Minnesota RealEstateRama

February 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Community Neighborhood Housing Services and BankCherokee were awarded $159,000 to rehabilitate 30 homes and help struggling homeowners with home repairs, including roof replacement, structural repairs or landsc...

St. Paul, MN - February 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Betty McCollum announced that St. Paul neighborhoods recieved $459,000 in housing grants through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Affordable Housing Program (AHP). The ...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court, a Minnesota couple was indicted in connection with a $5 million mortgage fraud scheme. James Warren Hoffman, age 51, and his wife, Teresa Gay Hoffman, age 52, both...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - October 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- To date in 2011, more than a dozen people have been charged federally with mortgage fraud and related crimes in the District of Minnesota. These complex cases are the result of lengthy investigat...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court, a 52-year-old man was charged for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved 57 properties. Douglas Rex Butler was charged via an information w...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - August 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court, an Edina mortgage broker pleaded guilty for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved 57 properties. Derrick Ivan Lance, age 40, of Edina, speci...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- This past Friday in federal court, an Edina mortgage broker was charged for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved 57 properties. Derrick Ivan Lance, age 40, of Edina, was charged via an information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - June 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yesterday in federal court in Minneapolis, a Maple Grove real estate appraiser and a real estate agent from St. Cloud were indicted in connection with a $1.8 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved 28 properties. Ryan Daryl Krutzig, age 31, of Maple Grove, and Jesse Scott Hoffman, age 32, of St. Cloud, were charged with five counts of wire fraud in connection to the scam. In addition, Krutzig was charged with four counts of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a jury convicted a 44-year-old Burnsville man of conspiring with others to bilk mortgage lenders out of more than $43 million. Following a six-day trial, the jury found Troy David Chaika guilty on seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Chaika was indicted on April 12, 2010

LANSING, MI - May 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced his support for proposed legislative reforms intended to strengthen the hand of prosecutors and law enforcement to combat mortgage fraud. Schuette joins State Senator James Marleau (R-Lake Orion), Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Oakland County Register of Deeds Bill Bullard, who came together this morning to support legislative reforms in light of recent allegations of fraudulent mortgage documents filed in Michigan

May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 50-year-old Fridley man was sentenced for defrauding eight mortgage lenders of $1.9 million. United States District Court Judge David S. Doty sentenced Taleb Mohamed Wazwaz to 24 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud through the use of interstate wires. Wazwaz was charged via an information on April 19, 2010, and pleaded guilty on May 4, 2010

April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a former loan officer for Wells Fargo Bank pleaded guilty to participating in a $4.3 million mortgage fraud scheme. Larry Gene Hillard, age 56, of Maple Grove, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Hillard, who was charged on March 10, 2011, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

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.

April 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 39-year-old contractor from Ham Lake pleaded guilty to participating in a mortgage fraud scheme. Andrew Paul Stoner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Stoner, who was charged on March 10, 2011, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery.

April 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 49-year-old Champlin woman pleaded guilty to her role in a mortgage fraud scheme involving at least 200 properties—principally in north Minneapolis—and mortgage proceeds of approximately $35 million. Gayle Deann Claus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Claus, who was indicted on June 15, 2010, along with two co-defendants, entered her plea before United States District Court Judge David S. Doty.

Washington, DC - April 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Rep. Walz introduced legislation to protect servicemembers from abusive, illegal mortgage practices

March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, two brothers pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $4 million mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded 24 area lenders. Baretta Dean Bork, age 35, of Mound, and Xavier Willis Bork, age 32, of Eden Prairie, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud through the use of wires and income tax refund fraud. The pleas were entered before United States District Court Judge Ann. D. Montgomery. The defendants were charged on January 31, 2011

St. Paul, MN - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) urges Minnesotans to prepare their fuel oil, gasoline and other petroleum tanks for the flooding expected this spring. This will reduce damage that spilled petroleum products wreak on property and buildings as well as reduce damage to the environment, according to MPCA Emergency Responder Walt Haas.

February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis, a 46-year-old Cottage Grove man pleaded guilty to defrauding investors out of more than $5 million in a multi-state, house-flipping scheme. Appearing before United States District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis, Robert W. Dufresne pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering in relation to his crime. He was charged on February 7, 2011.

January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Every home in Minnesota should be tested every 2-5 years for radon gas, say state health officials. Testing a home is so important that, as a way to prevent exposure to radon, which can cause lung cancer, health officials are offering a limited number of low-cost test kits to Minnesota homeowners.

ST. PAUL, MN - December 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Pipeline Safety urges everyone to check gas meters on their homes and other buildings to be sure they stay free of ice and snow accumulation that can block the regulator vent.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - December 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United Properties’ Applewood Pointe is ending 2010 with two events of note: it received Minneapolis City Council final approval Dec. 20 for a 106-unit senior cooperative on the site of the former Northrop Elementary School in Minneapolis, and it broke ground Dec. 15 on 48-unit Applewood Pointe Roseville at Langton Lake in Roseville, Minn.

ST. PAUL, MN - December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security (OEs) today announced Minnesota will receive an additional $21.6 million in federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds for the Minnesota Energy Assistance Program (EAP). When added to the $64.8 million in federal funds already received by the state, this allocation brings the total for the current heating season to $86.4 million.

December 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two mortgage brokers and one real estate appraiser were indicted yesterday in federal court in St. Paul for allegedly orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in which they induced lenders to loan more than $1 million to purchasers to buy properties at inflated prices. The excess money was then shared among those involved in the scheme.

ST. PAUL, MN - December 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Contractors this week will begin inspecting the condition of decorative stonework along the roofline of the State Capitol building. As a safety measure, workers will install protective covering at building entrances and place barricades along several adjacent walkways.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - December 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Exact Software has signed a seven-year lease for 12,895 sq. ft. at Northland Center, located at 3600 American Blvd. in Bloomington, Minn. United Properties, owner of the office center, was represented by Bill Rothstein, NorthMarq senior vice president. Exact Software was represented by Brad Bohlman of Welsh Companies. This new lease brings the building’s occupancy to 93 percent.

November 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson today filed lawsuits against two out-of-state companies that charged Minnesota homeowners up to $3,500 in unlawful fees to help them renegotiate their home mortgages. In both cases, the companies used the threat of prevalent mortgage modification assistance scams to convince homeowners to pay money to their companies. In the midst of the ongoing housing crisis, the Attorney General warned citizens not to pay advance fees to firms for mortgage help

Saint Paul, MN - November 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Property tax levies will increase an average of 2.6 percent statewide if proposed local tax levies are adopted later this year, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced today. This compares to last year’s 3.1 percent increase and an average change of 5.3 percent over the past three years

November 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The second of two Prior Lake men was sentenced earlier today in federal court in Minneapolis for his role in a scheme that defrauded mortgage lenders out of more than $2.5 million by causing them to make loans based on false information. United States District Court Judge David S. Doty sentenced Christopher Glenn Kennedy, age 31, to 48 months in prison on one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in connection to that crime. On November 10, 2010, Judge Doty sentenced Beau Wesley Gensmer, age 29, to 36 months in prison on the same charges. Both men were indicted on April 21, 2010, and pleaded guilty in August of 2010. A third co-defendant has pleaded guilty in the case and awaits sentencing.

November 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today, the last two of five defendants connected to a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme appeared in federal court in Minneapolis to plead guilty to charges in connection to that crime.