I only purchase properties that are (or can easily be) separately metered for electric/gas, however none are separately metered for water.  

Supposely there is a gas problem....

Houston is a oil and gas city and with the price of oil being so low, it's slowing down the housing market.

Is Nat gas available? 

When oil and gas prices rise, that "stimulus" of cheap gas will end and people will have less money to spend.

Hello BP Nation-I'm Howard Mayne and live in Houston where I previously worked in the oil & gas industry. 

Greg,Thanks for replying.I have been torn on whether or not to separate into 4 different heating units (costly to say the least). i can't find any flow meters that would work like I want on a fuel oil system. nat gas is not an option.

There are things like master metered power/gas if you have it, certain types of sewer lines, bad roads etc. that could end up being expensive.

I agree with your comments that mortgage reits are vulnerable to rising interest rates especially if the financial reits are leveraged.Just as the energy sector (nat gas, crude oil, agriculture) are beaten down, I think that the Financial reits are trading 21% below book value and the reason for this is the rising interest rates are already priced in causing these reits to trade at such distressed levels.

natural gas availability9.