Twitts

Fast growing startup Twitter will soon be joining a select group of startups with private venture round valuations of $1 billion, technology news site TechCrunch reported on Wednesday.

CEO Evan Williams disclosed the round to employees at a recent all hands meeting.

The company will raise around $50 million, we’ve heard, although the final amount of the raise is apparently not yet locked down.

Twitter raised $35+ million earlier this year in a round led by Benchmark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners. That round valued the company at $250 million.

The company has raised a total of around $55 million to date, and sources tell us they have approximately $30 million left in the bank.

Homes & Land, a leading real estate publisher, has rolled out a new application that enables consumers to receive property information on their mobile phones through Twitter.

Home shoppers driving by a property for sale can text a listing`s property address or MLS # to Twitter and access price, bedrooms and baths. Consumers with smart phones can also access multiple property photos. The application returns data from listings found on HomesAndLand.com and Google Base. Homes & Land will also promote the Twitter application though its network of magazines, enabling readers to identify properties of interest in a magazine and text Twitter for more details.

“Homebuyers actively looking for real estate can almost immediately receive the information they need,” said Robert Wicker, Chief Marketing Officer for Homes & Land. “We are the first real estate publisher to offer this application.” Consumers can learn how to use the service by going to HomesAndLand.com and clicking the “Home Tweet Home” icon on the home page.