The Kansas City’s Star’s House + Home section has been named the best home or real estate section in the country by the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
The judges, faculty of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, said about House + Home: “Appealing to readers of many backgrounds, this section combines showcase features with informative standing columns.” They especially liked the question-and-answer interviews with local people.
In addition, Richmond Times-Dispatch business reporter Carol Hazard won the first-place award for the best report in a daily newspaper with circulation less than 250,000 for a story she wrote last June about a multimillion-dollar real estate Ponzi scheme involving Donald C. Lacey.
Lacey, a former Henrico County police officer, pleaded guilty to two charges in federal court in March after defrauding as many as 200 investors out of millions of dollars. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each charge when he is sentenced June 18.
“This story about a real estate investment that went sour is extremely well-reported,” the judges said.
The award were handed out Friday night at NAREE’s annual conference, held this year in Austin, Texas.
