Mansion City: Houston No. 1 in million dollar-plus home sales — with California influx powering the trend

Million dollar-plus homes in the Houston area were hot commodities in 2014, with some 1,194 million dollar-plus luxury residences sold from January throughout October — the most in the entire state.

In fact, Houston's high-end housing market reflects a 13 percent increase, the Lone Star's third highest jump over the same time frame in 2013.

Those stats come from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University in its new 2015 Texas Luxury Home Sales Report.

“Those people sell their home in California, move to Texas and realize their money goes much further in our market."

Jim Gaines, an economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, says that the luxury housing market proved to be one of the top segments of housing because Texas is a hot destination for new residents, particularly from California.

“We saw a lot of people moving to Texas from places like California, where a modest two-bedroom condo can be valued upwards of $1 million,” Gaines says in a statement. “Those people sell their home in California, move to Texas and realize their money goes much further in our market.

“Thus, even if they don’t have an income typical of a luxury homeowner, they have assets to purchase luxury homes and are stimulating that market.”  BY BARBARA KUNTZ

For Houston Luxury Home Purchase call 832.443.RENE (7363).  Rene@GEJPROPERTIES.COM