Texas RealEstateRama

FORT WORTH, TX - September 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Centex joined Operation FINALLY HOME, recently, to announce that retired U.S. Air Force Captain Jason Vest, his wife, son (age 7) and daughter (age 5) will be able to stop dreaming of a new ho...

August 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Rubén Hinojosa will be on hand at the grand opening of the new Mercedes Housing Authority building on Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. at 306 West 5th Street in Mercedes.

HOUSTON, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vincent Wallace Aldridge, a former fee attorney for First Southwestern Title Company, has been sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering arising from a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders of more than $3.7 million in loans in connection with home purchases in the Houston area, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Clark.

DALLAS, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned a four-count indictment this week charging three individuals, Vathany Teng, Lina Ma and Jerry Goh each with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two substantive counts of bank fraud in relation to a loan fraud scheme they allegedly ran in the Dallas area from August 2007 to April 2008. In addition, defendant Jerry Goh, a lawyer, is also charged with one count of witness tampering. All three defendants are expected to surrender to federal authorities and appear tomorrow, July 22, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

DALLAS, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned a four-count indictment this week charging three individuals, Vathany Teng, Lina Ma and Jerry Goh each with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two substantive counts of bank fraud in relation to a loan fraud scheme they allegedly ran in the Dallas area from August 2007 to April 2008. In addition, defendant Jerry Goh, a lawyer, is also charged with one count of witness tampering. All three defendants are expected to surrender to federal authorities and appear tomorrow, July 22, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

Washington, DC - July 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) announced recently that the Housing Authority of the City of Austin will receive $366,540 in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist homeless veterans obtain affordable housing in the Austin area. The grants, funded under the HUD-VASH program, combines HUD Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

July 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Rubén Hinojosa announced federal grants totaling $3,865,238 will be distributed to Housing Authorities throughout Congressional District 15 of Texas for projects which include new construction of homes, renovations and upgrades of old homes and create computer centers in public housing neighborhoods. Twenty five housing authorities in the Congressional District 15 of Texas will benefit from this grant.

Washington, DC - July 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Johnson announces that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with NeighborWorks America has launched the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure in Texas

DALLAS, TX - July 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An August 29, 2011 trial date before Chief U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater has been set for three defendants charged with running a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme in the Dallas area, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Gregory Lashon Thomas, Aja D. Crawford (aka Aja Abercrombie), and Ernest Ohenekitiwa McMillan were arrested on conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud charges outlined in a four-count indictment returned last month. All three pleaded not guilty and have been released on bond.

28th District of Texas, TX - July 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program announced assistance for homeowners in Texas who have experienced a substantial loss of income (a reduction of at least 15 percent) due to unemployment, underemployment or a medical condition that has caused people to fall behind on payments.

HOUSTON, TX - July 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Claymon “Butch” Trammell, along with his wife, Jeannettea Williams, and daughter, Michelle Trammell, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today. The three residents of Houston entered their pleas yesterday in federal court before United States District Court Judge Vanessa Gilmore.

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

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

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.

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.

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 - April 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representative Stefani Carter (Dallas) has passed House Bill 1343, which will expand the venues in which incidents of mortgage fraud may be prosecuted.

DALLAS, TX - April 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A 29-count indictment, returned last week by a federal grand jury in Dallas and unsealed this week, charges five individuals with various felony offenses related to a mortgage fraud scheme they ran for nearly three years in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas (NDTX).

April 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Crimson Real Estate Fund, L.P., and its co-investment partner, USAA Real Estate Company, have acquired the Aspen Lake office building located in far northwest Austin, Texas from Wells Fargo Bank.

Abilene, TX - March 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Rick Perry today was joined by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Honorary Director Tom Perini and Abilene Mayor Norm Archibald to discuss legislation that would further protect private property owners' rights in Texas. The governor designated protecting private property rights/addressing eminent domain issues as an emergency item for the legislative session.

AUSTIN, TX - March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- … Crescent Resources, LLC is bringing its innovative apartment-living concept to college students with the development of Circle West Campus at the intersection of West 25th and Longview Streets by the University of Texas

AUSTIN, TX - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representative Stefani Carter (Dallas) has filed legislation that will expand the venues in which incidents of mortgage fraud may be prosecuted. Carter worked with the Attorney General's office to craft House Bill 1343, which will enable cases of mortgage fraud to be prosecuted in multiple venues in an effort to alleviate the burden that high case loads are placing on our courts

PLANO, TX - February 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A 68-year-old Dallas man has been indicted in a commercial real estate investment scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today

HOUSTON, TX - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Melvin Lendall Brown, a Houston area resident, has been sentenced to prison for wire fraud arising from a mortgage fraud scheme, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today. This morning, United States District Judge David Hittner sentenced Brown, 48, to 57 months in prison for his wire fraud conviction arising from an elaborate mortgage fraud scheme in which Brown was an organizer and leader. Brown pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud arising from the scheme on April 20, 2010. The scheme, carried out between June 2004 and June 2005, involved numerous misrepresentations on mortgage loan applications prepared for recruited straw purchasers and supported by fraudulent documents.

February 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Since September 7, 2008 the U.S. taxpayers have sunk $153 billion into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And according to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) the final tab could be as high as $363 billion! As if the news couldn’t get any worse for the American people, an investigation undertaken by this Subcommittee has discovered that the taxpayers have spent more than $162 million defending Fannie, Freddie and their former top executives in civil lawsuits accusing them of fraud. This includes over tens of millions dollars for former executives who knowingly and purposefully manipulated earnings to increase their own compensation, and whose actions directly contributed to the demise of the GSEs.

DALLAS, TX - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- David Boles, 52, of Colleyville, Texas, who owned Metro Buy Homes, LLC., pleaded guilty this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez to one count of mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Boles faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, as part of his plea agreement with the government, Boles agrees to pay restitution for losses resulting from all of his criminal conduct and not just limited to losses stemming from his conviction offense. Boles is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle on May 26, 2011.

AUSTIN, TX - February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- State Representative Eric Johnson (Dallas) has filed three bills to better protect Texans who stand to lose their property through eminent domain.