Yearly Archives: 2016

This week, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Domestic Policy Council (DPC) Director Cecilia Muñoz co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (WH-LAIR). Civil legal aid is free legal assistance to low- and moderate-income people who have civil legal problems. These problems are non-criminal; rather, civil legal aid helps people access basic necessities such as health care, housing, government benefits, employment and educational services.

The federal Judiciary is actively trimming costs for courthouses and office space, and is working to ensure that recently appropriated funds for eight courthouse construction projects will be spent efficiently, a House subcommittee was told by the head of the Judiciary’s Space and Facilities Committee.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Representatives Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) introduced companion bills, the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2016, in the House and the Senate. These bills would strengthen risk assessments for lead in federally subsidized housing and lower the blood lead level at which intervention is required.

Mortgage credit availability remained unchanged in February according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which analyzes data from Ellie Mae's AllRegs® Market Clarity® business information tool

Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgage loans continued to decline in the fourth quarter of 2015, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report

At a time when communities need resources most, hundreds of communities across the nation will receive a much-needed affordable housing and economic development boost as NeighborWorks America distributes more than $60.57 million in flexible grants to its national network of more than 245 local nonprofit NeighborWorks organizations

The Financial Services Committee today approved 10 bills designed to promote access to capital and help reduce regulatory burdens on Main Street small businesses. The committee also approved bipartisan legislation to expand flood insurance options for homeowners.

Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) will travel to Flint, Michigan tomorrow as part of a Congressional delegation to hear directly from families affected by the city’s ongoing water crisis. Chairman Becerra will be briefed by federal officials on the crisis, receive a tour of the city and join a “Speak Out” with Flint families. Ahead of his visit, Chairman Becerra released the following statement

GSA canceled the solicitation for the Cotton Annex and Regional Office Building exchange project to ensure we maximize the value of these assets. After going through a deliberate, open, and competitive process, the offers we received ultimately did not propose an adequate return on these assets.

Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, a nationally-recognized real estate brokerage and advisory firm specializing in retail property sales, announced today that the firm completed the sale of Hamilton Center, a 6,800-square-foot multi-tenant shopping center in Orange County, Calif., for $3.3 million, representing a cap rate of 4.77%.

This year, Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity are joining forces and working together with 1,000 families to build or repair their homes by December. Many of these families will celebrate the holiday season from the comfort of a safe and stable home for the very first time. Habitat and Lowe’s will launch this initiative by framing the first house on March 4 at the Kobalt 400, where they will be joined by NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson.

The Boulder Group, a net leased investment brokerage firm, has completed the sale of a single tenant PNC Bank Ground Lease located at 1996 Freedom Parkway in Washington, IL for $1,300,000

Mortgage applications decreased 4.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 26, 2016. The previous week's results included an adjustment for the President's Day holiday.

Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee officially kicked-off the reauthorization process for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with a markup of the Aviation Innovation Reform and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act. The AIRR Act, which fundamentally transforms air traffic control operations, is expected to pass the committee later this evening.

David H. Stevens, CMB, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), today announced the appointment of Lionel Lynch as Vice President of Strategic Member Relations, which became effective March 1, 2016.

As March in Michigan starts with more wintry weather, Consumers Energy is encouraging residents to take steps to protect themselves against the lethal threat of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

The Louis L. Goldstein District Court & Multi-Service Center in Prince Frederick has earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR for reducing its energy consumption. Owned andEnergy Star logo managed by DGS, the building is a 74,500 square foot facility that houses the Calvert County District Court and other government offices, including the Department of Assessments & Taxation, Motor Vehicle Administration, State Fire Marshall, State’s Attorney and Office of the Public Defender, among others.

CBRE Executive Vice President Philip D. Voorhees announced today that he and the National Retail Investment Group – West (NRIG-West) team completed the sale of Buena Park Downtown, a 535,016-square-foot repositioned mall in the city of Buena Park, Calif., anchored by a John’s Incredible Pizza, Krikorian Theatres, 24 Hour Fitness, Ross Dress for Less, Bed Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx, DSW, Big Air Trampoline, along with a complementary mix of pad and shop tenants.

St. John the Baptist Parish – St. John the Baptist Parish President Robottom, Council and officials want to thank the Faith-Based Community, local groups and organizations, and all who donated their time, efforts and resources to the restoration of the Parish following last week’s tornado. Countless meals and non-perishables have been administered to tornado victims and additional provisions will be given to affected residents in the upcoming days.

Goodwill invites community members to participate in the fifth Annual Power of Work Awards luncheon on April 20th, 2016 showcasing those in the Kansas City Metro who illuminate our local community one life, one job, and one opportunity at a time.