What Is the Real Estate Gridlock Index™?
Think of it as a traffic report for the housing market.
The Real Estate Gridlock Index™ is a proprietary calculation combining homes for sale, days on market, and interest rates into a single number measuring how backed up the housing market is.
More homes + more days + higher rates = more gridlock.
A Lake Houston Flood District Has Been Created
Flood protection around Lake Houston may be moving toward a more sustainable model. The newly created flood district is designed to support ongoing dredging of sediment carried downstream through the San Jacinto watershed.
Over time, sand and silt settle where the water slows, reducing the system’s capacity and contributing to flood risk. Dredging removes that accumulated material and pumps it to shore, where usable sand can be separated and sold.
The important twist is the funding model: revenue from selling dredged sand can help pay for continued dredging without creating a new tax.
Dredging won’t eliminate flooding, but maintaining the lake and river system’s capacity can reduce flood risk while also improving navigation.
Builders Keep Building in the Face of Soft Demand
Higher mortgage rates have cooled housing demand, but North Texas developers are still playing the long game. Major master-planned communities continue moving forward across the DFW region—from Anna and Prosper to McKinney, Little Elm, Northlake and Mansfield. That may seem counterintuitive when today’s buyers are more cautious, but developers aren’t making decisions based solely on this year’s market.
Large communities can take 10 to 20 years to develop.
Builders are positioning themselves for continued population growth, securing desirable land before it becomes harder or more expensive to acquire, and preparing inventory for the next housing cycle.
Today’s soft demand doesn’t necessarily mean developers expect North Texas to remain soft. Their continued investment suggests they’re betting on what comes next.
Facing a real estate decision?
Hit reply and tell me what's going on.
If I can help, I will.
Until next time,
— Shawn McDonald
McDonald Insider Intelligence™
Broker, McDonald & Associates Realty, LLC