Influx of new-comers takes bite out of major defection. (Commercial Real Estate Market Guide: Fort Bend County)

Fort Bend County consistently ranked among the nation's top 10 fastest-growing counties throughout the 1980s. The area's go-go reputation is likely to continue into the 1990s since the county's total assessed valuations jumped by another $500 million in 1991.

With eight master-planned communities inside its boundaries, it is easy to see why homes account for 46 percent of Fort Bend's real estate market. The 10 percent of the market made up of commercial real estate developments is sandwiched into the business triangle formed by U.S. 59, U.S. 90A and Highway 6. However, the larger market also includes the small towns of Sugar Land, Stafford and Missouri City, each of which offer their own unique development flavor.

Fort Bend County likes to say it specializes in growing businesses. Since 1986, 31 corporate relocations into the county have generated more than 2,000 new jobs, $42 million in new paychecks, $84 million in physical improvements and $2.3 million in property taxes for the area.

In 1991, this growth trend continued. Several existing employers announced expansion plans and several newcomers broke ground on light industrial facilities.

Yet not all of Fort Bend's real estate news was happy last year. BMC Software Inc., an existing mega-employer, announced it will leave the county to build a new headquarters in West Houston.

OFFICE

JANUARY

* BMC Software kicks off the year with a site search for a new headquarters. The 11-year-old software company has been growing at an annual rate of about 30 percent and burst the seams on leased space in three Fort Bend office buildings: Sugar Creek National Bank …