Texas has become the nation's economic engine in large part because we have allowed competition to bring lower prices and better products in markets such as telecommunications, electricity and oil and gas. Title insurance should be no different.
Applying a destination-based cash flow tax—better known as a “border-adjustment tax,” or BAT—to the import of reinsurance would have significant effects on the cost and availability of a range of insurance products. This report projects that, for Texas consumers, the impact would be $3.39 billion in higher property-casualty insurance premiums over the next decade.
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...