Houston Real Estate

Known affectionately as the “Bayou City”, Houston is the largest city in the State of Texas and the fourth largest in the whole United States. Located on the Southeast Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it covers 540 square miles and home to more than 2 million people and 100 ethnic groups.

Founded by the Allen brothers, Augustus Chapman and John Kirby, in 1836, Houston was named after the great general Sam Houston who led Texas to independence from Mexico and served as the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas after the War of Independence.

During its early days, Houston’s economy was based primarily on the shipping of cotton. After the widening and the deepening of the Buffalo Bayou, the periodic addition of railway systems, the town grew. Land developers became interested to build up suburbs and after the discovery of oil in 1901, the city experienced a full-blown surge of expansion and prosperity.

Billed as the “Energy Capital of the World,” energy is only a small part of what makes the city thrives as a corporate hub. Its economy likewise depends on the chemical industry, as the city produces almost half of the United States’ petrochemical supply; manufacturing sector, wherein $54 billion are in place in various manufacturing firms; import/export trade, since the Port of Houston is the second largest US port in total tonnage; the computer/electronics industry, wherein 47,000 engineers and architects in various fields are employed; medical facilities is cited one of the best in the countries; and lastly its pioneering role in the development of the aerospace industry.

The development of the city would have been short lived if they have not included in the equation the education aspect of its people. In fact, residents of Houston are more likely to have completed four years of college than the rest of the United States. It has five (5) school districts, 6 private K-12 schools, 4 junior/community colleges; five universities including the very prestigious and highly acclaimed Rice University; 3 medical schools and 1 theology/divinity school.

The city’s extreme industrial diversity has likewise reflected in its ethnicity, being one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States. Out of the total population, 37.4% are of Hispanic race and 26.4% are foreign born, which means the city is a level-playing field for residents and non-residents alike.

Ranked as the “third livable city in the United States”, the city is a leader in shopping, dining and entertainment. There are literally hundreds of restaurants in and around the city from American to ethnic cuisine and then some mixtures in between. There is the Galleria, Tiffany & Co., Nordstrom or the Highland Village to mention a few. There are lots of places to while away the time and several fun things to do in every direction. In one day, you could enjoy various tourist spots such as the famous Space Center Houston, San Jacinto Battleground, George Ranch Historical Park; museums like the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, Holocaust Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science, among others; or visit their five beautiful theaters highlighted by the Wortham Theater Center and Jones Hall; or to unwind after a long day’s sightseeing and shopping to one of Houston’s hotspots such as the Mercury Room.