Monthly Archives: December 2009

Washington, D.C. - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada joined with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois to introduce an amendment to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 that will help protect seniors from predatory practices by lending agencies

Aberdeen, MD - December 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) will join executives from St. John Properties Inc., as well as business leaders and local elected officials at the groundbreaking of two commercial office buildings that will be leased to top defense contractors within Aberdeen Proving Ground. In a unique agreement known as an enhanced use lease, St. John Properties will lease land directly from the Army for “The GATE” development project and 100 percent of the lease payments will go directly to the post for infrastructure and facility improvements.

December 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Kentucky Housing Corporation Board of Directors will meet Thursday, December 10, 2009, 10 a.m., Eastern time, 1231 Louisville Road, Frankfort, Kentucky. A copy of the agenda for the meeting accompanies this notice.

Amendment to Wall Street reform bill will shine light on loan modification process, help working families get straight answers, and prohibit egregious delay tactics or non-disclosure. WASHINGTON, DC - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) offered an amendment to provide greater fairness and transparency to homeowners who may have been improperly denied a loan modification on their mortgage without any explanation. The measure, an amendment to H.R. 4173 – the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, was in direct response to horror stories shared by constituents and taxpayers across the country. Quigley’s amendment has the strong support of a broad coalition of consumer advocates, including the NAACP, AFL-CIO, and National Fair Housing Alliance

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A $3 billion emergency mortgage assistance program for unemployed homeowners – authored by Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and based on a successful Pennsylvania program that Fattah helped create as a young state legislator – is on the verge of passage in the House of Representatives.

Des Moines, IA - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved a total of $200,000 in grants to four entities to support affordable housing and homeownership preservation from the State Housing Trust Fund’s Project-Based Program. The program provides financing for the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing units.

December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Working to reduce burdens on our families, small businesses, and veterans, Rep. Debbie Halvorson (IL-11) today voted to pass the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, H.R.4213, which would extend a number of tax relief provisions through 2010.The Tax Extenders Act of 2009 contains three pieces of individual legislation sponsored by Halvorson, which were included into the larger bill. The first, H.R. 2146, would extend an additional standard deduction for state and local real property taxes for homeowners, which would save homeowners money on their tax returns.

SACRAMENTO, CA - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The pace of home sales at California new-home communities rose above year-ago levels for the first time since December of 2006, the California Building Industry Association reported today

New York, NY - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and RICHARD H. NEIMAN,

December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Trout Creek Condominium Resort, located in Harbor Springs, has earned Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) Steward certification from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).

WASHINGTON, DC - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) announced today that Kent County Associates, L.P. in Kent County, Maryland, has been awarded a conditional $2.97 million loan to guarantee the rehabilitation and revitalization of affordable rental housing complexes in Fairlee and Rock Hill, Maryland. The conditional loan guarantee has been awarded through the USDA Rural Rental Housing Guaranteed Loan program.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced a critical step forward in putting funds in the federal checkbook to track down and prosecute perpetrators of mortgage fraud. The funds are included in the CJS Appropriations Bill, which was approved by a House-Senate Conference Committee as part of Congress’ Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Bill.

Washington, D.C. - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman John Sarbanes voted for H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, which passed by a vote of 241 to 181. The measure will directly assist working families by extending property tax relief, the college tuition deduction and the deduction for teachers who pay out of pocket for classroom expenses.

December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Rep. Frank Kratovil supported the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, which extends tax relief provisions for working families and businesses to help spur job growth. The legislation will extend the R&D tax credit for nearly 11,000 businesses, provide up to 30 million homeowners with property tax relief, and provide a college tuition deduction that will make college possible for 4.5 million families

December 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal indictment was unsealed today against a Minnesota pair for allegedly orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in which they stole more than $2.5 million from lenders nationally by obtaining fraudulent loans for the purchase of 35 homes in the Twin Cities. The indictment charges Zack Zafer Dyab, 45, of Golden Valley, and Julia Alexander Rozhansky, 45, of Minnetonka, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of mortgage fraud through use of interstate wires, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction involving criminally derived property.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- 15-count indictment was filed today against five defendants charged in a $14.6 million mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in at least 35 fraudulent mortgage loans, announced United States Attorney Michael L. Levy, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Janice K. Fedarcyk, and Pennsylvania Secretary of Banking Steven Kaplan.

Salem, OR - December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) today announced a funding opportunity for farmworker housing.

Salem, OR - December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) today announced a funding opportunity for farmworker housing.

Albany, NY - December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor David A. Paterson today announced $60.3 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for weatherization projects that will work to reduce the energy burden on low-income residents in 9,431 multi-family housing units around the State.

BISMARCK, ND - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) is soliciting pre-applications for funding under the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP).

December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Good afternoon, everyone. I am honored to call to order this hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. And I thank Chairman Leahy for permitting me to chair this hearing

Sioux City, IA - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- December 31 is the deadline to file for Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption on eligible properties which received property improvements during calendar year 2009. All residential property owners within the corporate limits of the City of Sioux City that made improvements to their property in 2009 are encouraged to apply for the tax exemption.

Washington, DC - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Congressman Al Green (TX-09) called on private mortgage servicers to better address the needs of struggling minority homeowners during a hearing of the House Committee on Financial Services regarding the current foreclosure crisis.

Jackson, MS - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE-EGP) announced today that it is scheduled to present at the Wells Fargo 13th Annual Global Real Estate Securities Conference. EastGroup's presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 9:05 a.m., EST. The presentation will be live via web cast and is accessible at http://www.wsw.com/webcast/wa58/egp/ the day of the conference and will be archived at the same URL for 90 days.

Columbia, MD - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, the Pollin family and representatives from Enterprise Homes, Inc. today celebrated the groundbreaking of the Linda Joy and Kenneth Jay Pollin Memorial Community Development in northeast Washington.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Daniel K. Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye announced today that Hawai‘i will be eligible to apply for more than $21 million in grants distributed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for 2010. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano released the application guidance for the DHS grants programs today.

Washington, DC - December 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colorado homebuyers will be able to take advantage of the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit for an additional three months, Congresswoman Betsy Markey announced today

Washington, DC - December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Baron Hill has successfully ensured that his property tax relief language included in the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 will be incorporated into the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, H.R. 4213. The bill, which is scheduled for a vote tomorrow, would extend Hill’s property tax relief for another year.

December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A 27-year-old Webster man pleaded guilty today in federal court to bilking more than $7 million from at least 15 real estate mortgage lending companies between 2005 and 2008. Appearing before United States District Court Judge Richard Kyle in St. Paul, Dustin LaFavre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with this crime. LaFavre was charged on November 5, 2009

Washington, D.C. - December 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Ron Klein (FL-22) today participated in a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee seeking solutions to the current mortgage crisis. Klein described the serious problems in the South Florida housing market for the Committee and witnesses, and said that it “is essential for banks and the federal government to implement effective programs to increase loan modifications and prevent foreclosures. It is simply not acceptable to watch responsible families in our community lose the homes they have worked so hard for.”