April Foreclosures Jump but Repossessions Fall
from CNNMoney
Foreclosures in April exceeded even March's blistering pace with a record 342,000 homes receiving notices of default, auction notices or undergoing bank repossessions, according to a regular industry report. One of every 374 U.S. homes received a filing during the month, the highest monthly rate that RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed properties, has recorded in four-plus years of record keeping. More

Schnurman: Builders’ Move to Smaller Homes Overdue
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
That’s how D.R. Horton, still the country’s largest home builder, is trying to revive sales and restore some profitability. And it’s not alone. After years of building ever-bigger houses with ever-bigger price tags, the residential real estate industry is rapidly backpedaling - cutting the square footage to make houses more affordable, especially for first-time buyers. More

Appraiser Says Homes Below $100,000 Most Vulnerable to Depreciation
from The Brownsville Herald
Appraisers have a number of tools to assess home value, chief among them sales of neighboring homes, improvements and damages, and foreclosures. "When you start hearing people say, ‘Why is his house more or less expensive than mine?' I really don't know what to tell them until I've had a chance to look at the property," Gomez said. "It all depends on the area and how it's doing based on market conditions." More

Senate Rejects Perry Appointee to Parole Board
from The Dallas Morning News
The Senate on Wednesday rejected one of Gov. Rick Perry's appointments for the first time this year, overwhelmingly turning down the nomination of a Burleson political activist to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. More

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Denial of Full Refund by Feds Stalls Counties’ Debris Removal
from The Beaumont Enterprise
Federal officials last week declined a request by Jefferson and Chambers counties to continue paying 100 percent of the removal costs for thousands of acres untouched by cleanup crews. And with the possibility that hazardous materials still lurk in the mess, officials in those counties are lobbying the governor's office and state delegates for help. More

Backers of Texas Gambling Fold 'Em
from The Dallas Morning News
Lawmakers have folded on their last chance this year to expand gambling in Texas, saying neither a budget crunch nor growing public interest can overcome staunch conservative opposition. More

Bill Would Let Courts Solve Driver’s License Argument
from El Paso Times
A sweeping bill the state House tentatively approved Wednesday would leave it to the courts to decide whether Texas can link immigration status to whether someone gets a driver's license. Overall, the measure is meant to give new direction to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which has been beset by controversy during the past year. Troubles at the department started with a still-unsolved arson at the Governor's Mansion last summer. That was followed by the departure of two department leaders, including one who resigned this month. More

Texas Gov. Perry Signs Reporters’ Shield Law
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Gov. Rick Perry announced Wednesday that he signed legislation protecting journalists from having to reveal certain confidential sources in court. The shield law, known as the Free Flow of Information Act, grants a qualified privilege to journalists so they can protect their sources and in many cases not have to testify or produce notes and tapes in court gathered while acting as a journalist. More

With Key Bills Dying, Lawmakers Try to Sneak in Amendments
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram PoliTex Blog
Problem: your controversial bill is stuck in committee and all but certain to die there. Possible solution: Propose the entire text of your bill as an amendment to a bill that has already made it to the floor. Three North Texas representatives tried this tactic. Two failed. One succeeded. More

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