Texas Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Houston, Texas

Population: 2,144,500

Located in Harris County

Houston, Texas, the nation's fourth-largest city, is not shy when it comes to welcoming visitors, tourists and new residents. In fact, nearly 40 million people per year use Houston's two major airports. The city is indeed an active one, and the strength of the economy is simply one indicator of its lively character.

Employment in Houston continues to rise as new businesses choose this wonderful city as their new home. Houston is a multicultural city, with a large and growing international community rife with many cultural institutions and exhibits, attracting more than seven million visitors a year.

Houston remained among the dwindling number of major metros to post job growth, adding 87,000 jobs in 2007 and 17,800 in 2008. Houston has been buffered against the inroads of the deepening national recession by the strength of its upstream energy sector (oil and gas exploration and production and oilfield services), which in early 2009 was still adding jobs at a prodigious rate.

Houston, a city known as the Energy Capital of the World, is also a progressive city where environmental initiatives abound. It's entirely possible for visitors to take a completely green trip to Houston, even down to the visitors¹ guide.

"Houston is the global center of energy industry know-how and technology and we've expanded that to include renewable energy,² cites www.greenhoustotx.gov . ³Houston will continue to lead the way as a major energy center of the world in the 21st century."

In fact, Houston uses state-of-the-art infared cameras and a mobile air monitoring lab to target and stop harmful emissions. The city also has over 500 hybrid vehicles in use, including a hybrid dump truck. In addition, the University of Houston debuts the first of its kind ³Practice of Carbon Trading² course with emphasis on climate change and environmental law, emissions and commodity trading. This college course is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.

Furthermore, Houston ranks third among large cities for energy efficient commercial buildings, according to the EPA. Houston¹s energy efficient buildings saved $70.6 million dollars worth of energy in 2008.

Houston benefits not only from its strengths in energy, but also from such economic pillars as its dominance in engineering services, its leading position in medical care and research, and the nation¹s leading port in foreign tonnage.

Furthermore, Houston's energy industry is recognized worldwide, particularly for oil, and biomedical research, aeronautics, and the ship channel are also large parts of its economic base. The area is the world's leading center for building oilfield equipment. Much of Houston's success as a petrochemical complex is due to its busy man-made ship channel, the Port of Houston. The port ranks first in the United States in international commerce, and is the tenth-largest port in the world. Unlike most places, where high oil and gasoline prices are seen as harmful to the economy, they are generally seen as beneficial for Houston as many are employed in the energy industry.

Houston ranks second in employment growth rate and fourth in nominal employment growth among the 10 most populous metro areas in the U.S. In 2006, the Houston metropolitan area ranked first in Texas and third in the U.S. within the category of "Best Places for Business and Careers" by Forbes magazine. Forty foreign governments maintain trade and commercial offices here and the city has 23 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. Twenty foreign banks representing 10 nations operate in Houston, providing financial assistance to the international community.

With continued growth and expansion in Houston come opportunities to take advantage of the affordable housing market here. Recently, Houston was named the nation¹s healthiest housing market by Builder and Hanley Wood Market Intelligence in February 2009. And with the lowest cost of living among major metro areas, it¹s no wonder people from all around the nation are finding that Houston just makes more sense.

Houston did not suffer from a housing price collapse in 2008 because strong demand for single-family homes was readily accommodated with new construction, thus avoiding the speculative fever that affected so many markets. The median price of a single-family home in Houston rose 2.3 percent in 2007 and slipped 0.5 percent in 2008, according to data from the Houston Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Even so, the housing market maintains a healthy level of activity. The Houston MLS tallied more than 69,000 closings in 2008, and single-family housing starts in Houston are expected to run at only 20,000 to 25,000 in 2009.

The region's commitment to education is exemplary. Several schools offer specialized programs designed to give students individual attention and mentoring. There are more than 60 colleges and universities and dozens of institutions engaged in research and development in Houston. The city is home to Rice University, one of the United States's leading teaching and research universities and ranked the nation's 17th-best overall university by U.S. News & World Report. The University of Houston (UH) is Texas's third-largest public research university with more than 360,000 students from 130 countries, making it one of the most diverse campuses in the country. UH is a doctoral degree granting comprehensive research institution with more than 40 research centers and institutes. South Texas College of Law, Houston's oldest law school founded in 1923, has one of the nation's top programs for trial advocacy.

Other institutions of higher learning in the city include University of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University , and Texas Southern University, a historically black university. The Houston Community College System serves most of Houston and is the fourth-largest community college system in the United States. The Houston Community College System offers summer initiatives designed to better prepare high school students for the rigors of college life. The region's universities offer degree programs in everything from aerospace sciences to zoology. In addition, several Houston institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's Glassell School of Art offers educational programs designed to help adults increase their knowledge and skills.

There are 16 school districts serving the city. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the seventh-largest in the United States. HISD has 112 campuses that serve as magnet or vanguard schools specializing in such disciplines as health professions, visual and performing arts, and the sciences. There are also many charter schools that are run separately from school districts. In addition, some public school districts also have their own charter schools.

The Houston area is home to more than 300 private schools, many of which are accredited by Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) recognized agencies. The Houston Area Independent Schools, or HAIS, offer education from a variety of different religious as well as secular viewpoints. The Houston area Catholic schools are operated by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Houston is also the seat of the internationally-renowned Texas Medical Center, which contains the world's largest concentration of research and healthcare institutions. All 45 member institutions of the Texas Medical Center are non-profit organizations providing patient and preventive care, research, education, and local, national, and international community well-being. These institutions include 13 renowned hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and virtually all health-related careers. It is where one of the first and still the largest air emergency service was created, and a very successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world. Some of the academic and research health institutions in the center include Baylor College of Medicine , The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The Methodist Hospital, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has consistently ranked as one of the top two U.S. hospitals specializing in cancer care by U.S. News & World Report since 1990.

You could spend 365 days in Houston and still not experience everything this city has to offer. From world-class museums and theaters to family-friendly destinations such as NASA's Space Center Houston, Houston has it all. To see a list of community events in the Houston region, visit the Greater Houston Convention and Vistors Bureau Website at http://www.visithoustontexas.com/media/ghcvb_press_kit/Annual_Calendar_of_Ev ents_Revised

A few of Houston¹s popular community events include:

The Houston Livestock and Rodeo; The Houston International Festival; and The Houston Children¹s Festival.

Played at Redstone Golf Club¹s Tournament Course, 156 of the world¹s best golfers compete in the Shell Houston Open in pursuit of the $5 million-plus purse. The Houston Golf Association has been conducting PGA Tour events since 1946, making Houston¹s tournament the 10th oldest.

More than 250,000 spectators line Houston¹s downtown streets to view the Houston Art Car parade, which showcases Houston¹s most outlandish folk art creations on wheels. The Fruit Mobile, a 1967 Ford station wagon, started the craze in 1986.

Houston also has an active visual and performing arts scene. The Theater District is located downtown and is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second largest concentration of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States. Houston is one of only five U.S. cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera (Houston Grand Opera), ballet (Houston Ballet), music (Houston Symphony Orchestra), and theater (The Alley Theatre). Houston is also home to many local folk artists, art groups and various smaller progressive arts organizations. Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests. Houston is also proud to be home to the Bayou City Art Festival, which is considered to be one of the most-attended festivals in the southwest region.