Three weeks after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, schools, offices, and businesses are open again but the housing scene remains a mess.
CNBC reports that the hurricane destroyed at least 30,000 homes, and that thousands more suffered damaged. Homeowners are being forced to remain patient, as the region is suffering from a drastic labor shortage.
Houston lost skilled construction workers during the recession, and they never returned after the economy bounced back. Plus, recent changes to the immigration policy has turned away a large portion of Mexican-born workers.
CNBC notes that neighborhoods “look like the houses were turned inside out.” Many owners stripped their homes to the studs after the storm.
There are signs stuck in the ground all over Houston neighborhoods offering to buy homes "as-is" and offering remodeling work. The trouble is that Texas does not require contractors to be licensed, and with so much work and so many desperate homeowners, there will likely be a big jump in scams.
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