Archives
Inside the January/February Issue of AARP Bulletin
New Scams to Avoid: Rip-Offs That Target Your Hard-Earned Cash Your Life: The New Face of Hunger Boomers Turn 70: How They’ll Change the World Again Your Money: How to Make Your Money Last Work Well With Young People: Thriving in an Intergenerational Workplace Washington Watch: High Drug Costs Under Spotlight Where We Stand: The Future of Housing
MBA Welcomes 25 New Members
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced that in November and December of 2015 it welcomed 25 new regular members to its ranks, which currently numbers more than 2,200 member companies
National Security Council’s Senior Director for Resilience Policy to Keynote Building Innovation
Alice C. Hill, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the White House National Security Council, will deliver the opening keynote address Wednesday, January 13, during Building Innovation 2016 – the National Institute of Building Sciences Fourth Annual Conference & Expo.
CONSTRUCTION FIRMS ADD 45,000 WORKERS IN DECEMBER AS SECTOR’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HITS 7.5 PERCENT
Construction firms added 45,000 workers in December as the industry's unemployment rate declined to 7.5 percent from 8.3 a year ago, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the robust job gains come as a new industry outlook shows most firms expect to expand their headcount in 2016 amid growing private and public sector demand
New MBA Survey: Commercial and Multifamily Lenders Expect Strong 2016
Commercial and multifamily mortgage lending is expected to increase in 2016, as lenders' and borrowers' appetites for new loans remain strong, according to a new Mortgage Bankers Association survey of the top commercial and multifamily mortgage origination firms.
Mortgage Credit Availability Decreased in December
Mortgage credit availability decreased in December according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which analyzes data from Ellie Mae's AllRegs® Market Clarity® business information tool.
Consumers Energy Announces Executive Changes, Building on Customer Focus and Commitment to Michigan
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility and the fourth-largest U.S. combination utility, announced today several leadership moves that build on its customer-first focus and commitment to serving Michigan.
Anna Mills Elected President of National REIA for 2016
The National Real Estate Investors Association announced that Anna Mills has been elected association president for 2016. Mills is currently president of the Toledo REIA and has been a realtor in Ohio & Michigan for over 38 years. She holds top designations in VIP Relocation, Investor Specialist, Property Tax Reduction and Court Appraisals. Previously, she served as NREIA’s president in 2002 and is a past president of Ohio Real Estate Investors Association.
Mortgage Applications Decreased Over Two Week Period in Latest MBA Weekly Survey
A coalition of consumer groups are calling on Acting Illinois Insurance Director Anne Melissa Dowling to reverse her “do-nothing” position and start protecting Illinois consumers from the unfair use of certain information unrelated to insurance risk – such as personal consumer shopping data – to set auto and homeowners insurance prices.
Federal Investigation, Complete Disclosure Necessary in Flint Water Crisis
Roughly two months after Progress Michigan called on Michigan’s federal investigators to look into the Flint Water Crisis, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today it would be conducting an investigation.
USGBC Announces New Exam Pricing for Students
Higher education students will receive 50 percent discount to support future sustainability careersWashington, D.C. – (Jan. 5, 2015) – Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced for the first time that students will be able to take the LEED Green Associate exam for a reduced fee of $100. The regular exam price is $200 for USGBC members and $250 for non-members
Raising Appraisal Limits Could Hurt Consumers, Bank Appraisers Say
More than 80 percent of bank appraisers think reducing the number of loans requiring an appraisal could increase risk to borrowers, according to a survey of its professionals released today by the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers.
Scott Robinson to Become President of Appraisal Institute on Jan. 1
Scott Robinson, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, of Salisbury, North Carolina, will begin his one-year term as president of the Appraisal Institute on Jan. 1. The Appraisal Institute is the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers with nearly 20,000 professionals in almost 60 countries.
Pending Home Sales Decline Modestly in November
Pending home sales in November slightly declined for the third time in four months as buyers continue to battle both rising home prices and limited homes available for sale, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Modest gains in the Midwest and South were offset by larger declines in the Northeast and West.
AARP Celebrates Generation X as it Turned 50 this Year
As 2015 comes to a close, AARP celebrates the first of America's 62 million Generation Xers who hit a milestone and turned 50 this year by exploring what is important to them as they age. Gen X - born between 1965 and 1979- is the middle child generation that is sandwiched between their larger counterparts, Baby Boomers and Millennials. As they grow older, it is important to acknowledge that they are having a different experience than their cohorts, and that they are more than just an unsung demographic who wore parachute pants and acid wash jeans.
Christmas Eve Windstorm Restoration Enters Home Stretch
Nearly all of the more than 183,000 Consumers Energy customers affected by a powerful Christmas Eve storm are expected to have their electricity restored today.
Industry Cautions Against Expansion of Fair Housing Liability
HUD proposed a new fair housing rule this past fall that provides guidance on “quid pro quo” and hostile environment harassment. This occurs when an individual in a protected class –relating to race, sex and disability – is subjected to unwelcome demands as a condition of their housing or when they are exposed to conduct that interferes with their ability to enjoy housing
Existing-Home Sales Suffer Setback in November, Fall to Slowest Pace Since April 2014
Existing-home sales dropped off considerably in November to the slowest pace in 19 months, but some of the decrease was likely because of an apparent rise in closing timeframes that may have pushed some transactions into December, according to the
Four things we love about Glisan Commons and Gilman Court
More than four years ago Housing Development Center partnered with three nonprofits to develop an innovative project, which meets critical human needs in East Portland and makes great use of an exceptional transit-oriented site. This year we completed work on this two-phase project, Glisan Commons and Gilman Court. Here’s a look back at what makes it stand out.
New-Home Sales Rise 4.3 Percent in November
Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 4.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 490,000 units in November, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau