Real Estate Market

Texas home sales rise, 28 states post decline
Texas home sales were up 11.3% during the spring — third highest in the nation. But in 28 states and the District of Columbia, sales declined.

Existing home sales, including single-family and condo, were down in the second quarter. This contrasts with a record set in the same period last year. Twenty states showed increases in sales activity from a year ago.

Effective Dec. 3, about 26,000 policyholders in 14 inland counties — or about 3% of Allstate's homeowner policies near the Texas coastline — will no longer be offered property coverage from Allstate Insurance Company. The company had already announced that it would drop windstorm coverage to homes in counties directly along the coastline to limit hurricane losses.

Estimated overall insured windstorm losses after Hurricane Rita last September were $2.4 billion in Southeast Texas, including interior counties.

Allstate also announced it will no longer offer mobile home coverage to properties in parts of Harris, Bee, Brooks, Fort Bend, Goliad, Hardin, Hidalgo, Jackson, Jim Wells, Liberty, Live Oak, Orange, Victoria, and Wharton Counties.

"We strongly believe that the steps we've been taking, while difficult, are the responsible thing to do," Rich Crist, Allstate Texas field vice president, said.

Source: Real Estate Center at Texas A&M