Monthly Archives: November 2013

Washington, - November 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Financial Services Housing and Insurance Subcommittee held a hearing today on the importance of implementing the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act in order to protect taxpayers from having to continue bailing out the debt-ridden National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) called on Congress today to take steps to resolve unintended consequences of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act that are resulting in huge premium spikes for many home owners and impacting the sale, construction and remodeling of homes across the nation.

Washington, D.C. - November 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Thursday, November 21, the Center for American Progress will host a discussion on unethical discrimination in the U.S. housing market. Widespread discriminatory and unethical lending was a major contributor to the collapse of the U.S. housing market and the subsequent loss of more than 4 million homes due to foreclosure. In this forum, panelists will explore the current state of housing discrimination, segregation, and integration in the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit that repairs and rehabs the homes of low-income homeowners, held its National Conference in our nation’s capital at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel. This three-day high-impact event brought together hundreds of affiliate leaders from across the nation to attend focused workshops, plenary sessions, and facilitated networking.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fifth Third Bank donated $150,000 to Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit, to fund long-term home rebuilding projects with a special emphasis on veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) recently released a macroeconomic study of immigration reform that showed immigration reform would produce powerful benefits to the U.S. economy. Notably, the study showed that immigration reform would jump-start the housing market by increasing spending on residential construction by an average of $68 billion annually over a 20-year period.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reached 54 in the third quarter, seven points lower than a spike in the second quarter but the seventh consecutive reading above 50.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) --Thank you to President Jim Bullard and everyone at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis for inviting me to speak today on the impact of rising student debt on the balance sheets of young American households. As the name of St. Louis Fed’s Center indicates, household financial stability is a key ingredient to the health of our economy and financial system.

HARRISBURG, - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- State Rep. Ted Harhai, D-Westmoreland/Fayette, will participate in a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 in the Main Capitol Rotunda on the subject of homelessness.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes was unchanged in November from a downwardly revised level of 54 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. This means that for the sixth consecutive month, more builders have viewed market conditions as good than poor

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- CHFA and DOH announced a Notice of Funding Availability ("NOFA") that was directed to owners of properties in the State-Sponsored Housing Portfolio seeking funds from the Department of Housing (DOH) for projects that involve a moderate level of rehabilitation of the existing premises

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today took action against Republic Mortgage Insurance Corporation (RMIC), for allegedly paying illegal kickbacks to mortgage lenders in exchange for business. The CFPB filed a complaint and proposed consent order against RMIC to stop these practices, which have been prevalent for more than 10 years. The proposed order will require RMIC to pay a $100,000 penalty to the CFPB, and follows

Reston, Virginia, - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- MERSCORP Holdings, Inc. announced that the Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts dismissed three consolidated actions involving recording fee cases. Justice Janet L. Sanders dismissed lawsuits filed by Bristol County, Norfolk County and Plymouth County in Massachusetts, ruling in favor of MERSCORP Holdings, Inc., Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) and numerous other defendants.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A former Florida-licensed real estate associate and mortgage broker was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison for his role in a $2.4 million mortgage fraud scheme

Washington, D.C. - November 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yesterday, nine USGBC Students and Emerging Professionals from across the U.S. joined the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) on an eight day bike tour to USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON - November 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved $8.8 million in grants to fund 164 projects in 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to rehabilitate currently operational transitional housing projects and acquire vans to facilitate the transportation needs of homeless veterans

Washington, DC - November 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) launched a national media campaign to raise awareness of housing discrimination and the public’s rights under the Fair Housing Act. The campaign, entitled “The More You Know,” features print advertisements and a video public service announcement in English and Spanish, as well as a social media campaign utilizing the hashtag #FairHousing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Department of Defense (DOD) employee has pleaded guilty to filing a false claim with the DOD while stationed in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to fraudulently obtain $64,000 in housing allowance, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden of the District of Nevada.

Washington, D.C. - November 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The following is a statement by “In a series of reports, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) has noted for some time that federal funding for investment in infrastructure has stagnated, if not declined, over the last several years. This decline has occurred despite a growing recognition that America is under-investing in its infrastructure. In the face of these trends, BPC has called for an expansion of federal financing programs to more effectively leverage other private and public capital for investment in infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the project opportunities that will be pursued by each of the ten teams advancing to Stage 3 of the Rebuild by Design competition. Each team will now spend the next five months working with local and regional stakeholders in developing projects and design approaches to increase resilience in the region affected by Hurricane Sandy. The goal is to arrive at projects that are implementable and fundable, leveraging the variety of federal recovery investments being made in the region