The Texas Title Insurance Monopoly

Growing Pains: The Cost and Contribution of Impact Fees in Texas

Texas’s rapidly growing population requires new infrastructure and improvements, which oftentimes come at great expense. To fund these projects, local officials often impose impact fees on new development—but their use comes at a cost. Key points: Texas is the fastest-growing state in the nation. As such, it has robust infrastructure requirements. To help finance capital...

Heavy Regulation, High Profits, and Wasteful Spending

Texas has the most restrictive regulation of title rates and forms (policies) in the nation, allowing no opportunity for insurers to innovate with their products or lower rates to compete for business directly from the consumer. Texas should introduce competition into the title insurance market by moving to a file-and-use system.

Bringing Down the House (Price)

A decade ago, the typical Texas home value was about $181,000. Today, it’s ballooned to around $302,000. As home prices increase so too does the barrier to entry get higher. A recent study estimates it would take 7 years for a median-income Texas household to save up for a 20% down payment. But you don’t...