BELLMEAD, Texas — Freya Murray has rented her Bellmead home for more than seven years. She first spoke to 25 News in July when her landlord raised her rent 166% from $1,050 a month to $2,800.
The increase was just the beginning.
"I'm moving, I'm done with this house," she told 25 News more than a month later during a follow-up story.
In the last week, Murray found out she's not only being evicted but also sued for not paying, despite saying she did pay her rent. She was served at her home with a lawsuit for more than $17,000.
"People are like 'just don't worry about it, calm down.' how? How do you do that when you have to move an entire house by yourself and you're being sued?" she said.
Freya isn't alone. According to a new study from Texas A&M's Real Estate Research Center many people across the nation are seeing rent prices and mortgages go up.
"We're experiencing rapid growth, a lot of activity, high home prices, escalating home prices for the last couple of years," real estate expert Dr. Jim Gaines said.
Buying a house isn't affordable for many people. Dr. Gaines told 25 News despite the market cooling down, this is still a seller's market.
"While yes you can say that is down, you got to remember that last July was almost a record-setting month," Dr. Gaines said. "So it's down a little bit, but it's down from a record high."
As the cost of living continues to fluctuate, Murray said she's just waiting on her day in court to see what happens next.
25 News reached out to Denzil Parreno, the landlord who filed the suit in a McLennan County court. He responded by text and referred the station to his attorney. 25 News has not been able to make contact with his attorney.
