By Rhiannon Meyers
The Daily News
Published November 17, 2009

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rejected the state’s plan to allocate the second round of $1.7 billion in federal disaster recovery funding, sending Texas officials back to the drawing board.

According to a Nov. 10 letter from HUD Assistant Secretary Mercedes Marquez to Gov. Rick Perry, some of the federal government’s chief concerns were that:

• Texas did not provide enough opportunities for residents to comment on the plans to spend disaster money on housing and infrastructure;

• The state did not update its plan to promote fair housing;

• The state’s plan is too heavily focused on mitigating future disasters instead of restoring infrastructure and housing; and

• The plan did not describe how Texas plans to allocate funds to units of local government.

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by AMY JOHNSTON / KVUE News

The slowdown in the housing industry is having an impact in another area of Austin’s economy.

According to one Austin real estate investment firm, rents in area apartments have dropped nearly 5 percent.  The average rent in 2009 is $750 a month.  Compare that with the average in Dallas Fort Worth area, it’s about $50 more.

At the Artesian apartment complex in Northwest Austin, there are deals to be had.
“We have, right now, an additional special that we’re doing is November for free. So you can actually move-in, not pay anything but the $99 app and admin,” said the rental agent.

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By Juan Castillo

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

A Round Rock-based real estate firm defrauded homebuyers by falsely promising them ownership when the houses were actually owned by the firm’s owner and his wife, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday.

In a lawsuit filed in Travis County, Attorney General Greg Abbott alleges that Fern Hernandez Realty Inc.; its owner, licensed real estate broker Jose Fernando “Fern” Hernandez; and his wife, Odessa S. Hernandez of Georgetown; participated in a scam that targeted Spanish-speaking homebuyers.

Jose Fernando Hernandez declined to comment Wednesday.

State investigators said Hernandez advertised his brokerage services on Spanish-language television and radio. Fern Hernandez Realty sometimes did business as Su Casa el Sueño Americano, which means “your house the American dream.”

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By GRETCHEN MORGENSON

For decades, when troubled homeowners and banks battled over delinquent mortgages, it wasn’t a contest. Homes went into foreclosure, and lenders took control of the property.

On top of that, courts rubber-stamped the array of foreclosure charges that lenders heaped onto borrowers and took banks at their word when the lenders said they owned the mortgage notes underlying troubled properties.

In other words, with lenders in the driver’s seat, borrowers were run over, more often than not. Of course, errant borrowers hardly deserve sympathy from bankers or anyone else, and banks are well within their rights to try to protect their financial interests.

But if our current financial crisis has taught us anything, it is that many borrowers entered into mortgage agreements without a clear understanding of the debt they were incurring. And banks often lacked a clear understanding of whether all those borrowers could really repay their loans.

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Housing group alleges bias by town of Sunnyvale |
News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News
| Mesquite News

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KVUE News reports that residents at the Cottages at Wells Branch Parkway say raw sewage has leaked into some apartments and into a creek behind the complex. They also say this isn’t the first time this has happened. More on this story…

Tenants needing repairs should send a letter to the landlord immediately by certified mail, return receipt requested. In such emergency situations, tenants can give as little as 24 hours notice that the repairs need to be completed. When the conditions involve sewage or flooding, the tenant may repair and deduct immediately after giving proper notice to the landlord. See ATC’s Repairs fact sheet for details.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a series of proposals to ensure that HUD’s core housing programs are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“The evidence is clear that some are denied the opportunity to make housing choices in our nation based on who they are and that must end,” said Donovan. “President Obama and I are determined that a qualified individual and family will not be denied housing choice based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”

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$600,000 Settlement Ends Discriminatory Policies at Housing Complex for Persons with Disabilities

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By TERRI GRUCA / KVUE News

Foreclosures in Central Texas are hitting record highs. In Travis County alone there has been a 58 percent increase in foreclosure postings in the last year.

On the first Tuesday of every month, the steps of the Travis County Courthouse fill with people looking to score a deal. However, those deals are another family’s heartbreak.

This Tuesday, 850 properties were being foreclosed on and potentially up for auction.

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