hey Q,
No worries, just sharing my outlook. I am not even from the US, but I'll shamelessly claim, that I know perhaps an order of magnitude more about US affairs, than
average 'Murkan. That's
not saying that I know more than a pro, about his specific trade, and specific area

. Glad things are going well in Texas, but... if something grows that fast, for that long... Flashing red lights all over my (humble, personal) dashboard. There are
no underlying economic fundamentals, for which house prices should ever grow faster than general inflation/wages/population. Why should they - a house is a depreciating
consumer good. Yet apparently in your area, they are, which bears all the hallmarks of a speculative bubble - IMHO.
Housing in general is
not an investment (contrary to what 'Murkans, and most of the western sphere was convinced to), just as buying a car is
not an investment. You can make the case, that people "will always need cars", ergo, they should "invest" in cars, yet nobody seem to claim such an utter nonsense, for various reasons. Logistic companies, they DO invest in cars, and see how completely different it is for them, then average Joe. The thing is, the average Joe is
not "investing" in cars (using low interest rates and all kinds of government stimuli), therefore, the prices of the trucks are not being ratcheted up for the truckers, to ridiculous (economically) levels.
Housing might be a good investment for people like you, who really DO invest in it - if you can score a deal that will provide a positive cash flow (including maintenance, depreciation, etc.). The problem, as I see it, is when majority of population is misled, that the house they living in, is/will be their "investment", especially in low interest rates environment -> ergo: all this mob is ratcheting up house prices, year after year -> ergo: the risk of investing in housing increases.
Life is treating me rather well (thanks to all deities there are, and please keep it that way

) on personal/financial level, in my neck of woods - having over 15 years experience as an enterprise software developer, has its monetary benefits, you know

. But that little life bonus does not put rose tinted glasses on my nose, nor my personal "all is good, or at least not as bad as some people claim" bias is allowed. I
know, that things are getting rather desperate for ever-increasing number of peoples, across the globe. All kinds of blow-offs are to be expected, everywhere, and I mean, everywhere - including Texas, Canada & Australia. Housing, being artificially re-inflated/stimulated and not deflated at all in some places, is in my humble opinion, a prime candidate. Let me use your own argument to support my thesis:
(...)with few being able to afford homes still (the credit crunch with banks is still prevalent down here amidst the weathering of the housing bubble storm) there is an abundance of renters.
OK, interest rates have started ratcheting up now, haven't they. What does that mean for the affordability of houses. If/when that stuff blows off again, there's a
big risk, that even things that look like a good deal
today, will be a loosing investment.
My humble opinion only, about general trends and macro risks, and of course, I don't have even the slightest clue, what kind of deals you have on your table, and as we all know, the devil is in the details
