Ever wanted to find out more about Foreclosures in Spring, The Woodlands, and Houston, Texas? Check out this video from The Houston Association of Realtors to learn more. It’s part of my twice a week video blog series that helps consumers make informed real estate decisions.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – More than 51,200 troubled homeowners nationwide received long-term mortgage modifications last month under the Obama administration’s foreclosure prevention program, according to figures released today.

 That brings the total to more than 389,000 since the program began in spring 2009.

 However, the June figures also showed that 520,814 distressed homeowners have had their trial modifications canceled, leaving 364,077 borrowers in the initial phase of the program.

 Homeowners usually are dropped from the trial program because they do not make the required payments, meet the qualifications or submit the needed paperwork.

This week Governor Rick Perry appointed two new public members to the Texas
Appraiser Licensing & Certification Board (TALCB); Mr. Malachi O. Boyuls of
Dallas and Ms. Sheryl Swift of Galveston. Mr. Robert D. Davis, Jr., currently a
public member on the Board, has been reappointed with a new term expiration of
January 31, 2012.
Mr. Boyuls is an associate in the Dallas office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP,
where he currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department. Mr. Boyuls
received his law degree from New York University in 2006 and his undergraduate
degree in Religion and Philosophy from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in
2002, where he was a member of the Crusader football team. Mr. Boyuls’ term
expires January 31, 2012 and he replaces Bill Schneider of Austin.
Ms. Swift is a Registered Texas Assessor Collector and is the Chief Deputy of
Operations with the Galveston County Tax Office, where she supervises all fund
related operations within the main and branch offices. In addition, Ms. Swift is
responsible for training all management staff on the Operations team. She has been
with Galveston County since December 2000. Ms. Swift’s term expires January 31,
2011, and she replaces Danny Perkins of Houston.
“I am very happy to welcome Mr. Boyuls and Ms. Swift to the Board and look
forward to working with them on the many challenges facing the appraiser
profession in Texas,” commented TALCB Chairman, James “Jaime” Ratliff. “At
the same time, while we are sorry that Mr. Schneider and Mr. Perkins are leaving,
we sincerely thank them for their many years of dedication and service.”
Also new to the agency is Mr. Steven Leipsner of Lakeway who has been appointed
as the sole public member to the statutory TREC Broker-Lawyer Committee. His
term ends in 2015.
The agency welcomes these new appointees!

GALVESTON (Galveston County Daily News) – After increasing rates by 24.7 percent last October, State Farm has added 11.8 percent to the price of a policy for Galveston homeowners.
A policy formerly costing Galveston residents $2,292 now costs $3,196, up 39.4 percent since this time last year.
The increase took effect June 1 for existing customers while new customers have been paying the rate since May 1.
State Farm’s new rate resulted in an average statewide increase of 4.5 percent. Galveston’s increase is the highest in the state, with Brownsville, Brownwood, Fort Worth, Orange and Port Lavaca following close behind.
Kevin Davis of State Farm said most customers pay less than the stated rates because of discounts and “in fact, the net effect of our October rate change was a decrease or no change for more than 300,000 of our 1.2 million customers.”

>From 2003 to 2008, State Farm had no changes to its policy base rates.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Yahoo News) – Bank of America will pay $108 million to settle charges against Countrywide Financial Corp., which Bank of America purchased in July 2008.
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged three top executives, including CEO Angelo Mozilo, with civil fraud and insider trading last year.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Job Leibowitz accused Countrywide of “callous conduct, which took advantage of consumers already at the end of their financial rope.”
Settlement agreements include refunding money to approximately 200,000 borrowers and notifying bankrupt borrowers monthly about what they owe, including fees.
The bank did not deny or admit to charges; however, they agreed to pay the settlement “to avoid the expense and distraction associated with litigating the case.”