Houston and Harris county COVID-19 updates

(by: Houston Chronicle):The number of Houstonians and others in the region with COVID-19 continued to climb Thursday, a trend health experts anticipate will continue for weeks if not months until social distancing efforts — hopefully — offer a reprieve.

Local officials remained optimistic that those efforts are proving effective, even if the rising numbers don’t show it yet.

Standing outside a testing center, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said she hoped that Houston would provide an example for the country and escape the worsening fates of New York City and New Orleans, where spikes in cases are beginning to overwhelm healthcare systems.

Harris county Summary about COVID-19

Harris County Summary

Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. To stay up-to-date on information, please refer to CDC who provides information as it becomes available, in addition to updated guidance. 

Harris County Public Health is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas Department of State and Health Services and other health partners in monitoring the developing outbreak and will promptly report any confirmed cases in our jurisdiction.

What is COVID-19?

A new coronavirus (COVID-19) was recently detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness. The COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019, and Chinese health officials have reported thousands of COVID-19 infections in China.

How do people become infected?

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:

• Coughing and sneezing;

• Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;

• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands; and

• Rarely, fecal contamination.

It’s not clear yet how easily COVID-19 spreads from person to person. Many of the patients in the pneumonia outbreak caused by COVID-19 in Wuhan, China had some link to a large seafood and a live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread is occurring. There is much more to learn about how it passes from one person to another, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19, and investigations are ongoing.

How can I avoid infection with COVID-19?

According to the CDC, the immediate health risk of COVID-19 to the American public is LOW. However, you can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses with these actions.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, if soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Houston housing market Comparison

January Monthly Market Comparison(HAR report)

Except for inventory, January indicators for the Houston real estate market were positive, with single-family home sales, total property sales and total dollar volume all up compared to January 2019. Pricing levels reached January highs. Month-end pending sales for single-family homes totaled 7,212. That is a 21.1 percent jump over last year. Total active listings, or the total number of available properties, rose 3.7 percent to 39,699.

Single-family homes inventory recorded a 3.5-months supply in January, down fractionally from a 3.6-months supply a year earlier. For perspective, housing inventory across the U.S. stands at a 3.0-months supply, according to the latest report from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Houston for Lease/rent single family homes

Lease Property Update(HAR report)

Consumers that weren’t buying homes in January were renting properties at a brisk pace. Single-family home rentals shot up 14.5 percent year-over-year while rentals of townhomes and condominiums rose 5.6 percent. The average rent for single-family homes ticked up 1.7 percent to $1,782 while the average rent for townhomes and condominiums increased 5.9 percent to $1,598.

Houston single family homes

HAR report: "January is a traditionally slower month for home sales coming off the holidays, but the Houston market continues to benefit from low mortgage interest rates and a generally robust economy with healthy employment numbers,” said HAR Chairman John Nugent with RE/MAX Space Center. “All the January home buying activity lowered our housing inventory a little, but we expect to see that grow again as we approach the spring months when more homes typically hit the market." 

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.45 percent last week, according to figures released by Freddie Mac. That is the lowest level since October 2016. As for the local jobs landscape, the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) reported in its January 24 Houston Employment Update that Metro Houston created 88,000 jobs – a 2.8 percent increase – during the 12 months ended December 2019, according to Texas Workforce Commission data. The GHP also noted that Houston's unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in December, down from 3.9 percent in December 2018.

Houston Housing market

HOUSTON —HAR report (February 12, 2020) — Fresh on the heels of a record-breaking 2019, home sales across greater Houston began the new year with a strong showing as consumers continued to take advantage of historically low interest rates. Homes priced between $500,000 and $750,000 drew the most buyers in January followed by homes in the $250,000 to $500,000 range. Activity among properties for lease also registered solid gains during the month.

According to the latest monthly Market Update from the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), 4,699 single-family homes sold in January compared to 4,112 a year earlier. That represents a 14.3 percent increase – the seventh consecutive positive month and the greatest January sales volume hike in seven years. The single-family home median price (the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less) rose 4.5 percent to $234,000 and the average price climbed 4.6 percent to $291,034. Both figures represent the highest prices ever for a January.

Sales of all property types totaled 5,800, up 15.2 percent from January 2019. Total dollar volume for the month surged 17.1 percent to about $1.6 billion. 

Houston Housing market

Houston Real Estate Highlights for December and Full-Year 2019(HAR report)

• 2019 proved to be a record year for Houston home sales with 86,205 single-family homes sold versus 82,229 in 2018, the last record-setting year. That represents an increase of 4.8 percent;

• Total dollar volume for full-year 2019 rose 6.7 percent to a record-setting $30 billion;

• December single-family home sales jumped 14.3 percent year-over-year with 7,505 units sold. That marks the greatest one-month percentage increase of the year;

• Total December property sales increased 14.7 percent to 8,879 units;

• Total dollar volume for December soared 18.0 percent to $2.7 billion;

• At $251,000, the single-family home median price rose 4.6 percent to a December high;

• The single-family home average price climbed 2.5 percent to a December high of $312,922;

• Single-family homes months of inventory narrowed slightly to a 3.4-months supply;

• Townhome/condominium sales had a strong 2019 finale, jumping 14.1 percent, with the average price up 10.3 percent to $227,239 and the median price up 9.1 percent to $185,000;

• Leases of single-family homes rose 5.0 percent with average rent unchanged at $1,764;

• Leases of townhomes/condominiums fell 5.5 percent with average rent up 2.7 percent to $1,569.

For lease properties in Houston

Lease Property Update(HAR report)

Houston’s lease market staged a mixed performance in December. Single-family home leases rose 5.0 percent while townhome/condominium leases fell 5.5 percent. The average rent for single-family homes was flat at $1,764 and the average rent for townhomes/condominiums was up 2.7 percent to $1,569.

Townhouse/Condominium for sale in Houston

Townhouse/Condominium Update(HAR report)

Townhome and condominium sales had a strong finish to a year that saw alternating months of gains and losses. December volume jumped 14.1 percent, with 581 units selling versus 509 a year earlier. The average price rose 10.3 percent to $227,239 and the median price increased 9.1 percent to $185,000. Inventory grew from a 3.7-months supply to 4.0 months.

Houston Housing market segment

(HAR report):Broken out by housing segment, December sales performed as follows:

• $1 – $99,999: decreased 20.0 percent

• $100,000 – $149,999: decreased 15.8 percent

• $150,000 – $249,999: increased 13.7 percent

• $250,000 – $499,999: increased 27.2 percent

• $500,000 – $749,999: increased 11.8 percent

• $750,000 and above: increased 12.7 percent

HAR also breaks out the sales figures for existing single-family homes. Existing home sales totaled 5,762 in December, up 16.9 percent versus the same month last year. The average sales price rose 3.1 percent to $299,699 while the median sales price increased 6.8 percent to $235,000.