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LULAC Shopping For Homes In Farmers Branch
Hispanic Leaders Aim To Purchase 157 Homes In City

POSTED: 8:05 am CDT August 29, 2006
UPDATED: 8:16 am CDT August 29, 2006

FARMERS BRANCH, Texas -- Hispanic leaders said they won't be bullied out of Farmers Branch and plan to purchase every home for sale in the city to make them available for Hispanic families.

The move to purchase more than 150 homes in the city is in response to City Council member Tim O'Hare's proposal to make it harder for illegal immigrants to live and work in the city. Hispanic leaders said they now want to make Farmers Branch the place to live the American Dream -- and the plan to purchase the homes is an investment in the future of the city.

"What we are saying very clearly is that we're making a stand. We are not going to advocate Farmers Branch. Quite the contrary, we're going to invest in Farmers Branch," said Carlos Quintanilla of the League of United Latin-American Citizens. "We are going to motivate people to move into Farmers Branch because we cannot afford to let anyone scare us out of any city."

Jackie Steen has lived in Farmers Branch for more than 20 years and said it doesn't matter what language you speak on her street.

"I think they've always been welcome in Farmers Branch. I think the block where I live that one-third or half of the homes are owned by Hispanics. It's never been a problem. They're good neighbors -- we're good neighbors," said Steen.

Members of LULAC and the Latino Real Estate and Mortgage Professionals are joining together to encourage Hispanic home ownership in the city. They want to sell the available homes to Hispanic families -- including council member O'Hare's home.

O'Hare is on vacation but told NBC 5 that "people of any and all races are welcome to buy my house."

"We just want to own a little piece of Texas just like everybody else," said Xochitl Trejo, a real estate broker.

"The bottom line is we have homes for sale. They need to be bought again -- no matter what race, what color. Let's bring them in," said Christy Hoverter, Farmers Branch homeowner.

Currently there are 157 homes for sale in the city of Farmers Branch worth an estimated $22 million. Prices on the homes vary fom $64,000 to $1.2 million.