
We buy houses. We renovate houses. We sell houses or rent them out. But whatever we do has to make sense. Right now, it’s getting harder to buy rental houses in many Texas markets. That means it’s getting harder for tenants to find houses they can both afford and want to rent.
One thing Austin and Cameron have in common is a shortage of housing most people can afford. I’m avoiding the term “affordable housing,” because of the connotation of it being subsidized.
- In Cameron, many teachers and other professionals commute in to their jobs because as even the school superintendent noted, “I could rent houses in the $900-$1000 range in no time.” There just aren’t many houses in that price range, and those that exist stay rented. We were able to relet one of ours before the previous tenants moved out.
- In Austin, our available rentals seldom stay on the market for more than a few days.
- Tenants are staying in place more than they used to. A few have even been asking for two-year leases or longer.
- Nationally, many older folks (and young singles) are having to take on roommates to afford their rent, ala Golden Girls.