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Posted on Dec 30, 2009 | Tagged in: sports , Houston
Forbes Magazine did a recent analysis on all the NBA teams and here’s the info on Houston’s top basketball team.
The Houston Rockets have been one of the NBA’s most profitable teams since 2003 when they moved into the Toyota Center owned by Harris County Houston Sports Authority. The Center has a capacity for 18,500 patrons and offers 108 suites and 2900 club seats which generate $40 million yearly. Basketball fans not only have the best seats available to watch the game, they can even enjoy concessions provided by Levy Restaurants in this top notch facility.
The team was purchased by Leslie Alexander in 1993 for $85 million, and has grown to a current value of $470 million. While lost their two highest priced players last season, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming to injuries, they didn’t lose any steam. Coached by Rick Adelman, who led them to wins in two-thirds of their games in his first two seasons, they were able to stay ahead of their game and make it to the NBA playoffs. In the playoffs they competed against the Lakers, giving them a run for their money as they took them into a seventh game in the second round.
Posted on Dec 10, 2009 | Tagged in: Houston , economy
The recession swept over us and left many states feeling the financial blow, but the Best in Texas know where they can rest in peace – in their own Lone Star State. If you’re looking for a great place to live, with stability, abundant resources and excellent education, look no further than the Houston area in Texas.
Houston was ranked No. 8 in a recent issue of Forbes Magazine which determined and listed America’s fastest recovering cities from the recession. These cities, the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical areas according to the U.S. office of Management and Budget, were ranked based on their unemployment rate, the size of their economy, foreclosures, home prices and home sales rates.
That Houston ranked towards the top of the list should come as no surprise to area residents who have seen the stability of the area’s housing market – a major indicator of the economy for cities across the U.S. In fact, the Houston area was ranked #1 for home price in the Forbes study. Housing prices didn’t rise to a level that couldn’t be sustained; therefore the housing market didn’t crash as hard as other cities around the nation.
Posted on Dec 5, 2009 | Tagged in: green , economy
Clean-tech and "green collar" jobs, or occupations that promote the wellness of the environment through the use of energy efficient and "clean" technology, are a topic growing in popularity and awareness in not only the U.S., but the global world. This global concern is one that greatly affects those involved in the energy industry, and inherently Houston.
Houston-based companies like Exxon Mobil, Shell, and Kinder Morgan are all taking these concerns seriously as they compete to be the most innovative and efficient in providing what today's concerned consumers expect: clean, green technology & renewable energy.
The Clean Edge, a green-industry research firm composed a list of the best metropolitan areas for clean-tech job activity, and Texas made the list twice, with the Houston/Galveston/Brazoria area at number 15.
Right now, the U.S. economy is creating approximately 1.3 million new "green collar" jobs a year (Challenger Gray & Christmas http://www.challengergray.com/), and by 2030, the number of U.S. jobs related to energy efficiency and conservation will hit 40 million (American Solar Energy Society http://www.ases.org). This progress will inherently create more opportunities for Houstonians to get involved through their work and contribute to the greater good.
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/26/news/economy/green.jobs.fortune/index.htm
Posted on Dec 4, 2009 | Tagged in: economy
Forbes.com reported the latest unemployment numbers are a sign that the recession is receding, and that December may be the first month of job growth in two years! Some economists had expected the rate to stay at 10.2%, but happy Houstonians and Americans witnessed a drop to 10% - a significant surprise.
In addition, the Bureau of Labor statistics revised down their previous estimates for the months of September and October, claiming unemployment during that period was not as bad as previously noted.
Other hopeful statistics:
-The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory workers rose by 0.2 hours to 33.2 hours. This signals an increase in hiring and demand for labor.
-The manufacturing workweek rose by 0.3 hours to 40.4 hours. Forbes called this a sign that even manufacturing employers will have to increase hiring soon.
Posted on Dec 2, 2009 | Tagged in: Untagged
Enter Lennar's contest and you could be one of our two $1,000 cash prize winners!
Lennar is getting in the holiday spirit and we want to know what you would do with $1,000 cash. Would you give it to charity, someone in your family or maybe a friend in need? Submit your entry to Lennar's page on Facebook by December 10th and let us know how you would put $1,000 to good use.
What would you do with $1,000 cash this holiday season?
Hurry - Contest ends December 10th.
For more information, click here now.
