Bob McCarty Writes

The folks at the Mission Economic Development Authority tout their town as “the most exciting secret in the world of economic development today.” On their web site, they claim Mission, Texas, is home to “some of the greatest American manufacturing success stories of the last decade.” Chances are you’ve never heard of the phenomenon known as Mission, because too many mainstream media outlets are spending their time writing stories that begin this way:

The economy nearly sputtered out at the end of the year and is probably faring even worse now amid continuing housing, credit and financial crises.

Despite a housing industry slump across much of the U.S., luxury home builders are discovering open arms of demand along the US-Mexico border in South Texas, according to a MEDA news release, and they continue to benefit from the current boom in investment and population along the international border.

Located in the “Tropical Tip of South Texas” along the U.S.-Mexico border, Mission is part of the fastest-growing metropolitan statistical areas in Texas and is popular among successful Mexican national business owners and retirees who find the year-round tropical weather and border lifestyle in Mission to their liking.

“There is a tremendous demand for quality housing construction here in South Texas because land prices and construction are still reasonably priced,” said one businessman cited in the news release. “We’re selling units much faster than we can build them.”