#12 Government and Public Real Estate News
– National Government and Public Real Estate News –
CEDIA Launches New Comprehensive Industry Training Website
The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association has launched a new website and online learning portal that will serve as the go-to resource for home technology professionals, with exclusive content for CEDIA members. The new cedia.net delivers robust content and tools aimed to help home technology professionals in every aspect of their business. more…
Chairman Hensarling: A Broke FHA is a Broken FHA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 16, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) issued the following statement on Friday about the $1.3 billion projected shortfall at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
“Today’s news confirms what advocates of FHA reform have known for years – that a broke FHA is a broken FHA. It’s been barely two months since hardworking taxpayers were forced to bailout the FHA with $1.7 billion and we’re already faced with the prospect of another bailout for the FHA next year. More…
Urge Your Members of Congress to Fully Fund Housing Programs
The passage of a budget spending cap for FY2014 by the House, and expected passage next week by the Senate, Congress will quickly turn to finalizing appropriations for FY2014. Supporters of housing programs are urged to contact their Representatives and Senators to ask them to restore funding to key programs that were deeply cut under sequestration, as detailed in the below Action Alert from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). More…
NAR Praises Positive Federal Housing Administration Actuarial Review
The following is a statement by National Association of Realtors® President Steve Brown:
“NAR is a strong supporter of the Federal Housing Administration and its vital role in the mortgage marketplace. More…
Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, Inaugurated as 2014 AIA President
Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, executive director of the Virginia Center for Architecture, was inaugurated as the 90th president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during ceremonies held on December 12th at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. She succeeds Mickey Jacob, FAIA, in representing nearly 83,000 AIA members. More…
Homeowners Place High Premium on Walkable Communities and Mixed-use Developments
There has been a pronounced shift in housing and neighborhood preferences over the last decade, with strong and growing demand for infill development, mixed-use projects, access to public transportation, and high-density development. There is also an emerging desire for communities that promote a healthy lifestyle through more pedestrian-friendly design and increased access to recreational activities. More…
– States Government and Public Real Estate News –
Absentee Owners: Take Heed
Pennsylvania has a new law to make absentee property owners pay up. Signed in to law on November 27, HB 388, now Act 93 of 2013, provides that when a municipality goes to court to get a judgment for delinquent property taxes, that judgment can then be filed in any county where the property owner has assets. more…
Homeless students sue Easton Area over education rights
A Philadelphia-based education rights group has sued Easton Area School District on behalf of two students kicked out of school because they live with their parents in a camper outside the district.
According to the suit filed Tuesday in federal court in Allentown, the boys, in eighth and 12th grade, have attended Easton schools all their lives. But when their father lost his job and the family lost its home in foreclosure last year, they were forced to move to a campground in Brodheadsville, Monroe County.
more…
Lake County government offices close for Christmas, New Year’s holidays
All offices of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, Clerk of Courts, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector and Property Appraiser will close Wednesday, Dec. 25 and Wednesday, Jan. 1 for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. more…
Vermont HFA to Donate Clothing, Candy to Women Helping Battered Women
Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) will donate a pair of mittens stuffed with holiday candy to Burlington’s Women Helping Battered Women office for every new “like” of the Agency’s Facebook page through Sunday, December 15. more…
The Need for Trauma-Informed Care for Homeless Families: Shifting Our Response
The holidays are a time for thanks, a time to be grateful for all we have. It is also time to remember why we do what we do year-round and to inform others about the problem of homelessness. On November 13, to commemorate National Homeless Awareness Month, NCFH/AIR hosted a briefing with the Congressional Caucus on Homelessness, co-chaired by Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson and Alcee Hastings, and Senator Patty Murray. The commitment to end the tragedy of homelessness was shared by all. more…
5 Steps to Making Your Windows More Energy Efficient
This time of year, you might think that replacing old, drafty windows is the only way to keep your home warm in the winter. Think again!
Switching to new energy-efficient windows can be expensive — ranging from $8,000-$15,000 or more for a typical home. Despite windows accounting for more than 30 percent of a typical home’s heating losses regardless of their age, you can improve your home’s comfort and lower your energy bills by sealing air leaks, repairing windows and investing in better insulation. more…
12 Days of Energy Efficiency
No matter what traditions you have or what you choose to celebrate this time of year, we’ve come up with a few tips, gift ideas, and facts that will remind you of all the possibilities energy efficiency can offer this holiday season. more…
– Government and Public Real Estate News in Media –
“Invisible No More” Forum Explores Homelessness Among CT Youth
Over 100 policy makers, legislators, activists, and youths who are or have been homeless gathered at the LOB for “Invisible No More,” a policy forum on homelessness among CT’s youth. more…
Inside actor Bryan Cranston’s LEED Platinum SIP beach house
Actor Bryan Cranston, star of the hit TV series Breaking Bad, is making waves in the architecture community with the radical renovation of a pre-war beachfront home in Southern California. Cranston and his wife transformed what had originally been a 1940s military housing unit into a stunning two-story modern home meeting both LEED Platinum and Passive House standards. more…
New Fed Paper Addresses Why Housing Inventories are Low
Just about anywhere you look in the United States the residential real estate market is plagued by a lack of homes for sale.
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco recently published a paper — titled Why Are Housing Inventories Low? — suggesting that many homeowners can’t sell because they are still underwater, meaning they owe more on their home mortgage than the house is worth. more…
Report: U.S. rental rates on the rise as incomes drop
Prices increase while incomes sink
Escalating rental rates combined with significant erosion of renter incomes have created a situation where, for the first time, more than half of all U.S. renters spend more than 30 percent or more of their income on housing, according to a report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. more…
