Yearly Archives: 2016

The Urban Land Institute (ULI), a global research and education institute dedicated to responsible land use and creating thriving, sustainable communities, has appointed Stephanie S. Wasser as executive vice president of member networks for the Americas.

On Wednesday, July 13 at 10:00 am EST, Investors Unite Executive Director Tim Pagliara will host a teleconference to brief Investors Unite members and members of the media on key findings from a recent opinion survey on housing in America.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced funding for 821 projects across the nation that will help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy usage and costs in their operations. The funding is available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and will be used to make energy efficiency improvements and install renewable energy systems.

Ginnie Mae today announced that Nancy Corsiglia will join Ginnie Mae as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting to President Ted Tozer. Corsiglia will administer Ginnie Mae’s $1.7 trillion Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) and Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC) programs. She will also be responsible for managing Ginnie Mae’s daily operations, including all MBS operations, counterparty relationships, contracting, budget and legislative initiatives, and overall risk management.

Construction employment was unchanged from May to June, but an increase in hourly pay and longer workweeks, along with shrinking numbers of unemployed construction workers, suggest contractors would hire more workers if they were available, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the lack of available qualified workers for firms to hire appears to be holding back employment growth and urged Congress to pass legislation to reform and increase funding for career and technical education

On July 7th, the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) closed on the financing of an affordable housing development in one the District’s most sought after neighborhoods, the U Street Corridor. The Agency issued $27 million in short term DCHFA tax exempt bonds providing a portion of the funding for the acquisition of Portner Place and construction of Portner Flats (1440-1450 V Street, NW) located in Ward 1, one block west of The Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center at 14th and U Streets, NW

A new working paper released by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications titled The Effect of Low-Income Housing on Neighborhood Mobility: Evidence from Linked Micro-Data assesses the impact of Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments on neighborhood mobility patterns. The authors find little evidence that LIHTC construction impacts neighborhood mobility patterns, or that it significantly changes the composition of neighborhoods

Whether it’s replacing poles, trimming trees away from power lines or upgrading hubs in the electric grid, Consumers Energy employees are working hard this summer to upgrade Michigan’s electric system. The energy provider today released figures that illustrate its work to ensure that Michigan homes and businesses receive the energy they need, whenever they need it.

Consumers Energy is temporarily closing the East Tail Water site at Croton Dam from July 11 to August 26 to accommodate a construction project to enhance the facility’s left embankment and the fishing access site

The NAIOP Research Foundation announces the appointment of Jim Mulligan as one of the Foundation’s 52 Governors. Mulligan demonstrated his commitment to the Foundation’s mission by supporting its endowment and accepting the lifelong distinction of Governor

the Massachusetts House will take up Economic Development legislation, H.4461(link is external), An Act relative to job creation, workforce development and infrastructure investment. The bill proposes $915 million in investments for critical economic and community development programs, including those that support and create affordable housing.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) tried last night and today to eliminate anti-home-rule riders in the House fiscal year 2017 District of Columbia appropriations bill, which passed the House today with four anti-home-rule riders, but said she will continue the fight to remove all the riders from any final spending bill later this year

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) denounced major policy changes Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro is making to the sale of nonperforming loans insured by the government, saying the moves help liberal special interests at the expense of hardworking taxpayers.  The changes would create “preferential bidding” options for certain buyers and restrict investor options in the program, which HUD originally designed to maximize recoveries of taxpayer losses on government insured loans.

Mortgage applications increased 14.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 1, 2016

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) projects originations of commercial and multifamily mortgages will total $500 billion in 2016, roughly flat from the $504 billion originated in 2015 and slightly less than the record of $508 billion originated in 2007.  Mortgage banker originations of multifamily mortgages are forecast at $210 billion in 2016, with total multifamily lending at $273 billion.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today announced that nominations were open for it's first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Residential Leadership Awards. MBA will begin accepting nominations for the Residential Leadership awards today and the awards will be presented at MBA's Annual Convention & Expo, October 23-26 in Boston, MA.

Waning economic growth in many countries and higher home prices further enhanced by a strengthening U.S. dollar resulted in a slight decline in international sales dollar volume of U.S. property over the past year and a significant retreat in buying from non-resident foreigners