In our previous post, we discussed San Antonio (ranked #2 on the list) and Austin (ranked #3 on the list), and what has helped these rapidly growing cities survive and even flourish during the economic crunc that has had such a crippling effect on so many other cities. Today, we’ll discuss the other two cities on the Forbes.com list, and look at some of the factors that have kept them on the rise.

Dallas – Ranked #6

One of the best attributes Dallas has going for it in the current economy is a bustling sector of diversified tech companies that are all continuing to grow as we enter the new decade. The thriving tech industry has provided new jobs in the Dallas area through the recession, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Along with tech, Dallas is also driven by banking, commerce, telecom, energy and transportation. Only New York and Houston are home to more Fortune 500 companies, and D/FW airport has transformed the Dallas-Ft. Worth area into one of the busiest inland ports in the country.

Houston – Ranked #8

Known as one of, if not the most prolific oil cities in the U.S., you may be surprised to see Houston on this list, considering the instability in the oil and gas industry as of late. Well, despite the stereotype, Houston is far more diversified in the energy industry than just abandoned oil wells and chemical factories.

As the fourth largest U.S. city, Houston also excels as a port, and as a leading medical city. The research segment is only elevated further by the presence of NASA and the Johnson Space Center – the location of Mission Control Center. With the second most Fortune 500 companies making Houston home, the growth in the Houston area continues to impress, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

A Great Place to Call Home

One thing all the Texas cities on our list – and the cities around Texas for that matter – have in common, is that before the recession, home prices were stable. Texas never fell under the weight of the “boom” that many cities fell victim to, and as a result, never suffered from the resulting crash. As quoted in the Forbes.com article, research economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University James P. Gaines said, “Texas didn’t have as big of a boom, so we’re not having anywhere near the kind of bust.”

It’s easy to see why so many people are happy in this state – and why so many people can’t wait to move here.

The Omaha area has seen a fairly healthy healthy 1.3 percent "gross metropolitan product" (GMP) growth over the past year. And what's even better is that Omaha has a very low home foreclosure rate. In Omaha, they have been averaging one foreclosure in every 3,246 homes. Forbes says that they put Omaha on the top of the list because of Omaha's unemployment rate, which is currently at about five percent.

San Antonio, Texas is home to four military bases and Austin is the Capital of Texas. Many jobs in the area are fairly stable, and there's a thriving technology sector here in Texas. That helped Forbes pick San Antonio and Austin for the list, but they went on to say that the Texas "housing prices never ascended to the unsustainable levels the rest of the country hit at the peak of the housing bubble. Thus, it didn't crash as hard.

These factors have toughened the local economy against a recession that is inextricably tied to real estate." Here in Texas, there has not been a huge real estate boom that the rest of the country has seen: so the real estate market didn't have a long way to fall. Remaining stable has been an asset, thus helping San Antonio and Austin to do well in this list of Forbes' Fastest-Recovering Cities in America.

The San Antonio and Austin, Texas areas' housing markets continue to be a good stable investment, just as they have been for many years. Bluegreen Communities has several premier properties throughout the State of Texas that are excellent examples of the best of what Texas real estate has to offer. These include Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard, The Bridges at Preston Crossings, Havenwood at Hunters Crossing, Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake, King Oaks, Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake, Quail Springs Ranch, Saddle Creek Forest, and The Reserve at SugarTree.

The economy continues to fluctuate so enormously that young professionals in their early to mid-twenties are apprehensive about the real estate market. What is at the core of the issue for young first-time homebuyers? A more relevant question might be what REALTORS® can do to help alleviate foreclosure fears.

Let's put ourselves in the shoes of Generation Y home buyer. I'm a 23-year-old in search of a home, I have a perspective that I have found to be relatively rare. I recognize that my generation has a great opportunity to take advantage of the tremendous surplus in real estate.

Although the credit issues facing the country may make it difficult for some to secure favorable loans, the incredible numbers of available homes, combined with falling prices, presents a near-ideal opportunity for first-time buyers to snatch up some real bargains.

Sounds great right? Unfortunately, through conversations with many friends and acquaintances in their early to mid-twenties, it doesn’t appear that many are interested in even discussing homeownership.

From what I’ve heard, this lack of excitement has a simple cause—most of my generation lacks quality information about the real estate market. Whenever the conversation arises with friends and acquaintances, I cannot help but wonder where many of my friends get their information. Very few seem to understand how the industry works or how to go about searching for a home.

This younger generation of buyers contains great potential for REALTORS®, and so I’ve come up with a few tips that I'll be discussing over the next few posts. I think these tips will be valuable, not only for understanding the fears of young buyers, but also for gaining their trust.

Regardless of the reason, people move because an opportunity presents itself that offers a chance to enhance one's life. So that's why it should come as no surprise that while most of the nation is in the midst of this economic downturn,  Texas continues to buck the trend in virtually every conceivable way. That's not to say everything is perfect in Texas, but the facts clearly show that compared to the rest of the country, the unemployment rate in Texas is much lower.

According to Google Public Data, in August of 2009, the national unemployment rate was 9.6%, while the unemployment rate in Texas was a full point-and-a-half  lower at 8.1%. While clearly that 8.1 number is high, the fact that it's so far below the national average explains why so many people are still moving for Texas. And it also explains why the housing market in the Lone Star State hasn't crashed like it has in many areas across the country.

The bottom line is that people are still moving here, which means people are still buying houses. Not only that, not many people are moving away. Why go somewhere that there is less opportunity and higher housing costs?

San Antonio, Texas was just named best overall in a list of the strongest United States metro economies. Using data as well as detailed analysis from the Brookings Institution's new MetroMonitor study, BusinessWeek.com came up with a list of the United States' top forty economies: they based the rankings on job growth, employment, economic growth, and home prices.

What makes the San Antonio, Texas metro area a desirable area to live? It could be the fact that not only does San Antonio Texas have one of the strongest job markets in the United States, the overall quality of life is great.

San Antonio, the second-largest city in Texas, has one of the strongest job markets in the nation. the unemployment rate in June 2009 was 6.9%. Home prices actually grew 3.1% in the second quarter of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. And not only is San Antonio Texas a great place to live and work, it's a great place to play.

If you lived in the San Antonio, Texas area, you could actually spend your weekend tubing down the Guadalupe River or go sailing with friends on Canyon Lake or Lake Travis. And you will even find the world-famous Schlitterbahn Water Park located right on the shores of the Comal River.

If you are a shopper, San Antonio, Texas is not lacking in its shopping deals. There is an Outlet mall in nearby San Marcos, Texas. In fact, it's the third largest tourist destination here in Texas. This sprawling outlet mall has over 200 stores, featuring the world's most famous brands.

If you're a night owl and enjoy nightlife, you need to remember that it's Texas. Grab your boots and head out to the many dance halls and honky tonks in the San Antonio metro area. In nearby Gruene, Texas you'll find the famous Gruene Hall, a long time Texas institution. George Strait, Willie Nelson and even The Dixie Chicks have appeared at Gruene Hall over the years.

If it's housing that you're looking for, you should take a look at the many master-planned communities that the San Antonio, Texas area has to offer. For example, Havenwood at Hunters Crossing in nearby New Braunfels, Texas is nestled among rolling hills and huge majestic oaks. You can choose from 1 to 3 acre wooded, hilltop and view homesites in this premium gated community. San Antonio is nearby and a great choice for those who prefer to live the country lifestyle but do not want a long commute.

Vintage Oaks is also a great choice. Situated in historic New Braunfels, Texas, between San Antonio and Austin, Vintage Oaks boasts the many conveniences, unique opportunities and exciting attractions of these Hill Country locations. Vintage Oaks at the vineyard is a breathtaking master-planned community surrounded by the natural beauty and rugged spirit of the Texas Hill Country in New Braunfels, Texas. The community is a paradise of majestic rolling hills that present you with sweeping panoramic views of the beautiful Texas real estate for sale.

Here are the BIG 3 homeowner tax breaks: 1) The deduction for mortgage interest on an owner-occupied residence was projected to cost $79.9 billion in 2008 2) The deduction for property taxes on owner-occupied residences, $14.3 billion 3) Exclusion of capital gains on the sale of owner-occupied residences, $29.0 billion. Click here to view the official government document and to see the projections in detail. Together, The Big Three came to an estimated $119 billion in 2007, and the Joint Committee projected them to grow to about $164 billion in 2011. McCain said that the “mortgage interest deduction should be left alone; it’s embedded in the U.S. tax code.” - Realtor Magazine, September 2008, http://www.realtor.org

Many investors are now using money outside an IRA if it's available, since the tax benefits such as depreciation and the ability to deduct losses are lost in an IRA environment. If you must use an IRA, a Roth IRA is preferable. The money in the Roth has already been taxed and any distributions, including capital gains on the property, are generally tax-free.

Vintage Oaks

As U.S. stocks continue to fall there is an increasing number of land buyers that are using cash, savings and equity to fund their land purchases. In a recent poll conducted by LANDFLIP.com, “31 percent of respondents indicated they plan to use cash, savings or equity to fund land purchases in the near future.

Only 24 percent indicated that they will rely on bank financing.” According to Ryan Folk, founder of LANDFLIP.com, “It’s a clear indication that regardless of changes in the banking and mortgage industries, savvy buyers and investors are still aggressively looking for profitable opportunities in the market and seizing them, and land is still one of the hottest commodities in real estate.”

29 percent of the respondents reported that they will use owner financing with the remaining poll respondents reporting that 1031 Exchange funds, lease purchases and self directed IRAs are the preferred methods of financing land deals.

With this much growth in such a concentrated area and 70% of the states population living within 200 miles of Austin, cities are expanding with continuous urban areas blending cities together. It’s much more than a Metroplex… we call it the Texaplex! The Texaplex got a jump start early on from the cargo and passenger trains that originally connected the Texaplex cities over 130 years ago.

Now these cities are connected by the major interstate’s I-45, I-10 and I-35. The Texaplex includes the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex in the north down to the Houston metropolitan area in the SouthEast on over to Austin and San Antonio in the West, completing the Texaplex.

Of the 24 million Texans four out offive live in the Texaplex and it is growing… fast! Forecasts show that the Texaplex will add another 12 million people by the year 2030.That is the equivalent of adding to the current Texas population another San Antonio metropolitan area, Houston metropolitan area, Austin metropolitan area and Dallas / Forth Worth metropolitan area and all within the Texaplex.

Texas is big. It’s the largest state in the continental United States and covers of 268,000 square miles, making up 7.4% of the nation. Texas alone is bigger than all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois… combined. Even the DFW airport is larger than Manhattan.

Where Is Your Horse?! While most people are aware that Texas is physically a large place many have a false perception of the state. Contrary to popular belief, Texas is not just an open range full of cowboys and horses. In fact much of Texas is a budding and modern, urban metropolis. Texas is home to 24 million people, 82.5% of whom live in metropolitan areas and of the Top 10 most populated cities in the U.S., three are in Texas: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio!

The Dallas / Forth Worth metroplex has more residents than the entire state of Arizona AND 31 other states! If Texas were its own country it would be the 10th largest in the world. It would have the 12th largest economy, based on gross domestic product, ahead of Mexico, Russia & India. It would be the 5th largest oil and gas producing country in the world and more Fortune 500 companies call Texas home than any other state.

It’s Getting Even Bigger As big as Texas is, believe it or not it’s getting even bigger. Texas has the largest population growth rate of any state in the US and is growing by over 1,000 people a day. The Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex is the #1 fastest growing metro areas in the nation. In fact, the term “Metroplex” was originally coined and is uniquely used, to describe the Dallas Fort Worth area. It’s aptly names DFW’s sprawling metropolitan area that contains several cities and their suburbs. Texas dominated the list of the nation’s fastest growing cities with San Antonio, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and Dallas all landing in the Top 10.

Texas Quick Hits:

• Of the Top 10 most populated cities in the U.S., three are in Texas: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio
• Texas has the largest population growth rate of any state in the US and is growing by over 1,000 people a day.
• The Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex is the #1 fastest growing metro areas in the nation.

The three key factors were simple. Texas is:

1. A Great Place to Live

2. A Great Place to Work

3. A Great Place to Invest

Dave Winans has put together this excellent video that goes into more detail about why Texas is such an ideal place to buy land, and why NOW is the time to do it. Enjoy!

According to Winans: "The combination of Texas’ economic conditions, geographical location, natural resources, infrastructure, political conditions and even the weather have created a perfect storm of opportunity and growth that is greatly outpacing the rest of the nation. Even in a time of national recession Texas holds strong and continues to be the fastest growing state in the nation.

Because of such stability and growth businesses and individuals are flocking to Texas. Of the 24 million people living in Texas 4 out of 5 live within a the triangular region made up of Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin… we call it the Texaplex.

By the year 2030 forecasts show that we will add an additional 14 million people to the Texaplex. That’s the equivalent of adding another Dallas / Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin… all within the Texaplex!" David Winans makes excellent points about why Texas is such hotbed for growth.

The time to buy land in Texas certainly appears to be right now. In future posts we'll continue discuss the best places to buy land, and why now is such a great time. Stay tuned.