Date Archives: June 2019

There is much discussion regarding the Hispanic growth in Texas, but even more startling is the rapid growth of the Asian community, heavily concentrating in the Dallas and Houston suburbs.  All-together, Asians had a 49 percent growth in Texas between 2010 and 2018, with an even faster acceleration in the past 2 years.

Asian (Green) Hispanic (Yellow) African American (Blue) White (Red)

• Texas Tribune, June 20, 2019

There has been much chagrin among native Texans that the influx of Californians would change Texas politics, since Texas is a "red" state and California is a "blue" state.  Not so, says a recent generalized study by the Dallas Morning News.  In an exhaustive research of social media postings of Californians moving to Texas it appears that a majority of these new residents lean conservative – and conservative Texas politics and low taxes are two of the factors with so many moving to the Lone Star State.   So the recent new billboards in West Texas stating, "Don't Californiaize Texas," may be misinformed.   Californians are now moving to Texas in record numbers, and the trend is expected to only increase.   Now, maybe the increased traffic could be a bigger issue.

• Dallas Morning News, June 22, 2019 (excerpts) 

The state of Texas is adding about nine Hispanic residents to its population for every one white resident, the United States Census Bureau states.  The Texas Tribune published the latest Census Bureau data and projections which indicate that between 2010 and 2018 the Hispanic population in Texas has grown at nearly four times the rate of the white resident population and more than three times the rate of the black resident population.  Today, the Texas Hispanic population stands at almost 11.4 million. This indicates that Texas adds nearly 215,000 Hispanic residents every year, while the black resident population grows by only 60,000 a year and the white resident population grows by about 54,000, on average, a year.  Last year, alone, the white resident population of Texas grew by only about 24,000.

Hispanics, the Census data indicates, could become the largest population group in the state by as early as 2022, outpacing the 11.9 million white residents who currently live in Texas.

• Texas Tribune, June 20, 2019

When you own your home, things are going to break and, unless you want to spend your money on visits from a neighborhood handyman, you're going to need to fix them yourself. Luckily, you don't need an arsenal of tools to handle most home maintenance fixes. These five tools will cover most of your basic projects.

1. Cordless drill. A cordless drill is a must-have for installing cabinets, drawer pulls, hinges, picture frames, shelves and hooks, and more. Whether it's for do-it-yourself projects or repairs, you'll use your cordless drill just about every month.
2. Drain cleaners. Shower and bathroom sink drains are susceptible to clogs because of the daily buildup of hair and whisker clippings. You can use chemical clog removers like Drano, but they're expensive and the lingering chemical scent is unpleasant. Instead, buy some plastic drain cleaners that can reach into the drain to pull out the clog of hair and gunk. You can purchase them on Amazon or at a local hardware store for a low price.
3. Shop-vac. No matter how careful you are, spills and accidents will happen and there are some tasks that just can't be handled with paper towels or a standard vacuum, like pet messes or broken glass.
4. Loppers. Even the minimum amount of care for your landscaping will require some loppers to remove damaged branches, vines, thick weeds, and any other unruly plants in your yard.
5. Flashlight. You're going to want something a little more powerful than your iPhone flashlight when you're in the crawlspace!

Dallas-area home prices were up just 3% in the latest nationwide comparison.  The year-over-year price gain from March 2018 levels was the smallest increase in seven years in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.  Nationwide prices rose 3.7% from a year ago, continuing a trend toward weaker housing appreciation in many U.S. metro areas.  "Home price gains continue to slow," S&P's David M. Blitzer said in the report. "The patterns seen in the last year or more continue: Year-over-year price gains in most cities are consistently shrinking.  "Double-digit annual gains have vanished."  An increase in houses for sale in North Texas and rising affordability problems have caused the local housing market to cool. Through the first four months of 2019, home sales by real estate agents are down 1% from the same period last year.

• Dallas Morning News, May 29, 2019

One of the big accomplishments of the 2019 Texas State Legislature was the passing of a bill that slowed the growth of city and county tax bills by imposing a 3.5% cap on revenue collections over the previous year.  This was a change from the 8% allowed increase without voter approval.  Local city and county leaders say the move is dangerous and will result in cuts to service and an ability to fully pay for public safety.   The cap could be exceeded if voters approve the tax increase in an election.  Currently, cities and counties can increase tax revenue up to the 8% without approval from the voters.

• Dallas Morning News, May 28, 2019

Fort Worth surpassed 895,000 residents in 2018, cementing its place as one of the largest cities in the country.   Fort Worth grew by 19,500 people, or 2.2 percent, from 2017 to 2018, overtaking Columbus, Ohio and San Francisco, California as the 13th most-populous U.S. city.   "The Dallas-Fort Worth region -- now 4th largest metro nationwide -- and the Texas brand continue to attract business and top talent to fuel our economy," Bill Thornton, president & CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. "When people see that Fort Worth is larger than San Francisco, it should pique some curiosity about what's going on here."    Fort Worth is the fifth most-populated city in Texas, behind Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin. Houston held steady as the fourth-largest city in the nation, adding 8,000 people in 2017.   Dallas remained the 9th most-populated city in the nation, adding fewer than 2,000 people last year. 

• Dallas Morning News, May 23, 2019

Collin County residents finally have an answer about solutions to relieve congestion on US 380.  Texas Department of Transportation officials are recommending a bypass for US 380 from the Denton County line to Hunt County line, according to details released at a meeting May 6 in McKinney. TxDOT's preferred alignment is a combination of its previous options, which were labeled in earlier plans as Red A, Red D and Green B.

This preferred alignment will start in Prosper along US 380's current alignment then run north between Ridge Road and Stonebridge Drive in McKinney, avoiding the Tucker Hill neighborhood. The alignment then continues east along Bloomdale Road, moves slightly north and connects with US 75 near Laud Howell Parkway. It reconnects with US 380 at Airport Drive. The alignment also connects US 380 to SH 121 west of the McKinney National Airport. The alignment also runs south of New Hope, north of Princeton and south of Farmersville.

Talk about ways to alleviate traffic congestion on US 380 began in April 2018 when TxDOT presented five proposed alignments for the roadway. Those were narrowed to two in October. In March, residents learned about two new proposed bypass segments being considered for US 380 in Collin County.  TxDOT's recommended alignment is estimated to cost $2.597 billion.

Once the study is complete, a final design, construction plans and cost estimates will be determined.

• Community Impact, May 9, 2019