LCRA Considers Long Range Water Needs
from The Austin American-Statesman
At the next turn of the century, with the Austin area looking something like today's Houston, Travis County will see a near-tripling in water demand. Williamson and Hays counties will require four or five times as much water as they do now, as our descendants will need water to drink, to bathe and to wash clothes and dishes. And on the Gulf end of the Colorado River, in Matagorda County, demand for water will roughly triple with new power plants requiring it to help cool their systems and power their turbines. More

Austin Home Sales Hit Highest Level in a Year
from The Austin American-Statesman
Austin-area sales of existing homes hit the highest level in a year last month, according to figures Monday from the Austin Board of Realtors. Last month, 2,135 single-family homes were sold in the area, down 4 percent from a year earlier. That was the smallest decline since a 2 percent drop in July 2007, when the market began to soften amid an emerging national mortgage crisis. More

Texas Representative Indicted on Tampering, Perjury Charges
from The Dallas Morning News
A Travis County grand jury indicted state Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores on Friday, accusing him of failing to disclose income, gifts and property on his state disclosure forms. Flores, a Democrat from Palmview in South Texas, was indicted on 16 counts of tampering with a governmental record and three counts of perjury, accused of failing to report $847,000 in income over the last six years. More

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Texas Home Builders Workers’ Comp Group Announces Dividend
from Hotchkiss Insurance Agency
Hotchkiss Insurance Agency, LLC announced a $59,360.36 dividend to the Texas Home Builders Workers' Comp purchasing group today. The group, formed in September, 2005, exclusive to home builders in Texas, provides qualifying members with a competitive option for workers' compensation coverage. The announcement marks the first dividend payment for the group by Texas Mutual, the program underwriter. More

Texas Stalling on Extended Pay for Jobless, Critics Say
from The Dallas Morning News
Critics say the Texas Workforce Commission has overstated the role that federal requirements played in delaying 13 more weeks of unemployment benefits for Texans who have been out of work more than a year. Andrew Stettner of the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group for low-wage workers, said a requirement that the jobless document their work searches is a quarter-century old and has been partially waived by the Obama administration. More

Oil Hovers Near $64 a Barrel as Earnings, Demand Weigh
from The Houston Chronicle
Oil prices hovered near $64 a barrel as investors weighed improving corporate results against weak crude demand. By midday in Europe, benchmark crude for August delivery was up 18 cents to $64.16 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Monday, the contract rose 42 cents to settle at $63.98. More

Sales Tax Revenue Down Across Valley, State
from The Brownsville Herald
Monthly sales tax revenues are down across the state and the Rio Grande Valley, according to statistics released by the comptroller’s office. The comptroller’s July report reflects retail sales in May. Year-to-date numbers represent revenue since Jan 1. Nearly every city in the lower Rio Grande Valley has seen a decrease in monthly tax revenues and fewer than half have made gains on year-to-date revenues compared with last year, according to the comptroller’s office. More

Report: Wind Power Faces Turbulence
from The Houston Business Journal
Although the U.S. wind power market had another strong year in 2008, the global recession is expected to take its toll on industry growth into early 2010. A report by Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory released last week by the U.S. Department of Energy shows that U.S. wind power capacity additions increased by 8,558 megawatts in 2008, reflecting a $16 billion investment in new projects. More

Real Estate Veterans Launch Firm Focusing on Sale of Bank Owned Assets
from The Dallas Business Journal
Two North Texas residential real estate development veterans have launched a company focused on helping banks manage and dispose of single-family developments and lots. Principals Jim Tchoukaleff and Jack Murray have formed Dallas-based Contour Real Estate & Development LLC. More

Get the latest Texas Association of Builders news as well as information affecting the building industry by visiting www.TexasBuilders.org. For information about Education, Exhibits and Special Events happening at the 2009 Sunbelt Builders Show™, visit www.SunbeltBuildersShow.com.