BREAKING: CandysDirt.com Takes Home Gold and Bronze at NAREE Journalism Contest

After a busy three days of panel discussions, networking and writing, the National Association of Real Estate Editors — or NAREE — announced Friday night that CandysDirt.com writers Jon Anderson and Bethany Erickson both took home awards for their reporting last year.

Anderson took home a Bronze Award for his breaking news story on the Friday night blaze that destroyed the Pink Wall’s Preston Place condos. His reporting was continuously updated through the night and next day as more than 100 firefighters battled the fire that left many displaced.

“Anderson reported on an overnight fire, updating it on the publication’s website in real time, resulting in a fine, opportunistic photo story accompanied by explanatory text,” the judges said. Judging this year was conducted by the journalism faculty of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

The award marks Anderson’s fifth NAREE award, having won two Bronze and two Silver awards the previous two years.

Erickson won the coveted Gold Award for Best Series for her multiple stories for the series Houses of Cards, which detailed the travails of homeowners, vendors, subcontractors and investors in the wake of their builder, Bella Vita Custom Homes, filing for bankruptcy after numerous lawsuits. Erickson competed against publications like Unique Homes, Real Deal, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg to win the top honor for the series.

“This is an important expose of a crooked homebuilder in Texas, based on many lawsuits and multiple sources. Erickson points out the lack of licensing for contractors and builders in Texas that might have saved victims of this particular homebuilder,” the judges commented.

NAREE winners Jon Anderson (left) and Bethany Erickson (right) flank CandysDirt.com founder and publisher Candy Evans.

“I am thrilled that TWO of our talented staff writers have now won coveted NAREE awards,” said CandysDirt.com founder and publisher Candy Evans. “And I am ecstatic that CandysDirt.com is not only the leading source for North Texas real estate news but is now an incubator for award-winning, dirt-digging reporting!”

“Our wins at this year’s NAREE Journalism Conference and awards speaks to the caliber of talent we have on our staff,” said CandysDirt.com Executive Editor Jo England. “With a robust team, we’ve cemented our position as the insider’s source for Dallas/Fort Worth real estate news, and I could not be more proud of Bethany and Jon for what they’ve accomplished.”

“In an increasingly fast-paced market with such a wide and diverse region, we’re never hurting for stories. But it speaks volumes to have our team recognized among a pool of talented journalists and editors from all over the nation.”

Friday night’s NAREE 68th Annual Journalism Competition capped off the organization’s 57th Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference. This year’s event was held in Las Vegas, and next year’s event will be held in Austin.

A complete list of winners can be found here.