Percentage of Dallas-area Homes in Foreclosure Rises

The percentage of homes in foreclosure in the Dallas area rose at the end of 2008. But the ratio of homes in the area faced with forced sale remains substantially below the national average. First American CoreLogic estimates that about 0.9 percent of the Dallas-area homes with mortgages were in foreclosure in December. That’s up from 0.8 percent in December 2007, according to the California-based collector of data on home prices, foreclosure and delinquency activity, real estate sales volume and mortgage loan activity. More

Texas’ Urban Mayors Want More from Legislature

The mayors of Texas’ biggest cities are asking the Legislature to put its money where its people are: in the cities. The mayors want a bill that will allow them to impose new fees and taxes to pay for transportation projects, $25 million to deal with mental health issues related to homelessness, and more efforts to promote clean air and renewable energy. "This is bread-and-butter services for our citizens," Houston Mayor Bill White said, after meeting at Dallas City Hall with Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, Austin Mayor Will Wynn, El Paso Mayor John Cook and Denton Mayor Mark Burroughs. More

Selling Your House in Dallas? It May Take Awhile

The time it took to sell a home rose in the Dallas area last month, at the same time asking prices were down by a fraction. On average it took 119 days to sell a house in the Dallas area - up 8.4 percent from three months earlier, according to a January report from Altos Research and Real IQ. In all 26 U.S. home markets surveyed it took more than 100 days on average to sell a house. The longest average sales period - 189 days - was in Miami. Salt Lake City had the shortest average sales period at 101 days. More

Gov. Perry Uses Bailout Talk to Blast Hutchison

For Gov. Rick Perry, federal bailouts make bad policy but good politics. With the GOP primary a year away, the politics of government intervention in the economy have emerged as the first clear flashpoint between Perry and Republican rival Kay Bailey Hutchison, who wants to unseat him as governor. Perry has declared his independence from Washington by opposing stimulus packages in virtually any form – and chiding Hutchison for voting for the initial $700 billion bailout pushed by the Bush administration. Hutchison aides fire back that Perry has been hypocritical on the issue. More

Texas Electricity Rates Skyrocketed After Deregulation

Electricity rates in Texas have soared well above the national average under a 10-year-old deregulation law, according to a study by a coalition of cities. "As this report illustrates, consumers have paid too much for too long under deregulation," said Jay Doegey, chairman of the Cities Aggregation Power Project, a non-profit coalition of 103 municipalities. An industry group immediately challenged the findings, saying the report was based on "flawed reasoning" that resulted in erroneous conclusions. More

Texas Senators Still Oppose Stimulus Deal

Republican Texas Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn remain opposed to the apparent compromise on the stimulus bill expected to be approved early this week, saying the revised bill still doesn’t do enough to help families and businesses. Hutchison missed six votes Friday night on the economic stimulus deal, instead fulfilling a promise to speak at the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. More

650,000 Applicants Received No FEMA Housing Aid

People who say they were unfairly denied federal aid for housing assistance after Hurricane Ike have begun claiming in lawsuits that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has created a flawed inspection system that withholds help to deserving families. More than 730,000 families have registered with FEMA to receive money for home repairs, mobile homes or other housing services that became available after Hurricane Ike caused widespread damage in September. So far, FEMA has paid out about $371 million to 82,000 families, declaring almost 650,000 families ineligible for aid. More

Brownsville Man Reappointed to Rio Grande Regional Water Authority

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed seven members, including a Brownsville man, to the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority for terms to expire Feb. 1, 2013. The authority develops water policies, manages floods and protects the quality of water for the Rio Grande that borders Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata and Webb counties. Joe A. Barrera III, of Brownsville, is general manager of the Brownsville Irrigation District. Barrera is being reappointed, and serves as secretary and treasurer of the authority. More

Watson to Call for Budget Reforms

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, plans to file today six bills that he says are “designed to make the Texas budget more sensible, open and honest.” Watson wants to return Texas Performance Reviews to the state comptroller’s office. The Legislature moved the reviews, which evaluate state programs and suggest various ways that the state could save money, to the Legislative Budget Board in 2003 at the height of its animosity with then-Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. Having the reviews at the LBB, which is chaired by the lieutenant governor and speaker, allows the Legislature to “grade its own papers,” Watson says. More

Tom Schieffer May Run for Governor

Having wrapped up his career as an ambassador under President Bush, Fort Worth’s Tom Schieffer is back home and pondering a run for governor - as a Democrat. "I’ve thought about it for a while," Schieffer told the Star-Telegram. "I have not made a decision." Although Schieffer served in a Republican administration under Bush – with whom he worked as general manager of the Texas Rangers – he says there should be no confusion about his political affiliation. "I am a Democrat," said Schieffer, who voted for Barack Obama in the primary and general elections. More