Archives

Washington, D.C. - August 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury will award the El Paso Credit Union Affordable Housing LLC (El Paso CU) a $98,400 federal grant to assi...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for single-family homes showed improvement in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) latest 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. The index more than doubled year over year from a level of 13 to 29, which is the highest second-quarter reading since the inception of the index in 2008.

Kansas City, MO - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Unified Government Board of Commissioners is waiving all building permit fees, inspection fees and sewer connection fees for new single family home construction beginning this month through Dec...

LANSING, MI - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Rick Snyder today signed legislation clarifying the criteria for landowners building homes in privately held areas of Michigan's lakeshore dunes.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are hosting the Obama administration’s 75th free event for struggling homeowners at the Show Pla...

WASHINGTON, DC - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is charging the owners and managers of Heritage Point Mobile Home Park in Montgomery, Alabama, with violating the Fair Housing Act for refu...

Washington, D.C. - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Representative David Price (NC-04) announced that three Fourth District lenders are the recipients of a total of $3.86 million in funding through the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. Durham based Latino Community Credit Union and Self-Help Federal Credit Union will both receive an award of $1,453,806 through the fund. The Support Center, also based in Durham, will receive a $953,806 award

HARRISBURG - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for projects to improve the availability and affordability of housing in the Marcellus Shale region of the state.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New England Governors' Conference on July 30 passed a resolution to launch a coordinated regional procurement of renewable energy. The leaders of six states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont—have agreed to release a request for proposals (RFP) in 2013 for a significant amount of renewable energy.

Washington, DC - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has sent to the Federal Register a Notice indicating its concern with the proposed use of eminent domain to restructure performing home loans and inviting public input.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced more than $363 million in grants to fund a wide variety of highway improvements, from interstate rehabilitation and reconstruction to technologies that result in improved safety and reduced construction congestion.

Washington, D.C. - August 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its June Refinance Report, which shows that one of every three refinances through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were made through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), the highest number since the inception of the program in April 2009. The continued increase in HARP volume is attributed to record-low mortgage rates and program enhancements announced last fall including removal of the loan-to-value (LTV) ceiling for borrowers who refinance into fixedrate loans and the elimination or lowering of fees for certain borrowers

August 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) is expected to introduce the Housing Subsidy Fairness Act in early September. This bill would provide dedicated funding for the National Housing Trust Fund with savings generated by ...

WASHINGTON, DC - August 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) along with Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Michael Grimm (R-NY) have intro...

WASHINGTON, D.C., DC - August 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction professionals will be able to take a wide range of mandatory and optional safety training programs online thanks to a new collaboration between the Associated General Contractors of America and ClickSafety, who is authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide its online Outreach Training Program. Association officials added that the collaboration will provide a range of online construction-related safety courses, including the mandatory OSHA 10- and 30-hour safety training programs for employees of its member firms.

DENTON, TX - August 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently approved requests from the state of Oklahoma for Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) for fires burning in multiple counties. This includes t...

CHICAGO, IL - August 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today signed two new housing laws to provide people with disabilities with more access to affordable rental housing, and to further protect homeowners from mortgage fraud. The suppor...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- A total of 80 metropolitan statistical areas across 32 states and the District of Columbia were listed as improving housing markets on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) for August, released today. This included 75 markets that retained their places on the list along with five new ones, while nine areas fell from the list due primarily to slight movements in house prices.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the July edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard – a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. Data in the Housing Scorecard show continued signs of recovery as foreclosure starts and completions declined in June, though officials expect activity to increase in the coming months as firms lift delays in foreclosure processing. In addition, the inventory of houses for sale remained low; at current pace, it would take 6.6 months to sell the supply of existing homes on the market and 4.9 months to clear the new homes on the market.

Washington, DC - August 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to increase the supply of affordable rental housing available for middle-income seniors, who are ineligible to...