Homeowners Unaware of Looming Insurance Hit

Home insurance costs are set to soar for people living in high-risk areas and residential real estate investors as climate change becomes more severe across the US, according to a whitepaper on the impact of global warming on property.

Titled ‘Weathering the Storm: Burgeoning Insurance Costs for Real Estate,’ the 14-page report by proptech firm SitusAMC outlines that people living in areas at high risk from natural disasters were largely unaware of rising home insurance costs.

The report highlighted that extreme weather events would impact the entire country and not just along vulnerable coastlines such as South Florida, warning that there was a “substantial disconnect between insurers and real estate market participants about the magnitude of these (insurance premium) increases”. Click to read more at www.mpamag.com.

Elandis Acquires 569-unit Multifamily Communities in Houston

HOUSTON, Nov 2021 –Elandis, a real estate ownership and property management company, today announced that it has acquired Hudson & Crosby at Westchase, two multifamily communities with a combined 569 residential units in Houston.

Located at 2909 Hayes Rd., Houston, Texas, the two-story properties ideally match Elandis’s stated goal of acquiring workforce housing communities throughout the Sun Belt states. The acquisition price was not disclosed.
The centrally located communities, which were built in 1980, have three shopping centers within a half mile for ease of shopping and for meeting residents’ everyday needs. It is also within easy access of major thoroughfares.

Hudson & Crosby at Westchase feature one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, along with shared amenities which include a swimming pool and clubhouse, covered parking, business center, and a fitness center. The communities will benefit from a comprehensive in-unit upgrade program, along with upgrades to its common areas and amenities. Click to read more at www.elandis.com.

Investors Management Group Acquires its 5th San Antonio Apartment Community

Investors Management Group (“IMG”), a West Coast-based real estate investment and asset management firm, has closed the acquisition of Hardy Oak, a 312-unit apartment community in San Antonio, for an undisclosed price.

Located at 23975 Hardy Oak Blvd, the gated property consists of 13 buildings constructed in 2020. The luxury community offers a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 791 to 1,446 square feet. A modern-contemporary design clubhouse and coworking center, resort-style pool, outdoor kitchen, and walking trails highlight the resident amenities.

IMG has transacted a total of $484 million in Sun Belt assets in 2021. Hardy Oak represents IMG’s 5th acquisition in North San Antonio since September 2020.

According to Principal & Co-President Karlin Conklin, “Austin’s expanding tech industry has turbocharged investor interest in the Austin-San Antonio corridor.” She notes that IMG’s recent San Antonio acquisitions reflect nearly $100 million in private equity coming from over 450 accredited investors across the U.S.

“San Antonio is becoming a tech hub in its own right. It’s attracting high-earning transplants. The uptick in luxury multifamily development reflects that shift,” adds CEO Neil Schimmel. “The population surge in this area is among the most notable growth stories in the country.”

San Antonio has joined Austin, Houston, and Dallas on the leaderboard for fastest-growing large metros, with the latest U.S. Census reporting San Antonio’s 2010-2020 growth at 19.4%.

Freddie Mac financing for the Hardy Oak acquisition was secured through Charlie Mentzer at Capital One. Will Balthrope and Drew Garza of Institutional Property Advisors (IPA) served as brokers in the transaction.

Mark Cuban Has Bought a 77-Acre Town in Texas, a Report Says

Billionaire Mark Cuban has bought a 77-acre town south of Dallas, per The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t know what if anything I will do with it,” Cuban said in an email, per the publication. Cuban has a fortune of around $5.9 billion. It’s unclear what he paid for the town. Click to read more at www.businessinsider.com.

The Newest Texans Are Not Who You Think They Are

What an attractive crowd!” cheered Fredrik Eklund, the Swedish-born celebrity real estate broker who stars on the hit Bravo reality show Million Dollar Listing. He stood on the patio of a newly built home in Tarrytown, the tony neighborhood that hugs the shores of Lake Austin, addressing the local brokers who were packed into the yard. It was the launch party for the Austin branch of Douglas Elliman, a brokerage famous in New York and California for selling luxury homes and high-rise condos.

Eklund, who wore a double-breasted navy linen jacket, snug-fitting white slacks, and sockless dress shoes, seemed a little surprised that the crowd had matched him ankle for stylish ankle, but he didn’t linger on it. Speeches had to be made, toasts given, and then he’d board a plane for Miami first thing in the morning, after fewer than 24 hours in the Texas capital. For the moment, his job was simply to be seen, to lend some sizzle to the occasion. Not only was Elliman moving in on Texas real estate, it had brought its biggest gun, Eklund, one of the country’s top real estate brokers, who also happens to be a bona fide TV star.

Not that Austin—or this house—needed any help in the sizzle category. The three-story brick-and-shingle mansion had sold in two days for considerably more than its $16.25 million asking price, to an out-of-town buyer whose identity was confidential (but who was rumored to be to an entrepreneur from Los Angeles). Click to read more at www.texasmonthly.com.

Texas Republicans Claim ‘Don’t California My Texas’ but Continue to Recruit California Businesses

AUSTIN — “Don’t California my Texas” has become a rallying cry for the state’s conservative officials but it’s those same leaders who tout triumph when California-based businesses and its residents relocate to the Lone Star state — to which many have.

The phrase first came about as a push against liberal ideals often associated with California. It is repeated enough that in 2018, Gov. Greg Abbott used the phrase in a petition as part of his re-election campaign.

At the same time, Texas is out-competing every state four to one in securing the headquarters of California-based businesses, many of which are all together relocating their headquarters to the state, according to a study by McKinney-based Spectrum Location Solutions and Stanford University’s Hoover Institution released in August.

The study found Texas gained at least 114 California businesses from Jan. 1, 2018 through June 30, 2021. Tennessee was next with 25 California-based businesses relocating to the Volunteer State, it said. Of those, 41 companies planted corporate flags in North Texas. The Austin area claimed 57, Houston got nine and the San Antonio area attracted six, the report said. Click to read more at www.palestineherald.com.