Archives

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the award of nearly $60 million in homeless prevention grants that will serve approximately 22,000 homeless and at-risk Veteran families as part of the new Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. This initial $60 million award will serve Veteran families at 85 non-profit community agencies in 40 states and the District of Columbia under VA’s new homeless prevention initiative.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Friday, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) filed a comment letter with the Federal Reserve on the Board’s proposed rule that would implement amendments to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) under the Dodd-Frank Act to establish Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage requirements.In the letter, MBA’s President and CEO David H. Stevens reiterates MBA’s support for the establishment of an ability to repay requirement for mortgage loans and emphasizes the importance of a final rule that provides unambiguous definitions and means of compliance. According to MBA, clear “bright line” requirements will ensure the availability of sustainable mortgage credit to the widest array of qualified borrowers at affordable costs.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a comment letter Friday, the American Bankers Association offered an alternative solution to strengthen the "qualified mortgage" option's safe-harbor protections in the Federal Reserve's proposed rule that would require creditors to determine a consumer's ability to repay a mortgage before making the loan.

HOUSTON, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vincent Wallace Aldridge, a former fee attorney for First Southwestern Title Company, has been sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering arising from a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders of more than $3.7 million in loans in connection with home purchases in the Houston area, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Clark.

DALLAS, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned a four-count indictment this week charging three individuals, Vathany Teng, Lina Ma and Jerry Goh each with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two substantive counts of bank fraud in relation to a loan fraud scheme they allegedly ran in the Dallas area from August 2007 to April 2008. In addition, defendant Jerry Goh, a lawyer, is also charged with one count of witness tampering. All three defendants are expected to surrender to federal authorities and appear tomorrow, July 22, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

TAVARES, FL - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Parks & Trails Division is set to open three public land properties beginning July 26 for passive recreation. The properties include Ellis Acres Reserve, located off County Road 42 in Paisley; The Pasture Reserve, located off Lake Erie Road in South Lake; and Lake May Reserve located off County Road 44A in Eustis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law applauds today's launch of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). To mark this momentous date in the fight for consumer protections, the Lawyers' Committee released an issue brief on the severe impact of the ongoing foreclosure rescue scam crisis on older Americans. Scammers are preying on distressed homeowners by offering much-needed foreclosure counseling or loan modification assistance for a fee, yet failing to deliver any results-or refunds-in the end.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction employment declined in 26 states and D.C. between June 2010 and 2011 and dropped in 22 states and D.C. between May and June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of state employment data released by the Labor Department. The construction industry continues to suffer from a difficult combination of weak private sector demand and declining public sector investments in construction.

Elgin, IL - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- RE/MAX agents in the northern Illinois real estate market say that homeowners can take several steps to increase their home's appeal both inside and out without spending a fortune. In fact, homeowners can breathe new life into their homes and increase its appeal by spending $100 or less.

Washington, D.C. - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and NeighborWorks® America announced that the deadline for the Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program has been extended to Wednesday, July 27, 2011, in order to give homeowners at risk of foreclosure in the participating 27 states and Puerto Rico more time to apply for the program.

BURLINGTON, VT - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Vermont Housing Data Website (www.housingdata.org) has added hundreds of Census data including Census 2010 demographic information and detailed estimates on home heating sources and housing cost ...

Washington, DC - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today announced that the Poughkeepsie Housing Authority has been awarded $212,520 in federal funds to provide permanent housing for homeless veterans in the Mid Hudson Valley. The funds were awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program of which Hinchey is a steadfast supporter

WASHINGTON, DC - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) and a bipartisan group of her colleagues introduced the PACE Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 2599) to promote energy efficient upgrades to homes. This bill would prevent federal regulators from adopting policies that disregard established state and local Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) laws. The PACE program is designed to allow homeowners an opportunity to lower their utility bills by making energy efficiency improvements to their homes, which would in turn help clean energy businesses sell more of their energy efficient products, expand green manufacturing operations, and create jobs.

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Mike Thompson joined with two House Republicans Wednesday in introducing legislation to protect the government-financed home and business energy retrofit programs that have run afoul of federal housing regulators.

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A government program that helped homeowners finance and install green upgrades before a technical roadblock stalled it last year may be resuscitated by Congress.

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today highlighted a free workshop on foreclosure prevention and home finance taking place in Tucson on Saturday, July 23. The event is jointly hosted by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Don’t Borrow Trouble Pima County, the City of Tucson, Fannie Mae, Pima County, and the Southwest Fair Housing Council.

FRESNO, CA - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- More than half of Central Valley REALTORS® characterized closing short-sale transactions as “difficult” or “extremely difficult,” according to a Lender Satisfaction Survey conducted by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). The survey gauges REALTORS®’ experience working with lenders in their most recent transaction. The majority of those surveyed dealt with short-sale transactions – transactions in which the lender or lenders agree to accept less than the mortgage amount owed by the current homeowner.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association released a new, free mobile application today for iPhone and Android devices designed to help perspective homebuyers better navigate the mortgage process.

LITTLE ROCK, AR - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Franklin County area residents will have a chance to talk with experts in hazard mitigation building techniques July 25 and 26 in Ozark

DENVER, CO - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- RE/MAX recently named Denver-based EquityLock Solutions as an Approved Supplier of Home Price Protection, which helps minimize the risk of real estate price fluctuations within local markets. Through this program, RE/MAX agents in the U.S. would be able to offer their clients this exclusive protection program.