When we were children our parents often sent us to bed with “I love you and don’t let the bedbugs bite”.  Bedbugs are now a national epidemic and not necessarily the produce of an unclean environment.  Instead they are passed on in people’s clothing and in luggage.  Clothing & bed sheets have to be washed in how soapy water & dried in a hot dryer.  Then the bed and whole area have to be scrubbed.  May have to fumigate and call an exterminator.   Article by Mary Jo Fulton, MS, RN and will be CONTINUED NEXT BLOG.

(1)  MAJOR ON MEDICAL with 3 hospitals, ETMC, Trinity and UTHNE and the Texas Spine and Joint Hospital.  Nursing and health science classes and degrees at TJC and UTT.  (2) MAJOR INDUSTRIES & EMPLOYERS, such as 3 big hospitals, Brookshire’s and John Soules Foods for food products + Wal-Mart, manufacturers such as Trane and Tyler Pipe and telecommunications providers, such as Suddenlink.  (3)  TRANSPORTATION such as Tyler Pounds Regional Airport with flights to DFW & Bush Intercontinental-Houston, space for private planes and at I-20 for car, truck travel.  EASY TO GET IN AND OUT OF TYLER.

COST OF LIVING – $46,127 for median household income.  $154,600 median home price and $821 median rent for a 2 bedroom apartments.  TRANSPORTATION – 15 minutes is median travel time to work and Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is closest airport and 6 miles away.  TEMPERATURE – runs 93 degrees in July high with national at 76 degrees.  AGE – 19 and under is $53,796, 20-54 is 81,556 and 55 and over is 67,338.  ETHNICITY – white is 61%, African American is 18%, Hispanic is 17% and other is 7.5%.  VARIED CITY + ADD THE COUNTY FOR MORE FOLKS!

The 2 categories in Texas who have NOT gained in employment ending April 2015 are the MINING & LOGGING, which includes oil jobs & down 0.1% and MANUFACTURING which is down 0.8%.   All other categories are UP from 1.2% to 5% and that is LEISURE & HOSPITALITY.  Information from Texas A&M Real Center in College Station, TX.    Next CONSTRUCTION up 4.4%, up 3.8% is TRANSPORTATION, WAREHOUSING, UTILITIES.  The rest are up 1.2% to 3.7%. CERTAINLY THRIVING IN TEXAS WITH LOTS OF JOBS.

All Texas industries except mining and logging (which includes oil and gas) and manufacturing had more jobs.  The state’s leisure and hospitality industry ranked first in job creation followed by construction and transportation,  warehousing and utilities.  All Texas metro areas except Texarkana, Wichita Falls and College Station-Bryan have more jobs.  Odessa is 1st in job creation, followed by Midland, Dallas-Plano-Irving, Corpus Christi and Beaumont-Port Arthur.  The state’s unemployment rate in April was 4% with Amarillo the lowest.  FALLING OIL PRICE HAVE NOT HURT TEXAS’ GROWTH!!

The Texas economy continues to create more jobs despite lower oil prices.  Texas gained 2.6% annual growth rate compared with 2.2% for rest of U. S.  This according to the TX Real Estate Center Monthly Review.  Odessa ranked first in job creation, followed by Midland, Dallas-Plano-Irving, Corpus Christi & Beaumont-Port Arthur.  The state’s unemployment rate in April was 4% with Amarillo the lowest, followed by Midland, Austin-Round Rock, Lubbock, College Station-Bryan & San Antonio-NewBraunfels.  MORE TO COME!

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced Friday that is extending the Home Affordable Mortgage Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) through the end of 2016.  HARP allows borrowers with loans backed by Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac to refinance at lower interest rates even when the homes have lost value.  HAMP provides incentives for lenders to alter mortgage terms to make them more affordable.  FHFA Director Mel Watt said the programs were never meant to be permanent & this was the last HAMP extension and probably same for HARP.

(1)  Don’t complain that you can’t afford your taxes.  The appraisal district only decided what you property is worth, but NOT the tax rate.  (2)  Do come armed with a specific value you believe your home is worth and the documentation to support that figure.  (3)  Don’t give a rambling presentation.  (4)  Do request in advance the documentation the appraisal district compiled to calculate its appraisal of your property.  See the differences, such as updates, near a busy road, size lot, etc.  GOOD LUCK!

So far millennials have been a DRAG on the economy, rather than a DRIVER.  5 millions are out of work across the U. S.  They make up 1/2 of the unemployed.  College debt keeps many from buying houses, but home prices have fallen, but afraid of another Great Depression, according to Dr. Mark Dotzour, chief economist for TX A&M Real Estate Center.  About 30% live with their parents.  So Millennials are not building home equity or watching home prices appreciate.  69% think they do not make enough to support their lifestyle, but 88% are OPTIMISIM  ABOUT THE FUTURE.

Millennials are 18-34 years of age and are the most diverse generation in America.  Roughly 74 millennals will have a profound economic effect as more baby boomers retire.  They will spend more money on technology, they’ll start the next Google and they’ll become the main breadwinners for their families.  Many still live at with their parents as some burdened with student loans & are unemployed or underemployed.  So they wait till later  to marry, have kids and buy a home or a car.  MORE TO COME