Amazon announced the 20 cities that will be considered for its second headquarters, and Houston did not make the cut. Many of the city’s top developers and members of the Greater Houston Partnership have expressed their disappointment at this development. GHP CEO Bob Harvey, Midway Executive Vice President David Hightower and McCord Development President Ryan McCord all talked to Bisnow Houston about the news and their hopes that another Texas city ends up winning the bid. 

In other Houston real estate news: 

• Drees Custom Homes is expanding its presence in Houston with two new hires, according to BuilderOnline. Justin Hood is joining the company as its land acquisitions manager, which is a new position at the Houston division. Brett Biggs will be the sales manager at the Houston division. Drees is a Kentucky-based builder and launched its Houston program in 2015.
• Cane Island in Katy, Texas, adds Taylor Morrison and Highland Homes to the roster for its second phase of development. Taylor Morrison will build on 60-foot wide lots and Highland Homes will build on 55- and 80-foot wide lots, with fully furnished models expected to open in the spring. Phase two is expected to include more than 250 homes on 100 acres, according to the Houston Chronicle. 
• Texas Grand Ranch, which is located north of The Woodlands, recently announced the release of new inventory. The community’s  inventory has been selling extremely quickly since its opening. It shares a boundary with the Sam Houston Nation Forest while maintaining access to Interstate 45, The Woodlands and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. 
• ShowingTime announced the release of MarketView Broker, a browser-based application that helps a brokerage’s management team identify and recruit, manage and coach top-performing agents; review and analyze competitive market share; and determine the best opportunities for growth.