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June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- At a time when there are 10 million extremely low income renter households in the United States and only 6.5 million homes renting at prices those households can afford, Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) has introduced a bill that would eliminate the only housing program designed to fill this gap. On May 25, NLIHC President Sheila Crowley testified at a hearing on this bill, which would abolish the National Housing Trust Fund.

Washington, DC - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- West Palm Beach Coalition for Independent Living Options (CILO) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) have filed a housing discrimination lawsuit against Cornerstone Group Development Corporation (www.cornerstonegrp.com), one of the largest multifamily housing developers in Florida and the United States. The organizations allege discrimination by Cornerstone Group and several of its affiliates against people with disabilities under the federal Fair Housing Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Members of Media:Yesterday, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) sent a letter to Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing - Federal Housing Commissioner Robert C. Ryan requesting the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) permit the use of electronic signatures (e-signatures) for all mortgage origination forms required by the FHA

WASHINGTON, DC - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a commitment to insure a mortgage loan to the Stillwater Hospital Association in Columbus, Montana. The $14.3 million loan i...

COLUMBUS, OH - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An amendment to the Senate’s version of the budget bill released yesterday would take millions from a fund that provides housing for poor, elderly and disabled Ohioans, and funnel it to county recorders offices for “general purposes.”

HOUSTON, TX - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Adrian Levale Cole and Albert Terrance Watkins, both of Houston, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

New York, NY - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced an $110,000 U.S. Department of Labor grant for the United Veterans Beacon House based in Bay Shore, Long Island. The center, which provides transitional housing and job training to homeless veterans in Suffolk and Nassau County, will use the money to fund outreach efforts to homeless veterans at other shelters in Long Island, as well as efforts to connect these veterans to potential employers. Schumer said that this grant was essential in order to provide our heroes who have fallen on hard times with the helping hand they need to find jobs and get their lives back on track.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR) today announced a 10-state settlement, in which Mortgage Access Corp. d/b/a Weichert Financial Services (MAC) headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey, agreed to remit a $3 million penalty.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today kicked off National Homeownership Month and highlighted the important role housing plays in creating jobs, maintaining viable rural communities and contributing to the economy. Since the start of the current fiscal year, which began last October 1, USDA Rural Development has financed approximately 80,000 home loans for rural residents.

BISMARCK, ND - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Six North Dakota teams recently attended a Supportive Housing Academy sponsored in part by the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) and the North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People (NDCHP). Led...

PORTLAND, OR - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on news that home prices have fallen to their lowest level since the collapse of the housing market

Washington, D.C. - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has selected13 educational and cultural facilities for this year’s CAE Educational Facility Design Awards. The purpose of the design awards program is to identify trends and emerging ideas, honor excellence in planning and design, and disseminate knowledge about best practices in educational and community facilities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As students across the country receive their final grades for the semester, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty has released a report card grading the United States on its response to homelessness and its compliance with the human right to housing. "Simply Unacceptable": Homelessness and the Human Right to Housing in the U.S. issues failing grades in more than one category, according to international standards.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kenneth W. Edwards, Policy Counsel for the Center for Responsible Lending, presented the following remarks at a press briefing held to discuss the impact of the proposed Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) rule on consumers. Other groups participating in the conference were the Mortgage Bankers Association, Consumer Federation of America, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and the National Housing Conference

NEW YORK, N.Y. - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates fell for an eighth consecutive week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to 4.69 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.39 discount and origination points.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Higher education has not become a “collateral victim” of the Great Recession, finds Enrollment Trends in the Recession, a new white paper from the National Student Housing Council, a subsidiary of the National Multi Housing Council.

BOSTON, MA - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With tornado damage covered by homeowners’ insurance, the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Division of Insurance is offering tips on the best way to file a claim with an insurance company to families who suffered damage in yesterday’s tornadoes and storms.

Jefferson City, MO - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Chris Koster said today he has invited major banking interests that conduct business in the Joplin area to a meeting in his Supreme Court office in Jefferson City Monday to brainstorm ways to help the many Joplin homeowners who are likely to experience mortgage- and credit-related issues in the coming months.

Washington, DC - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly half of all home buyers visit open houses during their home search. This weekend, those numbers may swell as buyers across the country take advantage of the Realtor® Nationwide Open House, June 4-5.

Chicago, IL - June 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Society has announced the recipients of the third annual Volunteering Works program, which matches Realtors® who work on small-scale charitable efforts with mentors and awards them grant money.