The Dallas Morning News reports from Texas. "Apartment rents in North Texas have never been so high. Rents are up almost 6 percent from a year ago and have risen almost 30 percent in the last five years. Even the boom in apartment building hasn't taken the bite out of the annual increases. Almost 50,000 new rental units are being built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But most of those units are aimed at the upper end of the market. Middle tier D-FW apartments have the lowest vacancy rates, about 4 percent. And rents in these units, which average $959 a month, are about 7 percent higher than in mid-2015. One reason occupancy levels are so high in these properties is that developers are knocking down older apartments all over D-FW to replace them with newer, more expensive units. 'Class A rent growth is the slowest because of all the new supply that's coming to market,' said Greg Willett of Richardson-based apartment analyst MPF Research."

The Longview News Journal. "The continuing downturn in the oil industry has put a damper on home building in Longview this year, with activity not keeping pace with sizable increases in home sales in the same period. Why no developers took out permits for apartment complexes is a subject of speculation. 'I think we are kind of oversaturated in the market for higher-end (apartments),' said Karen Holt, housing navigator for the aging and disability center operated by Community HealthCore. 'I think that is why you are seeing a downturn in the permits.'"

From News Channel 10. "Texas home sales and prices may be the only thing rising as fast as the summer temperatures. It's no different in Amarillo. Realtors are busying and the amount of time the average homes stays up for sale is decreasing. 'It's been a record setting year in Amarillo,' said Kent Meyers with the Amarillo Association of Realtors. 'We have sold more houses in the first two quarters in 2016 than ever in history that we've kept record.'"

"But one small set back is houses in our area are more expensive. 'Median prices are just a little bit above $200,000. The prices continues to move up just slightly,' said Meyer. 'That's basically due to the lack of inventory in Amarillo and that's a problem we've had, we just simply don't have enough houses to meet the demand on new homes and existing homes.'"

"According to Meyer, homeowners will barely feel the impact of the pricey homes. 'Our interest rates remain incredibly good,' said Meyer. 'When you buy a house, that's an investment, probably the biggest investment that any family ever makes.'"

From News West 9. "The Texas Quarterly Housing Report shows that the state is experiencing gains in home sales and prices. But in the Permian Basin, that's not the case. The Midland median home price is down 3.5 percent from last year. Although there are more active listings now than there were a year ago, the number of closed sales is down 4.2 percent. This means houses are staying on the market, and not selling. And those same numbers are down for Odessa."

"Texas Association of Realtors Regional Vice President Warren Ivey said it's no coincidence this is happening at the same time the oil industry is trending downward. 'You bet,' said Ivey. 'Because our employee base is based mainly in the oil industry, when the price of oil goes down, people get laid off. There's not as many buyers ready to buy a house at that point and therefore, prices of the homes come down.'"

"The active listings is up more than 73 percent and the housing inventory is sitting at 5.3 percent. However, Ivey said it's not something to worry about because it's not a huge slide in the market, especially compared to where the rest of the state sits. 'The median sales price in Midland for a home is $237,000 and we are down from last year,' said Ivey. 'The state of Texas, across the state, the median sales price is lower than that and they're up. So that goes to tell you, in the past couple of years, we've had great sales prices on our homes.'"

"Ivey said that if you're looking to sell, you won't get as much as last year, but that shouldn't stop you from testing the market."

The Midland Reporter Telegram. "At 2016’s midpoint, the Midland-Odessa regional economy continues the contraction fueled by the sharp drop in oil prices and oilfield activity. But there is a growing sense 'the end is out there,' said Karr Ingham, the Amarillo economist who prepares the Midland-Odessa Regional Economic Index for the Midland Development Corp."

"Ingham reported that the June index is down 12.2 percent from year-ago levels and, nearly a year and a half into the economic slowdown, has fallen by nearly 16 percent on the heels of a five-year, 70 percent economic expansion. Midland and Odessa continued to shed jobs amid the downturn, with Ingham estimating total payroll employment in the two cities has fallen by an estimated 14,300 jobs since peaking in November 2014. Unemployment in the second quarter is up 33.6 percent over the second quarter of last year and so far this year is 39.3 percent above the first six months of 2015."

"In Midland, the second quarter home sales price averaged $274,083, down 2.1 percent from $279,871 last year. The year-to-date sales price averaged $272,278, down a mere 0.9 percent from $274,773. 'On balance, the economy looks like it’s expected to look like in response to the dramatic circumstances surrounding oil prices,' Ingham said. 'It’s responded as expected and appropriately.'"