Oct. 23, 2007 -- As pressure mounts for Congress and the Bush Administration to restrict mortgage lending abuses that have saddled economically vulnerable families with mortgages they can not afford, the mortgage lending industry continues to funnel millions of dollars in lobbying and campaign donations to Congress, even as some of those mortgage institutions are struggling to stay afloat, a new Common Cause report shows.

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 24, 2007 — The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 19, 2007. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 656.5, a slight increase on a seasonally adjusted basis from 656.3 one week earlier.

WASHINGTON, October 24, 2007 -- Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan today expressed support for provisions in a House bill that would set national standards for subprime mortgages comparable to federal banking agency standards, and provide enhanced regulation for all mortgage brokers, but expressed concern about some parts of the proposed legislation.

With more than 15,000 home plans to choose from, users may find the task of searching for a new home a bit daunting. But with HDA's new search features, finding that special luxury house plan is a breeze. Consumers are able to search by home plan style, size, and by estimated cost-to-build

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three-fourths of Americans surveyed believe that either being smarter about development or improving public transportation are both better long-term solutions for reducing traffic congestion than building new roads, according to a survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America.

Local real estate professionals discussed how to ride out a currently stormy housing market that holds promises of better times ahead at the eighth annual State of Real Estate in the Coachella Valley presentation, held today at the Doral Palm Springs Resort.

OCTOBER 16, 2007 -- The U.S. Census Bureau has released a series of 34 tables on the 40 million Americans who moved between 2005 and 2006, including characteristics of movers by type of move.

Washington, DC, October 10, 2007 --Thank you, Secretary Jackson, for being here today. And thank you to everyone here today with one common objective – helping homeowners stay in their homes. We all know well the turmoil in today's mortgage markets. A combination of stagnant or falling house prices, low down payment mortgages and resetting adjustable-rate mortgage rates are creating real challenges for many American homeowners.

Washington, DC, October 17, 2007 -- By a vote of 75-19, the full U.S. Senate last night approved the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) funding bill, providing a $41.4 million or 12 percent budget increase for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the nation's single largest source of funding for civil legal aid for the poor. LSC would receive a total of $390 million, approaching the $400 million received in FY 1995, the high-water mark in the Corporation's 33-year history.

Washington, D.C., October 2, 2007 —Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senators Chris Dodd and Charles E. Schumer, and Reps. Barney Frank and Carolyn Maloney today offered a plan to stem the rising tide of home foreclosures created by the subprime mortgage market crisis

Washington, DC, October 22, 2007 - Reps. Brad Miller (D-NC), Mel Watt (D-NC) and Barney Frank (D-MA) today introduced comprehensive legislation to combat abuses in the mortgage lending market, and to provide basic protections to mortgage consumers and investors. The bill, H.R. 3915, the “The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007” will reform mortgage practices in three areas.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- American consumers give their own banks and credit card companies a 76 percent approval rating when it comes to being fair when disclosing terms to customers; they also rank their own personal banks and credit card companies far higher than the federal government when it comes to helping them handle their overall finances, according to the Second Annual Financial Fitness Survey released by The Financial Services Roundtable.

National Association of Realtors(R) Revised 2007-2008 Statistical & Forecast News Release Schedule All released at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time except November Forecast/PHSI

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice launched a new Web site today to educate consumers and policymakers about the potential benefits that competition can bring to consumers of real estate brokerage services and the barriers that inhibit that competition

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 , /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- The first-ever investigation of Wal-Mart's local property tax records finds that the retailer systematically seeks to minimize its payments that support schools and other government services. That's the finding of Rolling Back Property Tax Payments, a report released today by Good Jobs First, a non-profit research center.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Many disaster survivors who have been forced from their homes will access critically needed housing information and assistance more quickly because of an agreement signed today between the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

CHICAGO, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Realtors(R) Center for REALTOR(R) Technology has released a free software toolkit to facilitate open standards-based Single Sign-On. SSO is an authentication process that allows users to enter one username and password to access all online real estate applications.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Planning Association (APA) today announced the country's first 10 Great Neighborhoods and 10 Great Streets to be singled out through the new national program, "Great Places in America." Launched last spring, Great Places in America is APA's flagship program celebrating places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pending sales of existing- homes activity will be dampened near-term as mortgage disruptions continue to impact the housing market, according to the National Association of Realtors(R).

Media Advisory: Center for Responsible Lending senior vice president Keith Corbett will be on a panel to discuss the impact of subprime lending on communities of color

A chicken coop plan is essential for chicks to be happy, fruitful, and active. A chicken coop ensures that they are being raised in the appropriate environment that provides them all of the things mentioned above. Chickens require a secure, spacious area in which they can safely sleep, graze, and deposit their eggs. At first glance, constructing a chicken coop could appear to be a difficult endeavor.

Moving from one home to another can be a challenging proposition. It tends to drain you both mentally and physically and is not comparable to everyday house chores. Engaging the services of a removalist may take this burden off your shoulders. Professional moving companies will help you plan and organize your belongings for an easy transition into your new home

A home for many is a treasure that ensures comfort for their loved ones. However, this isn’t as easy as many think. The process involves multiple steps, and you can easily make blunders along the way. Nowadays, you can go for a land and house package, and you don’t want to lose money on such a deal. Many first-time homebuyers lose money after engaging dishonest builders, and you can avoid such problems with a few tips.

South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR) Leadership Academy class graduated September 9, 2021, at SCR's Leadership Summit Retreat at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

Stone benchtops are one of the most popular choices for the kitchen. Kitchen benchtops should be built of sturdy material, such as stone because they are the most used surface in your kitchen. There are many different types of tabletop materials available, but stone benchtops are available in a wide range of styles, such as granite

One of the most beloved traditions around nuptials is the wedding shower, which has its roots in 16th century Holland. The story relates to...

Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released an analysis showing that appraisal values are more likely to fall below the contracted sale price of a home in census tracts with a higher share of Black and Latino households, resulting in an appraisal gap. The extent of that gap increases as the percentage of Black and Latino individuals in the census tract increases

Atlanta REALTORS® Association (ARA), the largest association of its kind in Georgia, released its August 2021 Market Brief on residential housing statistics for 11 area counties in metropolitan Atlanta. The Market Brief, compiled by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS), provides the only regionally-focused synopsis of monthly sales and home prices for single-family residential properties.

Your roof is one of the biggest investments in your home. Keeping it in the best shape will not only guarantee your safety but also that of your loved ones. It will also boost your home value. For most homeowners, choosing between a roof repair and roof replacement is a daunting experience.

Even though most people spend the bulk of their time indoors, we are all compelled to go outside and enjoy the sights and the sounds of nature. The sun, green grass, lovely flowers, delicious scents, and animals all contribute to a calming and refreshing experience in the great outdoors. It's easy to discern the looks and smells that lawns and landscapes provide

It's easy to put off gutter cleaning, but it's a required task that isn't difficult and will ensure that they continue to function correctly. Rain gutters clog up over time with leaves and other debris, so it's important to clean them out regularly to avoid more difficult work later. Gutters are essential for keeping water away from your home,

Renovating a home can be a difficult task. A lot of effort and money goes into planning a home remodel, not to mention the hard work and expense. Whether you're renovating a little kitchen, rebuilding a bathroom, or giving your entire house a facelift, a home renovation can be a very rewarding project.

Your first reaction when it comes to tree removal of unruly or damaged trees on your property is generally to do it yourself but did you know that felling trees is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. While DIY tree removal may be simple, it is a complex operation that necessitates a thorough study of tree physics and a foundation

Interior designing is a multifaceted profession that combines creative and technological solutions to create a built interior environment within a structure. These solutions are practical, improve the residents' quality of life and culture, and are appealing to the eye. In other words, it refers to a project that describes how a place will work, appear, and appeal to the senses.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is alerting consumers about the dangers of television (TV) tip-over hazards. Millions of New Yorkers will watch the Super Bowl this Sunday either on TVs at home or at parties with friends. DCP is taking this TV-focused occasion to remind consumers of critical TV safety tips.

Fast-growing Florida has been a favorite of real estate investors for many years. With so much interest having been focused on the state, though, investors need to take care to seek the best available opportunities.

Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito today announced that the Senator Walter J. Mahoney State Office Building located at 65 Court Street in Buffalo will be sold at auction in 2020. A work group formed earlier this year made up of City, County, and State officials working with professional real estate consultants CBRE, determined that in the current competitive and robust Buffalo real estate market

The Bureau of Land Management today announced that Karen Mouritsen has been named the new California State Director—a key leadership position based in Sacramento. As State Director, Mouritsen will direct a team that manages lands encompassing 15% of the Golden State’s total land mass

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced the opening of the new JLC Recovery and Wellness Center in New York City. JLC is operated by Exponents Inc. and provides free help and support services for people affected by addiction and for their families.

In spite of a robust U.S. economy, a strong employment rate, and steadily increasing 401(k) plan earnings, Black homeownership rates continue to drop. Drawing from the 2019 release of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asked the Department of the Interior about its commitment to the Yakima River Basin during a hearing on the president’s FY 2017 budget request. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor agreed with Sen. Cantwell that the Yakima River Basin plan “is a model for the rest of the nation in water management.”

“Consumers Energy is thankful to be a part of holiday celebrations across the state as warm Thanksgiving memories are being made, and we are committed to providing many more generations of Michigan families with reliable, affordable energy in all seasons,” said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy’s vice president and chief customer officer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Six federal financial regulatory agencies today issued a final rule that creates exemptions from certain appraisal requirements for a subset of higher-priced mortgage loans. The exemptions are intended to save borrowers time and money while still ensuring that the loans are financially sound

Atlanta, Georgia - November 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“Department”) entered into a Consent Order with Equity Loans, LLC, License Number 23300, located at 1150 Hammond Dr., Building E, Suite 650, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, to resolve allegations pertaining to violations of the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act