Speaking of awesome...
Houston: The U.S. Boomtown
It's the sound some cities haven't heard for months — the sounds of construction and growth ring out throughout Houston.
In 2008, new construction permits for the city are up 30 percent. At least 100,000 new jobs have been created, and Mayor Bill White just proposed a $4 billion dream budget, calling for more police and firefighters while lowering property taxes.
Houston's boom was set off, in part, by the skyrocketing prices for oil and gas, which are the city's central commodities. Here, million-dollar homes are in high demand.
"They're selling faster than they come on the market," said Martha Turner, local real estate agent in Houston.
Government figures show that existing home sales have fallen 4.7 percent in the United States since April. It's a trend that has completely passed over Houston...
