HTX-BAY: Impact 11/10/2025

Check out last month's real estate data for the Bay Area and how it compared to the same month last year.

The overview: Fewer homes overall were sold in the Bay Area. While two did see slight increases, one saw a drop of 40 total homes.

Soulfreak Café, a local coffee shop that serves coffee from Pearland Coffee Roasters, will open a second location in Seabrook on Nov. 20, according to a news release from the city.

The details: Unlike the shop's other location in League City, the Seabrook location will have a drive-thru, according to staff. 

Soulfreak Café relocated operations of its League City location from Clear Lake Shores to League Park in 2023, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.

• 1305 Main St., Seabrook

Harris County commissioners unanimously approved an increase in the county’s fiscal year 2025-26 no-new-revenue property tax rate during the Nov. 4 court meeting. 

The gist: While commissioners adopted the $2.76 billion FY 2025-26 general fund budget and tax rates for the Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County Hospital District and the Port of Houston Authority on Sept. 24, the no-new-revenue rate was expected to be adopted near the end of October, according to Laura Lucas with the county administration office.

By the numbers: The four rates together make a combined property tax rate in the county of $0.6241 per $100 of valuation, an increase from the FY 2024-25 tax rate of $0.6038 per $100 of valuation.

The takeaway: The county’s tax rate document states the no-new-revenue tax rate will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate. The 0.55% increase will raise taxes on a $100,000 home by approximately $2.42, the document states.

Harris County commissioners opted not to draft regulations on roadside vendors and panhandlers in unincorporated areas of the county in a split vote Oct. 30.

The overview: In May, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 2012, which allows counties to curb roadside and parking lot soliciting. The bill permits restrictions on people asking for money or selling food or merchandise, including animals, along roadways.

What happened: During Harris County commissioners’ Oct. 30 meeting, a motion to pursue drafting panhandling and roadside soliciting regulations failed, with Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones voting against the measure; Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent from the meeting. 

Remember this? If the motion would have passed, the county attorney would have worked with court offices to draft an ordinance including:

• Clear prohibitions on panhandling that affects traffic lanes, medians and other areas that pose safety risks
• A focus on improving traffic flow and quality of life by creating designated safety zones away from busy traffic
• Opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness to be directed to resources

Missed any Community Impact articles from this week? Check out the top trending stories from Community Impact's coverage areas in Houston from Nov. 3-7.

1. Houston Airport System issues advisory about indefinite TSA delays

2. See unofficial voting results for LCISD’s $1.99B bond

3. Unofficial voting results show all three Magnolia ISD bond propositions fail

4. Conroe ISD's Grand Oaks zoning plan in the works as area continues to grow

5. Sugar Land to make code changes as 52-acre Lake Pointe redevelopment nears construction