AUSTIN, TX - July 1 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) used the occasion of June’s national designation as Home Ownership Month to name its “Lenders of the Year” and “Loan Officers of the Year” in recognition of the important role lenders play in helping increase home ownership opportunities for Texans through state-sponsored homebuyer programs.

SINTON, TX - June 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today charged a residential roofing contractor with deceiving Texas homeowners and unlawfully soliciting roof repairs.

EUGENE, OR - June 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and John Cotten have joined forces to present Austin, Texas property listings and foreclosure services in one convenient and easy-to-use online real estate resource. Cotten has proven himself as a smarter broker by integrating an IDX solution onto his website; syncing his customizable search page to thousands of Austin MLS (ACTRIS) listings. Never before has such a concise online real estate search page been so easily accessible by home seekers. Cotten has forever changed the way potential Austin buyers search for properties online.

Laredo, TX - June 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced today that the South Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (STCADA) received federal funding from a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant in the amount of $893,614. In addition to the HUD grant, Webb County District Attorney Chilo Alaniz and Sheriff Martin Cuellar both contributed $48,667 each and Mr. Javier Santos, on behalf of the Fernando A. Salinas Trust, contributed $50,691 bringing the total amount of funding for the project to $1,041,639

Washington, D.C. - June 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR) announced that the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending (the Department), Mortgage Division, has received a certificate of accreditation for mortgage supervision, certifying that the Department maintains the standards and practices in state mortgage supervision set by the CSBS and AARMR Accreditation Program. The Department is the ninth to receive accreditation for mortgage supervision, and the first non-banking department to receive the mortgage accreditation

AUSTIN, TX - June 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) today announced that the state has secured a $619,696 federal grant that will significantly further its efforts to reduce the number of home foreclosures across Texas and help stabilize families, declining home values, and local government coffers.The grant, awarded through the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) Program – Round 5, will provide counseling to potentially as many as 1,500 Texas homeowners in or facing a home foreclosure and help them avoid foreclosure

THE COLONY, TX - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Matthews Southwest – one of the region’s most progressive developers – today announces Kathy Cunningham has been named Vice President at The Tribute Resort Community on the shores of Lake Lewisville.

Dallas, TX - June 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An affiliate of USAA Real Estate Company announced the successful acquisition of a significant interest in two of Gables’ Class A, multi-family and mixed use properties located in Austin and Dallas, Texas

Midland, TX - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Betenbough Homes, based in Lubbock, Texas, officially opened its Legends Park community in Midland, the first community the builder will have featuring all Green Certified homes. Betenbough made the commitment in late 2010 to have all its homes Green Certified by the NAHB Research Center to the National Green Building Standard™ this year. These Green Certified homes will be offered to buyers at no additional cost.

HOUSTON, TX - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Adrian Levale Cole and Albert Terrance Watkins, both of Houston, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

Houston, TX - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- National Homeownership Month is observed each June to highlight the vital role homeownership plays in improving lives, creating economic opportunities and strengthening America's neighborhoods.

AUSTIN, TX - May 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Texas House of Representatives passed HB 2761 which requires Texas Home Owners Associations to operate openly. Under HB 2761, HOAs may no longer foreclose on an assessment lien if the debt consists solely of fines assessed by the association, attorney's fees incurred by the association solely associated with fines assessed by the association or amounts added to the owner's account for open record requests.

May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With only ten minutes remaining in the Texas House for consideration of non-local Senate Bills, Speaker Straus recognized Representative Bonnen for an important motion

Washington, DC - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) invited constituents to attend a free foreclosure prevention workshop in Dallas. The event takes place on Friday, June 10th from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Dallas at the Texas Agrilife Research and Extension Center located at 17360 Coit Road.

EUGENE, OR - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX Broker software has been enabled on yet another real estate website. This time IDX, Inc. and Texas real estate agent Peerly Butbul have joined forces to create an innovative property search page. As a member of the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems (NTREIS), Butbul has long had access to thousands of detailed home listings. Now, her clients can experience the same levels of accessibility and freedom to search the database, a privilege once reserved only for Dallas-Fort Worth agents and brokers. The convenience and time-saving capabilities of the website of Butbul have forever revolutionized the real estate website she hosts.

EUGENE, OR - May 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce Matt Gibson has become the latest real estate professional to join the growing network of agents and brokers who have employed the dynamic IDX Broker software. Gibson now makes the Laredo, Texas property search monumentally simpler for area home seekers. As a member of the Laredo MLS (LBRMLS), Gibson has long had access to thousands of detailed property listings. Now, Gibson gives his clients and other potential buyers unprecedented accessibility to the LBRMLS database of homes. Never before have buyers been able to experience such innovative real estate search tools from the convenience of the website of Gibson, or the IDX Broker application for iPhone and iPad.

AUSTIN, TX - May 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) today announced a $190,2651 award to a Houston-based nonprofit housing finance agency assisting eligible residents in eight southeast Texas counties and 11 cities purchasing a home of their own, providing greater stability to area low income families and a shot in the arm to the local economy.TDHCA made the award through its HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program to the Southeast Texas Housing Finance Corporation (SETHFC), which the organization will use to provide nine households with down payment and closing cost assistance and helping them achieve the American Dream of homeownership.

AUSTIN, TX - May 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) today announced two awards totaling $787,000 to the City of Center to help promote and maintain homeownership while providing a shot in the arm to the local economy.TDHCA awarded the city $265,000 in homebuyer assistance funds which it will use to provide down payment and closing cost assistance to help an estimated 10 eligible residents purchase a home of their own.

AUSTIN, TX - May 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- H.B. 2671 by State Representative John V. Garza, of San Antonio, will make Home Owners Associations subject to Open Meetings, Open Records and utilize the State’s Record Retention Policy.

AUSTIN, TX - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a $3.3 million Continuum of Care grant to Texas which will directly fund seven local organizations providing housing and supportive services to an estimated 246 homeless individuals or those at risk of homelessness, helping to transition them out of poverty and toward self-reliance.