At the end of 2009, 10% of mortgages had at least 1-payment past due and another 5% of mortgages were in the foreclosure process. At the end of the 3rd quarter of 2011 8% of mortgages had at least 1-payment past due and another 4% of mortgages were in the foreclosure process. Currently, there are fewer homes being foreclosed on. Many families are concerned about inflation in the US. It has caused prices to rise throughout the country by about 64% over the last 20 years. That’s an annual increase of 2.5%. An example that looks grim is that a person who retired December of 1990 on a fixed income with no cost of living adjustments would have 61% of their purchasing power as of December of 2010. That surprising example keeps consumers teetering between purchasing homes and staying in their current homes. The good news for Houston is that our current housing inventory has reduced, interest rates are low, and we have the most stable housing market in the country. Consumers buying homes in Houston, Texas have a lot more buying power than home buyers in other areas of the country.
