Michigan RealEstateRama

LANSING, MI - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm today announced the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) will receive $128.4 million in additional support from the Obama Administration to help homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments due to unemployment.

LANSING, MI - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) is joining with community partners across metro Detroit when the Fifth Third Bank Homeownership Mobile (aka the "eBus") rolls into Livonia Thursday, August 12 as part of a kick-off to highlight the state's $154.5 million Hardest Hit Fund home foreclosure prevention initiative

Detroit, MI - August 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Quicken Loans Inc. Chairman and Founder Dan Gilbert today announced that Quizzle LLC will be joining Quicken Loans when it moves to Detroit’s Compuware building later this month. Quizzle (www.quizzle.com), which has more than 500,000 registered users, is a free online tool that helps consumers better manage their personal finances.

LANSING, MI - August 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Mike Cox today announced the filing of a charge against Joseph Peters, 46, of Ada on one count of attempted felony false pretenses over $20,000. The charge comes as a result of an ongoing investigation into a questionable Michigan Film Tax credit application Peters filed with the Michigan Film Office

LANSING, MI - July 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Mike Cox today announced the filing of 19 criminal complaints and a total of 69 charges against illegal advanced fee "foreclosure rescue" operations accused of defrauding Michigan families of thousands of dollars. Nine Michigan mortgage companies are accused of illegally charging homeowners facing foreclosure upfront fees for mortgage modification assistance. The defendants claimed they would help homeowners by working with their lenders in an attempt to modify the borrower's mortgage. After paying the upfront fee, borrowers found that the companies made no real attempt to secure a modification and were subsequently unable to get their money back. Many of the victims lost their homes to foreclosure.

EUGENE, OR - July 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- David Evich of Real Estate One has joined with IDX, Inc. to incorporate their dynamic MLS search tool, IDX Broker, on to his real estate website. Traverse City, Michigan is host to many lake front properties, now home seekers can find these homes conveniently by searching on his Traverse MLS (TRVMLS) synced website. The unique technology provided by the IDX Broker software pulls raw listing data from the TRVMLS database and displays it on the search pages. The adoption of such a revolutionary tool demonstrates on his website shows the dedication of Evich to his clients and home seekers around Traverse City

WASHINGTON, DC - July 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against Dalton Township, Mich., alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, charges that the township discriminated against persons with disabilities based on its treatment of a group home for persons recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and its failure to grant a reasonable accommodation or modification to the owner of the group home

WASHINGTON, DC - July 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) today announced the inclusion of $11,742,000 for 10 Michigan projects in the FY 2011 Appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies. The funding was approved last week by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate and a House-Senate conference committee before being given final approval by Congress and sent to President Obama for his signature

LANSING, MI - July 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today visited Harbor Habitat's 100th build in the Benton Harbor community and said volunteering to help build a home for others offers a rewarding opportunity.

LANSING, MI - July 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said a new state fund will help protect thousands of people at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure.

Michigan, MI - July 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Automobile and Home Insurance Consumer Advocate Melvin Butch Hollowell today said he is extremely disappointed by the Michigan Supreme Court's decision to allow insurers to continue using an individual's credit score in setting rates for automobile, home, and other personal lines of insurance.

LANSING, MI - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), along with banks, credit unions and nonprofit counseling agencies, will launch a statewide program to help eligible Michigan homeowners avoid foreclosure by participating in the state's new $154.5 million Helping Hardest-Hit Homeowners Fund.

EUGENE, OR - July 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Steve Volkers Group, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has created a unique real estate website with the help of their customized IDX Broker software. This software allows real estate agent Steve Volkers and Grand Rapids residents and home seekers to utilize the Grand Rapids MLS (GRAR) quickly and efficiently in searching for properties online. The website of Volkers now hosts one of the most comprehensive online real estate searches in the nation, thanks to the IDX Broker software.

June 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As the summer season begins, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today unveiled its new and improved energy efficiency website, one that makes it easy to find information on utility-run energy efficiency programs that help customers cut energy usage; financial assistance available through the Michigan Saves program; and tips on how to reduce energy consumption at home

Washington D.C. - June 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House of Representatives today voted to extend the closing deadline for taxpayers seeking the homebuyer’s tax credit. H.R. 5623, the Homebuyers Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010 would extend the current deadline from June 30 to September 30, 2010, enabling an estimated 180,000 additional homebuyers to utilize the credit. Taxpayers must have entered into a written, binding contract prior to May 1st to claim the credit. The legislation also includes an important provision to crack down on reported instances of fraud identified in a recent report by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

LANSING, MI - June 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Departments of Treasury and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have approved the Granholm Administration's plan to distribute $154.5 million in federal funds beginning July 12 that should help more than 17,000 Michigan households avoid foreclosure, including 11,000 homeowners who are currently drawing unemployment benefits and are struggling to make monthly mortgage payments.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, both D-Mich., announced $6,641,523 in funding for four Michigan projects supporting advanced energy-efficient building technologies. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The projects will be executed in Midland, West Olive and Benton Harbor.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both D-Mich., announced $6,641,523 in funding for four Michigan projects supporting advanced energy-efficient building technologies. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The projects will be executed in Midland, West Olive and Benton Harbor

Washington, DC - June 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Mark Schauer (D-MI) announced his support of the Home Office Deduction Simplification Act, a bill to streamline taxes for small business owners who utilize a home office. This legislation would help Michigan’s 648,426 self-employed business owners save an additional $1,500 on their taxes next year and significantly minimize the paperwork and time spent on tax preparation. It would also require that the amount of the standard deduction be indexed for inflation.

June 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- EcoGreenHotel is pleased to announce that Mark R. Hahn has been appointed Vice President of Energy Solutions. Mr. Hahn will be responsible for providing comprehensive energy efficient solutions to the hospitality industry, expanding EcoGreenHotel's growing portfolio of clients who have reduced their energy use and operating cost

WASHINGTON, DC - May 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced introduction of legislation that will create jobs in Michigan while helping homeowners make their residences more energy efficient. Senator Stabenow is an original co-sponsor of the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010, authored by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). The program provides rebates and tax credits on the labor and material costs of upgrading homes, modeling the successful Cash for Clunkers program Stabenow authored.

LANSING, MI - May 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Executive Director Keith Molin proudly announced today that members of the Michigan Individual Development Account Partnership (MIDAP) have been awarded $514,822 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. MIDAP is a collaborative managed by the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) with major funding support from MSHDA. The grants, awarded annually to organizations nationwide, totaled $1.8 million and MIDAP received five of the nine grants awarded in the most recent round

LANSING, MI - May 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) recently announced that Executive Director Keith Molin and Public Policy and Market Research Director Gary Heidel both were awarded high honors within the affordable housing and community development industry. Molin and Heidel were cited with their awards at the 2010 Michigan Conference on Affordable Housing. This year the conference theme was Rebuilding Michigan Together and the awards received commemorate that theme.

Washington, DC - May 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) voted to boost the American clean energy economy, reducing our dependence on oil from hostile nations, and saving American families $9 billion over 10 years. The Home Star Jobs Bill would provide rebates to homeowners who install energy-saving products and reduce energy use in their homes. Home Star is expected to allow 3 million families to retrofit their homes to be more energy efficient

Washington D.C. - May 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House of Representatives approved legislation to provide rebates and loans for home energy efficiency improvements. The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act passed by a bipartisan vote of 246 to 161. The legislation must now be considered by the US Senate.“Utility bills are the second highest cost of home ownership today, exceeded only by the mortgage payment. The Home Star bill will lower homeowners’ monthly utility bills and also create jobs, stimulate domestic manufacturing, and strengthen U.S. energy security,” said Rep. Levin. “Providing up-front rebates to consumers to increase their homes’ energy efficiency is one of the most effective steps we can take to create jobs, save energy, and help homeowners save money.”

WASHINGTON, DC - May 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday that will provide rebates to homeowners who install energy-saving products and reduce energy costs in their homes, while also creating an estimated 168,000 construction, manufacturing and retail jobs in the United States. U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) voted in favor of H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, which had bipartisan support in the House

May 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG) Director Stanley "Skip” Pruss today announced the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has cited GRL Properties, LLC, of Grand Rapids, with $115,000 in proposed penalties for allegedly failing to adequately protect employees and the general public from serious asbestos hazards at the John Bean Building in Lansing

WASHINGTON, DC - April 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representatives of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force met in Detroit today for the third of a series of Mortgage Fraud Summits. The task force, established by President Barack Obama in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, is composed of representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, both D-Mich., announced today that the state has been awarded $30 million for the Michigan Retrofit Ramp-Up Initiative (MRRI). The funding comes from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

EUGENE, OR - April 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX Inc. is please to welcome Downing Frye Realtor Kerrie Novak to the growing team of real estate professionals choosing to update their websites with IDX Broker software. By doing so, Novak is integrating her website with the Sunshine MLS (SSMLS) listing information, previously unavailable to online home seekers. The innovative IDX Broker software extracts raw listing data from SSMLS and embeds it on Novak's website. Potential home buyers all around Naples, Florida now have access to a full, up-to-date database of listing information right on Novak's site.