The Houston Chronicle reports from Texas. "Barbara Thompson put her four-bedroom home near Pearland on the market last November. But even though she upgraded the house about a year ago with hardwood floors, crown molding and a larger patio, it still hasn't sold. She just dropped her asking price by almost $5,000. 'I didn't think it would take six months to sell,' said Thompson. 'Nobody has looked at it within the last three weeks.'"

"The slowdown is being felt primarily in the lower-priced market, which is being affected by stricter lending standards. 'Unfortunately, it is owners in that range that have been most impacted by the mortgage industry's woes of late,' said Rob Cook, Houston Association of Realtors chairman."

"Sales of homes in the $80,000 to $140,000 price range, which made up 32 percent of the May transactions, were down 8.3 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the association. The number of homes on the market rose in May by 16.2 percent over last year"

"'If you have bad credit and no money, you're probably up a creek,' said Shad Bogany of ERA Bogany Properties."

"Thompson said three different buyers tried to purchase her house, which is now listed at $132,000, but none could get approved for a loan. She also has competition from other homes in her neighborhood that are for sale. And builders are putting up new subdivisions nearby."

"New agent Vira Garza, has lost out on several potential sales because the buyers couldn't qualify for loans. Garza recently quit her job to go into real estate. She's now reconsidering her decision."

"'I had plenty of clients and little by little they're dwindling out cause they don't have good credit,' she said. 'I'm really thinking of going back to work and doing this part time.'"

The Dallas Morning News. "Burned-out homes and a number of foreclosures along Rolling Oaks Ridge, where Audrey and Stephen Riser built their 3,940-square-foot home in 1998, have soured the couple on their neighborhood."

"'Lake Ridge has just ruined my dream,' said Ms. Riser, who lives across the street from a home that burned in January. Another home around the corner on Golden Pond also sustained fire damage several months ago, and both houses are exposed to the weather."

"'It's an eyesore, and I can't stand to look at it,' Ms. Riser said. 'Then we've got all these foreclosures. I know we've got at least four of those on this street, and who's going to buy a house with burned houses on the street?'"

"Officials in both cities admit to problems in the 3,000-plus-acre community, where homes range from $350,000 to $2 million."

"Some homes have been abandoned midconstruction, and unscrupulous dealings have forced some homes into foreclosure, Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke said."

"According to Addison-based Foreclosure Listing Service Inc., 88 foreclosures have been posted for Lake Ridge since January, compared with 48 in the first six months of 2006. That is six times the foreclosure gain for the overall Dallas-Fort Worth area, said George Roddy Sr., the company's president."

"'Midyear's residential foreclosure posting activity for D-FW metro increased 14 percent compared to the same time frame last year,' Mr. Roddy said."

" Bob Way of Barclay Custom Homes said he is tired of seeing so many foreclosures and unfinished projects in Lake Ridge, where his company has been building homes for 19 years. 'It seems like any street we run up and down out there, every third home is in foreclosure,' Mr. Way said."

"Kenneth Hollingsworth, president of the Lake Ridge Property Owners Association, said many of the area's problems can be attributed to growing pains associated with ongoing construction. With more than 1,200 lots still without homes on them, it will be awhile before construction ends."

"'The only problem I see if you're in it for the long term is the crime rate might increase because I think vacant houses probably attract criminals,' said Keith Thieroff, who lives next door to the fire-damaged home on Overlook Circle. 'But I think the [adjustable-rate mortgage] lenders have learned their lessons and will have stricter regulations, so people will get conventional loans and finish off those houses.'"

The Dallas Business Journal. "Land prices are reaching historic highs in northern Denton County, despite a slowdown in housing development."

"Parcels in far northern areas, largely agricultural tracts, are selling for $75,000, $85,000 and even $99,000 an acre, double and triple what buyers were paying 10 years ago."

"A little more than 2,800 homes were posted for July's foreclosure auctions in North Texas. That's up only 3 percent from a year ago, according to statistics released Thursday by Foreclosure Listing Service. Before July, total postings were up 14 percent for the year."

"'I don't think this is a trend,' said George Roddy, president of the real estate statistics firm. 'I think it's an anomaly.'"

"Since next month's foreclosure auction is the day before the Fourth of July, some trustees and lenders who coordinate the postings may be taking off, he said. 'It always drops in July,' Mr. Roddy said."

"But Collin and Rockwall counties continued to see double-digit gains. Collin was up 11 percent, and Rockwall 22 percent."