"If the stock market continues to fluctuate, I think capital will flow out of the market and into real estate investing," Bill Cawley, president and CEO of Dallas-based Cawley Wilcox Cos., tells GlobeSt.com. Companies are still charting growth, just not making as large percentage gains as in the past, he says.

"Their money is their stock," Cawley states matter-of-factly. While some companies will fall by the wayside, others will step up to the batter's plate. Right now, it's all about capital availability and retrenching, particularly for the more established corporations. He cites telecommunications as a prime example of an industry that's softening now, but you can bet that it's only for the short term.

George Roddy, owner of Dallas-based Roddy Information Services, likens the present market conditions to the early 1990s, a time to buy. Those who bought real estate in the early 1990s have sold their holdings in the past two years and realized a significant gain. And, he says, if the question is "where should I invest in real estate," the answer is most definitely in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market. "In my opinion, Dallas-Ft. Worth is probably one of the best places to put your money in," he tells GlobeSt.com.

Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties, also believes the current market has hit just a short-term bump in the road. Dallas-Ft. Worth, he says, is going to benefit in the end. "I hate to sound like Dallas-Ft. Worth is recession-proof, but North Texas is a strong market when people are trying to streamline just as it's a good market when they're trying to grow and expand." He admits that the current stock market might slow up the rate at which companies expand, but the deals will continue. In fact, he says Hillwood's deal flow has picked up in the past three to four weeks after a slight slump at year's start.