Archive for March, 2009

March 23, 2009
By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Real Estate Writer

WASHINGTON – Sales of previously occupied homes jumped unexpectedly in February by the largest amount in nearly six years as first-time buyers took advantage of deep discounts on foreclosures and other distressed properties.

Economists said sales, while still at levels not seen since 1997, may finally be coming back to life after declining sharply following the stock market plunge last autumn.

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By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK – Wall Street is getting the good news it wants on the economy’s biggest problems: banks and housing.

Investors reignited a two-week rally Monday after hearing the government’s plan to help banks remove as much as $1 trillion in bad assets from their books and home sales showed a surprise increase. Major stock indexes jumped as much as 4 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which rose nearly 300 points.

The Treasury Department said its plan would rely on the government’s $700 billion financial rescue fund, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., as well as private investors.

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By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

Most Texas home markets continued to eke out tiny increases in home prices in early 2009, according to a new report by First American CoreLogic.

Texas home prices were up by just less than 2 percent in the California-based housing analyst’s latest survey released Monday.

While Texas prices rose, nationwide home prices in January fell by 11.6 percent compared to a year ago to the lowest level in almost five years.

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By Krista Nightengale
A 25-foot tall ship could seemingly take you to Neverland. A humongous, curved structure conjures up an image of a certain fruit featured in James and the Giant Peach. A little hut with whimsical features suddenly transports you to a world of talking trees in The Lorax.

And just a little further down the cheerful  path are two urban homes flanking a little garden. Children are asked to read a synopsis of City Green — a story in which one little girl gathers neighbors to create a community garden in a ghastly gap left behind from a torn-down home. Then the children are invited to take a stroll into another world.

All of these magical creations are part of “Storybook Playhouses,” an exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum that opened last week. Each one was designed by a different architecture firm in an effort to promote literacy and launch the 25th annual Dallas Blooms.

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Staff Photo: Christina Barany
A Marsh Middle School student takes a photo of three Girl Talk mentors: (from left) Tessie Diaz-Arrastia, Claire Fontaine, and Mallorie Raybon.

High school youths help sixth-graders tackle mature problems

By Michael Hines
Staff Writer

While Marsh Middle School is fairly close to Ursuline and Hockaday, its sixth-graders might as well have been living in a different world compared to Claire Fontaine.

Claire is one of several Ursuline and Hockaday students who meet with Marsh sixth-graders as part of Girl Talk, a national mentoring program. Claire, who attends Ursuline, and Lauren Callahan of Hockaday founded Dallas’ first Girl Talk chapter last fall, and the weekly events have included some eye-opening discussions for both 17-year-olds.

“It’s just down the road, but it’s a totally different perspective,” Claire said. “The things I was going through in sixth grade was just boy problems or a friend had been mean to me. These girls are dealing with things that are so mature.”

Full Story at People Newspapers

Break Up, Rock Out >>
Lead singer Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders return to the tour circuit to promote Break Up the Concrete, their first new album since 2002. It has been described as straight-forward rock with lyrics alluding to Bob Dylan’s songs and beats reminiscent of Bo Diddley. The Pretenders perform with American Bang, a southern band from Nashville. Doors open at 7 p.m. today. $45-$85. House of Blues. 2200 N. Lamar St. 214-978-2583. hob.com.

<< Love Always, Russia
Brush up on your classical Russian composers as Yuja Wang and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra perform “From Russia With Love.” Wang, an internationally acclaimed pianist, will perform romantic pieces including Rachmaninoff’s demanding but hauntingly beautiful “Piano Concerto No. 3.” “From Russia With Love” is conducted by Arild Remmereit.  7:30 p.m. today, 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Meyerson Symphony Center. 2301 Flora St. $17-$110. 214-692-0203.
dallassymphony.com

Driving Beat >>
Celebrate Black History Month this weekend with the Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s annual Cultural Awareness. This year’s performances deliver a driving beat of new contemporary works and repertory classics in dance sets including Ray Mercer’s “Pulse” and Hope Boykin’s “in.ter.pret.” New York choreographer Christopher Huggins also returns with his newest work “Jazz Course 101 — Dallas Black University.” Experience the strength, technique, and expression of the dance company and learn a few jazz moves from your seat. 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday. The Majestic Theatre. 1925 Elm St. $10-$60. 214-871-2390. dbdt.com

<< Mystic Arts
Keith Carter transforms time, light, and memory into transcendent imagery in the latest exhibition at the Photographs Do Not Bend gallery. Works from Carter’s latest book, A Certain Alchemy, will be featured along with other intriguing photographs by the artist. The show opens Saturday with a reception and book signing from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Exhibit runs through April 25. 1202 Dragon St., Suite 103. Free. 214-969-1852. pdnbgallery.com.

In Stitches >>
Join your family and friends at the Crow Collection of Asian Art’s Family Size Quilt Celebration, where you can go on a scavenger hunt, design a quilt pattern, and tour the “Stitching the Seasons: Contemporary Japanese Quilts” exhibit. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Crow Collection of Asian Art. 2010 Flora St. Free. 214-979-6430. crowcollection.org.

[source: peoplenewspapers]

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
The rising tide of residential foreclosures in North Texas is putting more high-end homeowners underwater.

“The largest gains in first-quarter home [foreclosure] postings were among luxury homes,” said George Roddy, president of Addison-based Foreclosure Listing Service.

More than 13,000 D-FW homes were posted for foreclosure in the first three months of 2009, Foreclosure Listing Service said Feb. 12.

Filings for homes priced at $1 million and up jumped 175 percent from a year earlier, the service said Tuesday. And foreclosure postings were up almost 40 percent for houses priced from $500,000 to $999,000.

“Compared to two years ago, postings of ultra-luxury homes have skyrocketed,” Roddy said in a prepared statement.

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Former pro will be authority figure on gridiron and in carpool lane

By Michael Hines
Staff Writer

Le’Shai Maston brings a different perspective on NFL life as he prepares to help young football players at Providence Christian School of Texas.

“Being in the NFL wasn’t what people think,” he said. “It was pretty humbling.”

Maston, a senior corporal with the Dallas Police Department, became the Lovers Lane school’s new football coach in February.

Maston has been associated with Providence, which serves students from preschool to eighth grade, since 2002. The carpool lane officer at the time had problems with the morning schedule, so Maston — who was friends with P.E. teacher Jim O’Dey — came aboard to help.

“It was a change of pace being here,” he said. “People were happy to see me. I smiled a lot that first year.”

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