Aaron Layman's Katy Texas Real Estate Forum

Tired Of Potholes? - The Case For Infrastructure Investment

From the American Society of Civil Engineers...

"The nation’s deteriorating surface transportation infrastructure will cost the American economy more than 870,000 jobs, and increase transportation costs by $430 billion by 2020."

Gas Prices Cooling Off As WTI Drops Below $80

Brent Crude is down to $102 and WTI is near $79.  The drop in oil prices in recent weeks has resulted in a sharp drop in gasoline prices across Texas.  Gasoline prices in Houston are now around the $3 mark, with prices lower at some stations.

Grand Parkway Segment E Breaks Ground - Katy ISD Set To Expand Northward

The dirt has turned on Grand Parkway's Segment E.  Officials with TxDOT and various local interests conducted a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday for the expansion project taking Grand Parkway north from I-10 to Texas 290.  Segment E will be a four-lane access toll road with limited frontage.

The new tolled Segment E will no doubt shift Katy ISD's expansion northward, spurring additional development of a large section of platted land which has previously sit empty.  Much as the Grand Parkway project facilitated the growth of South Katy and Cinco Ranch, Segment E should be a major catalyst for residential and commercial development north of I-10.  The only difference with Segment E will be fact that users will be hit with additional tolls for accessing the corridor north of I-10.  TxDOT witnessed a huge backlash in South Katy when they attempted to toll that portion of the roadway when funds had already been allocated for a non-tolled highway.

 

 

Update on Gasoline & Oil Prices

Professor James Hamilton looks at the asymmetric response to changes in oil prices.  Although oil price increases are often associated with economic recessions, oil price decreases do not bring about corresponding economic booms.

Quick charts: 1 Month | 3 Month | 6 Month | 9 Month | 1 Year | 18 month | 2 Years | 3 Years | 4 Years | 5 Years | 6 Years Customize price charts Area 1:USA AverageCanada AverageAkron, OHAlabama, ALAlaska, AKAlbany, NYAlberta, ABAlbuquerque, NMAllentown, PAAnchorage, AKArizona, AZArkansas, ARAtlanta, GAAustin, TXBakersfield, CABaltimore, MDBritish Columbia, BCBirmingham, ALBoise, IDBoston, MABridgeport, CTBuffalo, NYCalgary, ABCalifornia, CACharleston, WVCharlotte, NCChicago, ILCincinnati, OHCleveland, OHColorado, COColorado Springs, COColumbia, SCColumbus, OHConnecticut, CTCorpus Christi, TXDallas, TXDayton, OHDelaware, DEDenver, CODes Moines, IADetroit, MIDurham, NCEdmonton, ABEl Paso, TXFlorida, FLFort Worth, TXFresno, CAGary, INGeorgia, GAGrand Rapids, MIGreensboro, NCHalifax, NSHamilton, ONHartford, CTHawaii, HIHonolulu, HIHouston, TXIdaho, IDIllinois, ILIndiana, INIndianapolis, INIowa, IAJackson, MSJacksonville, FLKansas, KSKansas City, MOKentucky, KYKnoxville, TNLansing, MILexington, KYLincoln, NELittle Rock, ARLondon, ONLong Island, NYLos Angeles, CALouisiana, LALouisville, KYMadison, WIMaine, MEManitoba, MBMaryland, MDMassachusetts, MAMemphis, TNMiami, FLMichigan, MIMilwaukee, WIMinnesota, MNMississippi, MSMissouri, MOMobile, ALModesto, CAMontana, MTMontgomery, ALMontreal, QCNashville, TNNebraska, NENevada, NVNew Brunswick, NBNewfoundland, NFNew Hampshire, NHNew Haven, CTNew Jersey, NJNew Mexico, NMNew Orleans, LANew York, NYNew York, NYNorth Carolina, NCNorth Dakota, NDNova Scotia, NSOakland, CAOhio, OHOklahoma, OKOklahoma City, OKOmaha, NEOntario, ONOrange County, CAOregon, OROrlando, FLPEI, PEPennsylvania, PAPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix, AZPittsburgh, PAPortland, ORProvidence, RIQuad Cities, IAQuebec, QCQuebec City, QCRaleigh, NCRegina, SKRhode Island, RIRichmond, VARiverside, CARochester, NYSalt Lake City, UTSan Antonio, TXSan Bernardino, CASan Diego, CASan Francisco, CASan Jose, CA Saskatchewan, SKSaskatoon, SKScranton, PASeattle, WAShreveport, LASouth Carolina, SCSouth Dakota, SDSpokane, WASpringfield, MASt. Louis, MOStockton, CASyracuse, NYTacoma, WATallahassee, FLTampa, FLTennessee, TNTexas, TXToledo, OHToronto, ONTrenton, NJTucson, AZTulsa, OKTwin Cities, MNUtah, UTVancouver, BCLas Vegas, NVVentura, CAVermont, VTVictoria, BCVirginia, VAVirginia Beach, VAWashington, WAWashington DC, DCWaterbury, CTWest Virginia, WVWichita, KSWilmington, DEWinnipeg, MBWisconsin, WIWorcester, MAWyoming, WY Time Period:1 Month3 Month6 Month9 Month1 Year18 Month2 Year3 Year4 Year5 Year6 Year US $/G Area 2:USA AverageCanada AverageAkron, OHAlabama, ALAlaska, AKAlbany, NYAlberta, ABAlbuquerque, NMAllentown, PAAnchorage, AKArizona, AZArkansas, ARAtlanta, GAAustin, TXBakersfield, CABaltimore, MDBritish Columbia, BCBirmingham, ALBoise, IDBoston, MABridgeport, CTBuffalo, NYCalgary, ABCalifornia, CACharleston, WVCharlotte, NCChicago, ILCincinnati, OHCleveland, OHColorado, COColorado Springs, COColumbia, SCColumbus, OHConnecticut, CTCorpus Christi, TXDallas, TXDayton, OHDelaware, DEDenver, CODes Moines, IADetroit, MIDurham, NCEdmonton, ABEl Paso, TXFlorida, FLFort Worth, TXFresno, CAGary, INGeorgia, GAGrand Rapids, MIGreensboro, NCHalifax, NSHamilton, ONHartford, CTHawaii, HIHonolulu, HIHouston, TXIdaho, IDIllinois, ILIndiana, INIndianapolis, INIowa, IAJackson, MSJacksonville, FLKansas, KSKansas City, MOKentucky, KYKnoxville, TNLansing, MILexington, KYLincoln, NELittle Rock, ARLondon, ONLong Island, NYLos Angeles, CALouisiana, LALouisville, KYMadison, WIMaine, MEManitoba, MBMaryland, MDMassachusetts, MAMemphis, TNMiami, FLMichigan, MIMilwaukee, WIMinnesota, MNMississippi, MSMissouri, MOMobile, ALModesto, CAMontana, MTMontgomery, ALMontreal, QCNashville, TNNebraska, NENevada, NVNew Brunswick, NBNewfoundland, NFNew Hampshire, NHNew Haven, CTNew Jersey, NJNew Mexico, NMNew Orleans, LANew York, NYNew York, NYNorth Carolina, NCNorth Dakota, NDNova Scotia, NSOakland, CAOhio, OHOklahoma, OKOklahoma City, OKOmaha, NEOntario, ONOrange County, CAOregon, OROrlando, FLPEI, PEPennsylvania, PAPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix, AZPittsburgh, PAPortland, ORProvidence, RIQuad Cities, IAQuebec, QCQuebec City, QCRaleigh, NCRegina, SKRhode Island, RIRichmond, VARiverside, CARochester, NYSalt Lake City, UTSan Antonio, TXSan Bernardino, CASan Diego, CASan Francisco, CASan Jose, CA Saskatchewan, SKSaskatoon, SKScranton, PASeattle, WAShreveport, LASouth Carolina, SCSouth Dakota, SDSpokane, WASpringfield, MASt. Louis, MOStockton, CASyracuse, NYTacoma, WATallahassee, FLTampa, FLTennessee, TNTexas, TXToledo, OHToronto, ONTrenton, NJTucson, AZTulsa, OKTwin Cities, MNUtah, UTVancouver, BCLas Vegas, NVVentura, CAVermont, VTVictoria, BCVirginia, VAVirginia Beach, VAWashington, WAWashington DC, DCWaterbury, CTWest Virginia, WVWichita, KSWilmington, DEWinnipeg, MBWisconsin, WIWorcester, MAWyoming, WY Show Crude Oil Price Canadian c/L Area 3:USA AverageCanada AverageAkron, OHAlabama, ALAlaska, AKAlbany, NYAlberta, ABAlbuquerque, NMAllentown, PAAnchorage, AKArizona, AZArkansas, ARAtlanta, GAAustin, TXBakersfield, CABaltimore, MDBritish Columbia, BCBirmingham, ALBoise, IDBoston, MABridgeport, CTBuffalo, NYCalgary, ABCalifornia, CACharleston, WVCharlotte, NCChicago, ILCincinnati, OHCleveland, OHColorado, COColorado Springs, COColumbia, SCColumbus, OHConnecticut, CTCorpus Christi, TXDallas, TXDayton, OHDelaware, DEDenver, CODes Moines, IADetroit, MIDurham, NCEdmonton, ABEl Paso, TXFlorida, FLFort Worth, TXFresno, CAGary, INGeorgia, GAGrand Rapids, MIGreensboro, NCHalifax, NSHamilton, ONHartford, CTHawaii, HIHonolulu, HIHouston, TXIdaho, IDIllinois, ILIndiana, INIndianapolis, INIowa, IAJackson, MSJacksonville, FLKansas, KSKansas City, MOKentucky, KYKnoxville, TNLansing, MILexington, KYLincoln, NELittle Rock, ARLondon, ONLong Island, NYLos Angeles, CALouisiana, LALouisville, KYMadison, WIMaine, MEManitoba, MBMaryland, MDMassachusetts, MAMemphis, TNMiami, FLMichigan, MIMilwaukee, WIMinnesota, MNMississippi, MSMissouri, MOMobile, ALModesto, CAMontana, MTMontgomery, ALMontreal, QCNashville, TNNebraska, NENevada, NVNew Brunswick, NBNewfoundland, NFNew Hampshire, NHNew Haven, CTNew Jersey, NJNew Mexico, NMNew Orleans, LANew York, NYNew York, NYNorth Carolina, NCNorth Dakota, NDNova Scotia, NSOakland, CAOhio, OHOklahoma, OKOklahoma City, OKOmaha, NEOntario, ONOrange County, CAOregon, OROrlando, FLPEI, PEPennsylvania, PAPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix, AZPittsburgh, PAPortland, ORProvidence, RIQuad Cities, IAQuebec, QCQuebec City, QCRaleigh, NCRegina, SKRhode Island, RIRichmond, VARiverside, CARochester, NYSalt Lake City, UTSan Antonio, TXSan Bernardino, CASan Diego, CASan Francisco, CASan Jose, CA Saskatchewan, SKSaskatoon, SKScranton, PASeattle, WAShreveport, LASouth Carolina, SCSouth Dakota, SDSpokane, WASpringfield, MASt. Louis, MOStockton, CASyracuse, NYTacoma, WATallahassee, FLTampa, FLTennessee, TNTexas, TXToledo, OHToronto, ONTrenton, NJTucson, AZTulsa, OKTwin Cities, MNUtah, UTVancouver, BCLas Vegas, NVVentura, CAVermont, VTVictoria, BCVirginia, VAVirginia Beach, VAWashington, WAWashington DC, DCWaterbury, CTWest Virginia, WVWichita, KSWilmington, DEWinnipeg, MBWisconsin, WIWorcester, MAWyoming, WY

Orange County Historical Gas Price Charts Provided by GasBuddy.com

I-10 West At Grand Parkway Closed For Construction This Weekend

Construction of the I-10 Grand Parkway interchange will cause closures on the main lanes of I-10 again this weekend.  I-10 will remain closed from 9 PM Friday night until 5 AM Monday morning.

Houston Red Light Cameras To Be Re-Activated Despite Voter Referendum

Voters chose to have the cameras removed in last November's referendum.  Federal Judge Lynn Hughes ruled that the election process was invalid.  Mayor Parker is apparently now willing to turn the cameras back on while the judge's ruling is appealed and the contract with ATS is evaluated.  What's going on here?  Just follow the money!

Dust Storm Engulfs Phoenix AZ - Time Lapse Video

Day turns into night...

A Little Gas Pump Humor

 

  
 
 

The Mountain - Time-Lapse Images From El Teide

Japanese Tsunami Overwhelms Town, Harbor - Amazing Video Footage

 

Something tells me the guy driving the van didn't fare too well...