Yearly Archives: 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 11, 2008 - CampusMBA, the award winning education division of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today launched the Enterprise Certification Program, a specialized and comprehensive bundle of top tier, certification-based and results-oriented learning solutions designed to elevate and uphold a company's quality and excellence.

As current market conditions dictate changes to the way companies do business, now is the time for servicing professionals to pool knowledge, information, resources and discover new ways to increase operating efficiencies

Washington , DC – The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has published a new Mortgage Market Note on the conforming loan limit. The Note provides background information on the potential implications of increasing the conforming loan limit in high-cost areas, as proposed in pending House and Senate legislation.

WASHINGTON - Federal employees who fail to report their income to qualify for housing assistance they would not otherwise be eligible for stand to lose their jobs, pay steep fines and face possible criminal penalties.

Leading online real estate companies Yahoo! Real Estate, Zillow.com®, and Trulia.com today announced they will share a new standard data format for the distribution of real estate listings online.

Washington, DC – The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has issued a revised Policy Guidance on the Examination of Mortgage Fraud Programs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The guidance details the standards for overseeing and evaluating policies and programs the Enterprises have developed to minimize mortgage fraud.

San Antonio, TX - January 10, 2008 - USAA Real Estate Company announced today the successful conclusion of fundraising for the US Industrial REIT II. The fund has raised $450 million in equity commitments from ten institutional investors including domestic pension funds, insurance companies and other fund investors, $50 million more than originally planned.

After years of unsustainable price appreciation and lax lending practices, a housing correction was inevitable and necessary. That correction is underway. Over the next two years, we also face an unprecedented wave of 1.8 million subprime mortgage resets, raising the potential of a market failure. Because the industry does not have the capacity to manage this volume, without action, unnecessary foreclosures would result.

Writing a monthly rent check often feels like lighting money on fire. You'll never again see that cash, you build no equity and there are no tax benefits.

Over the next few months, existing-home sales are expected to hold fairly steady as indicated by pending sales activity, and then rise later in the year and continue to improve in 2009, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of REALTORS

DALLAS, January 7, 2008 — Behringer Harvard today announces that Behringer Harvard Opportunity REIT I, Inc., a non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT), reached full subscription. The Opportunity REIT generated approximately $530 million in gross offering proceeds through the sale of approximately 53.1 million shares in its primary offering.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 4, 2008 - Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ December 2007 employment situation

Washington D.C, January 2008 – Already, many parts of the country are facing severe winter weather, although the season began only recently. And with average heating costs across the nation spiking about 11 percent over last winter’s, the Alliance to Save Energy recommends energy-efficiency measures to help consumers cut home energy bills, increase indoor comfort, and reduce power plant emissions that contribute to climate change.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 2, a new era for mortgage regulation in the United States will ring in when the states' Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) goes live.

ASHI Reveals its 2007 State Rankings: Louisiana, New Jersey and Arizona Retain Top Three Spots for Protecting Consumers; Homeowners in Florida, Pennsylvania and California Beware

New York, NY – Centerline Holding Company (NYSE: CHC), the parent company of Centerline Capital Group (Centerline or the Company), and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) announce completion of a securitization of Centerline's $2.8-billion tax-exempt affordable housing bond portfolio with Freddie Mac. The transaction closed December 27, 2007.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On January 2, a new era for mortgage regulation in the United States will ring in when the states' Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) goes live.

Orleans Homebuilders, Inc. (Amex: OHB) announced today, that it closed nine transactions to dispose of approximately 1,400 lots, within five states prior to its December 31st taxation year end. The Company separately executed option agreements on approximately 350 lots in two communities in different states, for a net decrease in its owned and controlled lot count of approximately 1,050 lots.