Houston's industrial market remains healthy with low vacancy, stable rental rates, and positive net absorption. In Q2 2013, Houston posted 336,000 SF of net absorption, bringing the YTD total to 2.6M SF. The average vacancy rate increased slightly to 5.1% while average quoted rental rates rose 4.2% year-over-year. Demand for new industrial space continues to drive development, with 4.3M SF currently under construction, mostly speculative projects. Houston's economy is expected to remain strong due to continued expansion in the energy industry.