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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Dallas. Written by Michael Mooney, Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi and Tasha Tsiaperas.

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Inside the Methodist Church divide in Texas

Decades of discord in the United Methodist Church have reached a tipping point.

News

Why downtown McKinney has so many tiny doors

Dozens of tiny doors are on display, with more in the works.

Texas economy draws outsiders, keeps natives

Texans are the most likely to stay in their home state compared to natives of other states.

What other cities can learn from car-dependent Dallas

North Texas' car-centricity affects low-income families the most.

Transit

North Texas led apartment construction in 2020-2022

The Dallas area added the most new apartments between 2020 and 2022 of any major metro.

Real Estate

Nearly 24,000 new apartment units are expected to be built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year, lagging only New York City for new construction, per a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="recent RentCafe report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/new-apartment-construction/" data-vars-content-id="f3f18032-6361-4d9e-887a-c50fb623c8a1" data-vars-headline="North Texas led apartment construction in 2020-2022" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/new-apartment-construction/" target="_blank">recent RentCafe report</a>.Why it matters: A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="housing shortage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/20/housing-shortage-prices-high" data-vars-content-id="f3f18032-6361-4d9e-887a-c50fb623c8a1" data-vars-headline="North Texas led apartment construction in 2020-2022" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/20/housing-shortage-prices-high" target="_self">housing shortage</a> in the U.S. has contributed to the rising cost of both renting and buying.

Texas homeowners insurance premiums rising

Insurance companies are charging more to make up for weather-related losses.

Homeowners across the country have seen significant increases in their home insurance premiums — and Texas is among the states with the steepest increases since last year, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Wall Street Journal reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wsj.com/articles/home-insurers-are-charging-more-and-insuring-less-9e948113" data-vars-content-id="e2657b13-21ce-45fb-b62a-1057db4b9124" data-vars-headline="Texas homeowners insurance premiums rising" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/home-insurers-are-charging-more-and-insuring-less-9e948113" target="_blank">the Wall Street Journal reports</a>.The big picture: Insurance companies are charging more and insuring less to make up for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the weather-related losses" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facing-big-storm-losses-insurers-aim-to-boost-rates-f70211d6?mod=article_inline" data-vars-content-id="e2657b13-21ce-45fb-b62a-1057db4b9124" data-vars-headline="Texas homeowners insurance premiums rising" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facing-big-storm-losses-insurers-aim-to-boost-rates-f70211d6?mod=article_inline" target="_blank">the weather-related losses</a> from the past several years.

Illustration of a house's roof being taken off by a trend line soaring upward through the home

North Texas housing draws out-of-state interest

Los Angeles residents search Dallas-Fort Worth real estate more than other outsiders.

Most pre-pandemic moves were motivated by job changes, but now housing affordability is driving cross-state relocations, experts say.The big picture: Since 2021, there has been an exodus from high-cost tech hubs along the West Coast — including the Bay Area and Seattle — for more affordable mountain region states and Texas, Redfin deputy chief economist Taylor Marr says.

Higher sales, lower prices for North Texas condos

More buyers have turned to condos as housing costs surge.

Dallas-Fort Worth area condo prices have dropped slightly faster than the price of single-family homes, per the latest Zillow data.The big picture: More buyers have turned to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="condos and townhouses" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/condo-vs-townhouse" data-vars-content-id="db842536-5c7f-4599-9137-47defea46a86" data-vars-headline="Higher sales, lower prices for North Texas condos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/condo-vs-townhouse" target="_blank">condos and townhouses</a> as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="housing costs surge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/20/housing-shortage-prices-high" data-vars-content-id="db842536-5c7f-4599-9137-47defea46a86" data-vars-headline="Higher sales, lower prices for North Texas condos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/20/housing-shortage-prices-high" target="_self">housing costs surge</a>, Realtor.com analyst Hannah Jones tells Axios.

West Texas ghost town is for sale

Like old Westerns? Constantly planning what you might do in a zombie apocalypse? Dream of what you might do if you owned an entire city?<ul><li>The abandoned West Texas town of Lobo, close to the Mexico border, is up for sale.</li></ul>

Even high rents are cheaper than buying in Dallas area

About 79% of properties in Dallas-Fort Worth are cheaper to rent than buy.

About 79% of properties in Dallas-Fort Worth are cheaper to rent than buy, according to an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analysis by Redfin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.redfin.com/news/rent-vs-own-2023/" data-vars-content-id="3c7a29ae-a94c-49c7-ae24-b4bf64052f5e" data-vars-headline="Even high rents are cheaper than buying in Dallas area" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.redfin.com/news/rent-vs-own-2023/" target="_blank">analysis by Redfin</a>.Context: The D-FW average is actually below the national average of 81% but well above Houston&#x27;s average of 48%.

North Texas is a paving paradise for parking lots

Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth devote more of their real estate toward parking spots than most U.S. cities, according to the Parking Reform Network.

Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth devote a significant amount of their valuable real estate to parking spots, more than most U.S. cities, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Parking Reform Network" data-vars-click-url="https://parkingreform.org/parking-lot-map/#parking-reform-map=dallas-tx" data-vars-content-id="dcae3e87-22f1-4bc3-88b3-d66abafeedcb" data-vars-headline="North Texas is a paving paradise for parking lots" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://parkingreform.org/parking-lot-map/#parking-reform-map=dallas-tx" target="_blank">Parking Reform Network</a>.Why it matters: The national organization says parking lots limit a city&#x27;s potential.

Mortgage rates curb Dallas-area home sales

Dallas area home sales are down nearly 14% this year over last.

Home sales were down nearly 14% year over year in the Dallas area, per RE/MAX&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="newly released February report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/remax-national-housing-report-for-february-2023-301774754.html" data-vars-content-id="c4f29590-57ac-4adc-9147-29418acc4792" data-vars-headline="Mortgage rates curb Dallas-area home sales" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/remax-national-housing-report-for-february-2023-301774754.html" target="_blank">newly released February report</a>.Why it matters: In 2022, potential buyers were desperate for more inventory. Now homes are hitting the market, but people can&#x27;t afford them.

You can buy this haunted house near Abilene

A quiet, nondescript house filled with coffins and skeletons and creepy dolls and masks.

Have you always dreamed of living in a quiet, nondescript house filled with coffins and skeletons and creepy dolls and masks?<ul><li>Check out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="this place" data-vars-click-url="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3516-Interstate-Highway-20-W-Baird-TX-79504/300115893_zpid/" data-vars-content-id="14127f67-e193-4531-a575-be130abe3ee8" data-vars-headline="You can buy this haunted house near Abilene" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3516-Interstate-Highway-20-W-Baird-TX-79504/300115893_zpid/" target="_blank">this place</a>, along the interstate just outside Abilene. </li></ul>

A bedroom with a coffin and flowers and scary red drapes

The best time to sell your house in North Texas

Next week is expected to have "the ideal balance of favorable conditions for sellers."

North Texans on the fence about when to sell their home should consider next week, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to a new report from Realtor.com" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/30891986.30180/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVhbHRvci5jb20vcmVzZWFyY2gvYmVzdC10aW1lLXRvLXNlbGwtMjAyMy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3Nsb2NhbF9hdXN0aW4mc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/6112c9596f0c5e01ec0767a6B6ba3e780" data-vars-content-id="78fb3624-b369-4d46-ab07-8ef84ef98263" data-vars-headline="The best time to sell your house in North Texas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/30891986.30180/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVhbHRvci5jb20vcmVzZWFyY2gvYmVzdC10aW1lLXRvLXNlbGwtMjAyMy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3Nsb2NhbF9hdXN0aW4mc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/6112c9596f0c5e01ec0767a6B6ba3e780" target="_blank">according to a new report from Realtor.com</a>.The methodology: Using data and seasonal trends from 2018-2019 and 2021-2022, the report determined that the 2023 housing market is likely to behave similarly to those time periods.

Real Estate 🏠