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René Galvan was appointed the new CEO and president of the Houston Association of Realtors in February, as previously reported. Galvan succeeded Bob Hale, who retired Jan. 31. In an interview with Community Impact, Galvan discussed his background, what HAR does and the real estate market in the Greater Houston area. 

More details: Some of the questions asked by Community Impact include: 

• Broadly speaking, what does the Houston Association of Realtors do, and how do Realtors and buyers interact with HAR?
• When it comes to the housing market in the Greater Houston area, what trends are you seeing?
• What factors, economic or otherwise, do you see affecting the Houston housing market?

Just as schools and students are getting ready for the academic year to end, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones’ Sidewalks 4 Precinct 4 public safety initiative is preparing for its summer break phase.

Established in 2024, Sidewalks 4 Precinct 4 aims to improve the county’s walkability as well as the overall safety for its residents by constructing 75 miles of sidewalks in multiple phases throughout unincorporated Harris County, according to its website.

On the horizon: The project’s $16 million second phase began in 2025 and is expected to be completed by fall 2026, Briones said.

Also of note: Briones also held a May 5 news conference to announce the start of construction of 4.25 miles of sidewalk along South Mason Road.

The $2.54 million project will be primarily funded by Precinct 4 with contributions from Cornerstones Municipal Utility District and Memorial Municipal Utility District.

The Margaritaville Beach Cottage Resort in Galveston is continuing development, with the construction of a model cottage unit designed to give prospective buyers an early on-site experience by the summer, according to an April 22 news release from RREAF Holdings.

The details: Full construction of the resort is expected to be completed in July 2027, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, or TDLR, listing.

• 401 E. Beach Drive, Galveston

As health care costs continue rising in Texas and across the nation, state lawmakers are working to understand the factors that make health care unaffordable and what can be done to rein in prices.

The big picture: About 5.2 million Texans, or 16.7% of the state’s population, did not have health insurance in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

For years, advocates have called on Texas lawmakers to pass laws to drive down health care costs and improve access to health insurance. During a two-day hearing April 30 and May 1, a Texas House committee examined why health care costs are rising. Lawmakers will discuss potential policy solutions later this year, committee chair Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, said.

What's happening: Yale University professor Zack Cooper said that since 2000, U.S. health care spending has grown three times faster than inflation. The average health insurance premium for a family of four is $27,000 per year, he said.

“Every family is basically buying a new Toyota Corolla worth of health insurance," Cooper told lawmakers.