As the entire country grapples with affordability, cities are becoming more creative in finding ways to increase the inventory of housing stock with a variety of options that lower the hurdles to homeownership. After several years of planning efforts, the City of Houston passed Liveable Places as a way to increase housing options.

Commercial property is one of the most overlooked yet influential aspects of “housing” stock.  Even with the emergence of economic development as a buzzword over the last decade, commercial space and its impact is largely left out of revitalization discussions. Focusing on both residential and commercial spaces in revitalization efforts provides a balanced approach that creates stability and opportunity, where both are needed.

With affordability declining across the country, the goal of attaining a home is becoming a distant dream for some. Aside from advocating for cities to adopt policies that encourage more construction, there are several other strategies we encourage homebuyers to consider when purchasing in this market.

Early 2019 changed the way we live forever. The COVID pandemic brought the world to a halt leaving us to navigate work from our home computer screens. We learned a few things in the process: how to get business done virtually, which opened the market for home-grown entrepreneurs, and how to operate with less physical space at home and at work. The pandemic also prompted legislative spending that helped catalyze innovation. Altogether, these changes set the stage for the demand of alternative commercial models.

Successful real estate requires collaboration with a variety of professionals from agents to architects and urban planners. Our office sponsors an annual development conference aimed at equipping emerging minority developers with the tools they need to create needed commercial and residential stock.Learn more about the Lost Spaces Conference and how it primes our pipeline with responsible development.

Their annual Lost Spaces conference has become a hallmark event to bring their mission and goals to life with individuals and organizations from around the city and country to share best practices, resources, and establish strategic relationships. This year, April 28th through April 30th marks the weekend of the annual Lost Spaces conference, where implementation is the theme.

Learn about financing, acquisition, planning, and managing small scale development projects from local professionals.

We continue to explore the real estate industry and its players with urban planner, Malina Springer - AICP. Malina talks about her new role in Nashville, TN with private developer, Pillar Development and what its like to navigate the industry as a black woman in planning.

We continue to explore the real estate industry and its players with urban planner, Giahanna Bridges. With a new role in the Dallas, TX planning department, Giahanna proudly represents the small portion of black, women planners that impact our communities.

As more and more people look to sell their homes, they often find themselves in a complicated situation: the home appraisal process. Appraisals can be unpredictable, and sellers may worry that the value of their home will be diminished by bias. This article provides information on how to ensure a fair and unbiased home appraisal process for sellers. We'll discuss some common biases that may occur during the process, along with tips for mitigating them. Moreover, we'll explain the steps you can take to ensure that your appraisal is as accurate as possible.

To kick things off we got to meet Bianca Cooper of Retlaw Capital to get a better understanding of the commercial lending environment and what’s it like being a commercial lender.

The Do The Things That Matter (DT3M) campaign kicked off Fall with the launch of its Food for Thought Series aimed at bringing access to fresh foods in food desert communities by bridging real estate development, small businesses and great food together. The campaign, which is a tool to build a community of like-minded developers and investors, creates spaces and experiences that allow residents to take an active role in designing the community where they can live, work and play.

Minority communities across Houston are at risk. Loose planning restrictions have allowed developers with deep pockets to buy neighborhoods by the block. People in these neighborhoods may not know what gentrification is but they can feel it.

The Houston Community Land Trust recently celebrated closing on their 100th home, demonstrating that there is more than one path to home ownership. Read about our time at the celebration and how the HCLT is making Houston more affordable, one house at a time.

Race and affordability touch at the heart of the housing crisis in Houston. The Fair Housing Act protects buyers and renters from seller or landlord discrimination. In recognition of fair housing month, it’s worth exploring community land trusts.

There has been an influx of private dollars pushed into the real estate market by proximity to economic opportunity, tax incentives like opportunity zones and 1031 exchanges, and a shortage of housing inventory. While there are many positive outcomes from this investment, if left unmanaged it could result in massive displacement, a disconnect from cultural ties, and unsustainable development practices.

The organization recently welcomed residents on site at their most recent activation for a development known as Project Griffin, located at 3302 Emancipation Street. Attendees were able to experience a mural design exhibition sponsored by Sherwin- Williams, an interactive design generator, a developer’s roundtable and go on a bike ride around Emancipation Park.

Building generational wealth is no easy task. You often have to make tough decisions concerning earning income or highest and best in regards to properties that haven't had any succession or estate planning done. Nowadays there are ways to make your job easier while not selling out the hood. There are plenty of outlets to build generational wealth by keeping land in your immediate networks and communities.