Family Permit Levels Continue to Drop

Texas’ single-family construction permits shrank to 12,240 applications in July after seasonal adjustment, marking a 3 percent MOM decrease. Houston’s (4,070 permits) contribution to the monthly shrinkage was prominent, as permits plummeted 17.8 percent MOM. Although Austin (1,380 permits) reported the largest rebound of 34.3 percent MOM, the gain was not enough to cover half of Houston’s loss. Dallas (3,540 permits) and San Antonio (760 permits) maintained their activity levels like June.

Construction starts had not yet reflected the decline in construction permits. After three consecutive growths, single-family construction starts in Texas balanced at 11,450 units. Both Dallas and Houston led with over 3,200 houses breaking ground, surpassing the combined total of other metros outside the “Big Four.” The ratio between home projects in Austin (1,580 starts) and San Antonio (810 starts) remained at approximately 2:1.

The state’s total single-family starts value reached $18.8 billion, up from $15.9 billion in June. While the current starts value fell short of the peak during the pandemic frenzy in 2020-22, it aligned with construction activity levels observed in 2019. Notably, Houston and Dallas remain pivotal players, contributing to more than half of the state’s construction activity values. Dallas’ market share rose to 27.6 percent, closely trailing Houston’s 27.7 percent share.

Steady and Modest Price Gains Amid Sales Decline

The low supply of homes had supported price gains, and the steady uptick in Texas’ median home prices, including both new and existing homes, moderated from 0.4 percent in the first five months to 0.2 percent in June and July. Three of the Big Four metros reported monthly changes of less than 1 percent, indicating price stability for the state’s housing market. Austin’s median price remained more elevated than all other metros at $454,000 (Table 2). Dallas followed with $398,300.

Amid Austin’s recent price volatility, this metro was still approximately 10 percent below last year’s $507,400 median price. Meanwhile, the state along with the other major metros narrowed the gap to 1 percent, down from 5 percent in June. These changes indicate the real estate industry has nearly reached a full recovery from the price correction observed in the second half of 2022.

Since the dip from July to December 2022, the Texas Repeat Sales Home Price Index (Dec 2004=100) had reverted to the trend. Though the acceleration slowed to 0.7 percent YOY, the index balanced at 229.4, beating June 2022’s record-high reading when the annual increase was at an astonishing rate of 16.5 percent YOY. The elevated index corroborates a rebound in home price appreciation in 2023.

Despite the challenge of high mortgage rates and reduced housing demand, the market share of new construction sales surged. Within a year, the share of new construction sales rose from 16.3 percent to more than 20 percent, indicating every five closed listings is a new home. Both demand and supply factors contributed to the increasing trend for new homes. The shortage of existing homes is due to current owners’ reluctance to give up their current homes, while the state’s consistent home demand, fueled by a growing population, is spurring new construction orders.

Texas’ average days on market (DOM) stayed at 56 for the second straight month, deviating from the steep rebounding trend observed for over a year. The current reading is merely three days short of the five-year average before 2020, which stood at 59 days. The consistent reading suggests that the housing market may have reached a state of equilibrium. Among the major metros, Austin and San Antonio both reported a DOM of 71 days, while Dallas and Houston had DOM figures of 52 days and 49 days, respectively.

Steady and Modest Price Gains Amid Sales Volatility

Texas’ median home prices continued to show its strength by increasing 0.3 percent to $337,900 (Table 2). Austin recorded the largest monthly gain of 4.2 percent, reaching a price peak in the past nine months. The remaining three metros recorded changes of less than 1 percent.

Despite Austin’s price hike in June, this metro was still close to 10 percent below last year’s record high, facing the largest price gap. Meanwhile, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio had less than 5 percent to bridge. These price drops indicate the real estate industry still has room to recover from the price correction observed in the second half of 2022.

The Texas Repeat Sales Home Price Index, which accounts for compositional price effects and provides a better measure of change in single-family home values, showed a slight advance of 0.3 percent MOM and 0.1 percent YOY. Houston had the highest annual appreciation with 1.6 percent YOY increase, while Austin remained balanced with no YOY changes.

Mortgage rates typically follow Treasury rates, and both increased in June. The ten-year U.S. Treasury Bond yield grew 18 basis points, reaching 3.8 percent. Likewise, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation’s 30-year fixed-rate increased moderately to 6.7 percent, up 28 basis points. With the Fed resuming their increasing of interest rates in July, both the bond and the mortgage rates also grew.

Source – Joshua Roberson, Weiling Yan, and Koby McMeans (September 7, 2023)

https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/technical-report/Texas-Housing-Insight

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Spotlight on Dallas

September 8, 2023

by Republic Title Resources

Dallas is a dynamic and cosmopolitan city known for its thriving economy, diverse culture, and iconic landmarks. From the historic Dealey Plaza to the bustling Arts District, Dallas offers a range of attractions, including world-class museums, vibrant entertainment venues, and a renowned culinary scene. With its blend of Southern charm and modern urban development, Dallas is a destination that seamlessly combines business opportunities, cultural experiences, and a rich Texan heritage.

Head to our website now to get all the details you need to stay up-to-date and in-the-know about your local neighborhood. Your community is waiting for you! republictitle.com/dfw-area-city-fast-facts

POPULATION

1.2M

AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME

$87K

MEDIAN AGE

33

HOUSING

41% OWN
59% RENT

AVERAGE SALES PRICE