U. S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT reported this, but we know about our market in TEXAS!  Real Estate Center Research Economist Dr. Jim Gains noted that Texas did not suffer as severe a recession or housing bust as some other states.  Plus we started the recession later.  We did see our share of subprime lending, but with the unemployment rate not as high as other states, that helped lessen the housing market damage caused by the collapse of bad mortgages.  Texas had subprime lending, but that works as long as people have jobs, so you HAD THESE OFFSETTING FACTORS.  Gaines also attributed the market’s strength to the lower-than-average property values in Texas’ major metro areas.  We did not have a true bubble and in Texas you can find homes in metro areas for UNDER $200,000.