A case for permit shot clocks builds as approval durations
There's a skinny infill lot about four blocks from me on Chicon Street that's been sitting behind a chain-link fence with a dumpster on it for going on
Texas / Local Insider
What the listing photos don't tell you.
I'm Margaret Blackwell. I've lived and worked in Texas neighborhoods for twenty years, and this site is where I write down the things I notice on the ground — the stuff that never makes it into an MLS description.
Read the Field Notes → Typical time on market, metro Texas 30–60 days
Effective property tax rate (statewide avg.) ~1.6–2.2%
HOA dues, planned suburbs $30–$400/mo
Typical down payment range 6–20%
Homestead exemption varies by county
General ranges only, not a quote for any specific property — always verify current figures against MLS data or your county appraisal district.
On My Radar This Month
Watching closely
Austin — East Side Austin — East Side
Infill builds keep landing on lots that held one ranch house two years back. Nobody’s calling it a rezoning, but the block is quietly doubling in density.
Business as usual
Houston — Inside the Loop Houston — Inside the Loop
No zoning means the surprises run both ways — a new coffee bar next to a 1958 ranch, or four stories going up against your back fence.
Shifting fast
Dallas — Bishop Arts spillover Dallas — Bishop Arts spillover
Buyers ask about the DART stop before they ask about the school zone now. That tells you where the actual demand is coming from.
Outpacing the infrastructure
San Antonio — Alamo Ranch San Antonio — Alamo Ranch
New rooftops keep pushing west past 1604 faster than the county can widen the roads underneath them. Buyers touring on a Saturday morning don’t see the Monday commute that comes with it.
Quietly flipping
Fort Worth — Near Southside Fort Worth — Near Southside
Bungalows near the medical district are getting bought sight-unseen by out-of-state investors before they ever hit the MLS photos. Half the “starter homes” here have a permit sign out front within six months of closing.
Relocation-driven
Plano — Legacy West Plano — Legacy West
Every time another company relocates its headquarters out here, I get calls from families who’ve never set foot in Texas asking about school ratings before they’ve even seen a floor plan. The HOA paperwork alone can run longer than the inspection report.
Neighborhood snapshots reflect my own observations, not active listing data — see the Field Notes for sourced, dated coverage.
Latest Field Notes 62 published
In-Law Suite and ADU Financing: HELOC vs. Cash-Out
She'd already picked out the tile. Had a contractor she liked. Her in-laws were flying in from Corpus Christi to see the backyard before work even
DSCR loans are booming amid fragmented underwriting
A few months back I was talking to an investor friend who owns a small portfolio of long-term rentals — a couple of houses off Springdale, one over near
Property-Tax Deferral vs. a Reverse Mortgage: The
A woman down the street from me — I'll call her Carol, because she'd kill me if I used her real name — spent most of last year trying to get a reverse
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Learn how to clean shower glass, remove soap scum and hard-water stains, and choose a safe method for coated glass, hardware, and nearby stone.
Park Street Homes expands urban infill homebuilding model
Park Street Homes has been doing something quietly in urban Texas neighborhoods that most of the big production builders won't touch: squeezing new
Questions People Actually Ask Me
Everyone says Texas has no income tax — so what’s the catch?
Property taxes carry more of the weight here. Effective rates run roughly 1.6–2.2% of assessed value depending on county and school district, well above the national average. Always pull the exact rate for the parcel you’re looking at from the county appraisal district before you budget — it varies block to block once you cross a school district line.
Do I actually need flood insurance if I’m nowhere near the coast?
More often than people expect. Flash flooding along inland creeks and bayous has put homes well outside the mapped 100-year floodplain underwater in the last decade. Ask for the seller’s disclosure history, not just the FEMA map, and get an elevation certificate if the lot backs up to any drainage feature.
What’s the real deal with HOAs in the newer suburbs?
Almost universal in master-planned communities built since the 2000s, with dues typically landing somewhere between $30 and $400 a month. Read the reserve study, not just the covenant list — a thin reserve fund means a special assessment is probably coming.
How fast do good houses actually move right now?
Anywhere from about 30 to 60 days on market metro-wide, but that average hides a lot. A well-priced house in a tight elementary school zone can go in a weekend; something overpriced on a busy road can sit for months. Always check current days-on-market for the specific ZIP code, not the metro figure.
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