News

WASHINGTON, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that more than a thousand extremely low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS will continue to receive permanent housing as a result of $23 million in grants. During each of the next three years, this HUD funding will help provide permanent supportive housing for 1,015 households so they can manage their illnesses while receiving critically needed support services.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Commercial and multifamily mortgage origination volumes increased 44 percent in 2010 over the previous year, with mortgage bankers reporting $118.8 billion of closed commercial and multifamily loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's 2010 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance: Annual Origination Volume Summation.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to Atoka County in Oklahoma and provide support to homeowners and low-income ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On April 22, 2011, an administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission mailed 3,162 refund checks to borrowers allegedly harmed by Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. and Howard D. Kootstra. The refund checks stem from a lawsuit the FTC filed against Golden Empire and Kootstra, alleging that they illegally charged Hispanic consumers higher prices for mortgage loans than non-Hispanic white consumers – price disparities that could not be explained by the applicants’ credit characteristics or underwriting risk.

Washington, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.84 percent based on loans closed in March. This is an increase of 0.05 percent from the previous month.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 300,000 units in March, the U.S. Commerce Department reported today. The gain partially offsets a large decline that occurred in new-home sales this February, when activity hit a record low due partly to poor weather conditions."The fact that new-home sales have regained some of the ground they lost earlier this year is a promising sign at the start of the spring home buying season," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "While potential buyers continue to be extremely cautious, they are starting to take a look around and evaluate their very good options with regard to attractively priced new homes."

COLUMBIA, MD - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Right in time for Earth Day, Enterprise Green Communities (Enterprise) has awarded $150,000 to owners of affordable housing for resident engagement programs. The programs will provide residents with practical and cost-effective practices for everyday usage that will extend the benefits of their green homes. Through a grant from The Home Depot Foundation, Enterprise awarded six organizations $25,000 each. Awards will be used to develop tools to encourage residents including children and seniors to properly operate and maintain their green homes.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has just released national data showing that the number of homeless people was essentially unchanged from 2009 to 2010. The number, based on counts conducted by localities and states across the nation in January 2010 (called Point-In-Time [PIT] counts), went from 643,067 to 649,879, an increase of one percent. However, there was a three percent increase in the number of homeless people who were unsheltered.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Las Vegas man was arrested yesterday on charges that he defrauded distressed homeowners in Las Vegas who were attempting to refinance or adjust their home mortgages, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.

COLUMBUS, OH - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Board approved $1.9 million in funding through the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) to provide flexible, low-interest financing for affordable housing developments on Wednesday. Funding for HDAP comes from the federal HOME program and the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF).

BURLINGTON VT - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Renting an apartment in Vermont continues to grow more difficult for the average Vermonter, according to a report released today.

HARRISBURG, PA - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today announced the keynote speakers for its 2011 Commonwealth Housing Forum set for May 5 and 6 in Harrisburg.

BISMARCK, ND - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission announced today that the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) has granted conditional commitments for $2.9 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for constr...

BISMARCK, ND - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission announced today that the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) has granted conditional commitments for $2.9 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for construction or rehabilitation of 258 affordable housing units.

BISMARCK, ND - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission today approved distribution of more than $200,000 by the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) through the Helping Housing Across North Dakota (Helping HAND) program.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that this afternoon, a federal jury convicted Albuquerque real estate agent Kevin Powers, 51, of 17 counts of wire fraud in connection with an unlawful scheme to defraud mortgage lenders and to obtain over $5.5 million in loan proceeds through false pretenses, misrepresentations, and omissions. At sentencing, Powers faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine on each count of conviction. Powers remains on release under pretrial supervision pending his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for July 18, 2011.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today nearly $110 million is available through three grant programs to help families who receive HUD rental assistance get the necessary education or job training to gain employment. One of the grant programs also helps senior citizens connect with supportive services to allow them to remain in their home.

April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, three people were charged with orchestrating a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders out of approximately $4.2 million relative to a Minnetonka development. Sheri Lynn Delich, age 45, of Apple Valley; My Dinh Lam, age 30; of Minneapolis; and Ashley Elizabeth Prasil, age 26, of Eden Prairie, were charged via an information with one count of conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud. In addition, Delich was charged with one count of money laundering.

Washington, D.C - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today NeighborWorks® America, one of the largest community development corporations in the country, joined the Environmental Protection Agency in applauding the outstanding work done by Community Housing Partners of Christiansburg, Va., and Coachella Valley Housing Coalition of Indio, Calif., for excellence in green housing and community development. Both organizations are members of the NeighborWorks network and are involved in the NeighborWorks Green Initiative for healthy and sustainable communities.

Washington, D.C. - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --NeighborWorks America, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit community development corporations, today announced that it received a two-year, $2 million grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support a variety of initiatives including affordable homeownership and training for local nonprofit professionals.