News

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nevada families facing foreclosure, seeking affordable rental housing, or hoping to buy their first home will have a greater opportunity to find housing, or keep the homes they have, because of $144,676 in housing counseling grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nevada families facing foreclosure, seeking affordable rental housing, or hoping to buy their first home will have a greater opportunity to find housing, or keep the homes they have, because of $144,676 in housing counseling grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

New York, NY - October 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to an audit released today by New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is delaying or denying more than 20 percent of homeless families housing for which they may have been eligible.

New York, NY - October 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. has gone to court to challenge the legality of the City’s recent placement of homeless families at 1564 St. Peter’s Avenue in the Bronx.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy voted to amend the home-buying provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to benefit active-duty service members and other federal employees.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today made the following statement on Ranking Member Darrell Issa’s call to subpoena all records and documents related to the Countrywide VIP Program in which special mortgage rates were promised to lawmakers in return for political support for what was once the nation’s largest mortgage originator

Washington, DC - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson today announced a total of $34,155,666 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants for the 30th Congressional District of Texas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer today announced that Leasburg Senior Citizens Homes, Inc. has received a $367,292 Agriculture Department loan to preserve and revitalize exisiting rural rental housing properties.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today announced that he has introduced legislation to extend and expand the federal homebuyer tax deduction.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants to Help Families and Individuals Improve Housing Conditions. Washington, D.C. - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued three grants to Northwest Indiana for housing counseling. The grants, which will go to the Housing Authority of the City of Hammond, Housing Opportunities, Inc., in Porter County, and the Lake County Community Economic Development Department, are intended to help families and individuals improve their housing conditions

Boise, ID - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Idaho Department of Finance announced today the issuance of a Cease and Desist Order against Meridian-based International Co-op LLC for engaging in unlicensed mortgage loan modification activities and for illegally charging distressed Idaho homeowners exorbitant upfront fees.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The City of Georgetown will be able to continue improving energy alternatives as part of a $100,000 project to develop a solar panel facility, Congressman John Carter (TX-31) announced today.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A tax credit that has helped more than 48,000 Ohio families purchase their first homes will expire on Dec. 1 unless Congress passes an extension.

Latest HUD Grant Emphasizes Boston’s Continued Success of “Lead Safe Boston” Program. October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Menino today announced that the City will be awarded over $3M in federal Lead Based Paint Hazard Control funds to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint in homes located in the City’s low and moderate income neighborhoods. The award from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) is the tenth competitive federal funding award that the City’s Lead Safe Boston program has received since 1993. The funding, totaling more than $30 million, has enabled Boston to provide lead abatement services to more than 2000 homes citywide.

Latest HUD Grant Emphasizes Boston’s Continued Success of “Lead Safe Boston” Program. October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Menino today announced that the City will be awarded over $3M in federal Lead Based Paint Hazard Control funds to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint in homes located in the City’s low and moderate income neighborhoods. The award from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) is the tenth competitive federal funding award that the City’s Lead Safe Boston program has received since 1993. The funding, totaling more than $30 million, has enabled Boston to provide lead abatement services to more than 2000 homes citywide.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Last week, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) voted to extend the First-Time Homebuyer tax credit for members of the Armed Services who served abroad this past year. H.R. 3590, which extends the credit for qualifying military personnel through November 30, 2010, passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly by a 416-16 vote. The current tax credit is set to expire on November 30, 2009.

Orlando, FOL - October 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Alan Grayson, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, and Mayor Buddy Dyer toured a neighborhood and highlighted two successful programs helping resolve the problems of foreclosure and slumping property values today in Orlando.

$530,473 Grant Will Work to Improve Urban Housing in Milford. Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) today applauded the announcement by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that a $530,473 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will be made available to help improve low and moderate-income housing in the City of Milford, Connecticut.

San Francisco, CA - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently honored innovative green building design ideas that reduce the environmental and energy impacts of buildings. These concepts aim to help architects and builders reduce more than 88 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris sent to U.S. landfills each year and the climate impacts of buildings and building materials

Barrington, RI - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- This afternoon, Rhode Island Housing, East Bay Community Development Corporation (East Bay CDC), the state Housing Resources Commission (HRC), and other partners celebrated the completion of 14 new homes that working families in Barrington can afford to rent.

Salem, OR - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- In its ongoing effort to protect consumers from mortgage lending fraud, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) has revoked the license of Tigard-based Pacific Rim Mortgage, Inc. and issued a cease-and-desist order against its owner, Victoria Bigham.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - October 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development agency has awarded two grants totaling $148,998 to Snow Belt Housing Company, Inc. of Lowville.

Jamestown, NY - October 12, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the backdrop of a foreclosed house acquired by CHRIC in Jamestown’s PRIDE neighborhood, Congressman Brian Higgins announced today that Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation is receiving $26,640 to support the agency’s foreclosure prevention counseling efforts.

NEW YORK, NY - October 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The City of Jamestown will receive $421,657 in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to stimulate its economy and produce affordable housing.

Houston, TX - October 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mayor’s Office of Veteran Affairs today hailed the awarding of $2.1 million in grants from the Veteran’s Administration to two local agencies to help house homeless veterans in Houston.

Bill ensures that men and women serving overseas get equal access to tax credits and benefits. Washington, DC - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Late last week, Congressman Baron Hill voted in support of the Service Members Home Ownership Act of 2009, H.R. 3590. The bill was passed by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote on the evening of Thursday, October 8, 2009.H.R. 3590 ensures that our service members, particularly those deployed overseas, will get equal access to the first-time homebuyer tax credit. For example, the legislation would ensure that certain payments under the Department of Defense Housing Assistance Program (HAP) are exempt from tax. And, the bill guarantees that services members will not have to repay the first-time homebuyer credit if they are called up for service overseas and forced to sell their home within three years of purchasing.

Washington, DC - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13, Congressmen Robert Wexler (FL-19), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), and Ron Klein (FL-22) and State Senator Ted Deutch will be joined by President Barack Obama’s Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, Shaun Donovan, for a tour of a Boynton Beach home afflicted by contaminated drywall. Reps. Wexler and Diaz-Balart, the co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Contaminated Drywall, will emphasize to Secretary Donovan the devastating impact the tainted drywall has had on the lives of the Roberts family, who own a home in the community of Cobblestone Creek. Dr. Steve Roberts and his wife Jennifer Roberts have struggled with their 16 month-old daughter’s frequent respiratory infections, and the fact that their home has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in value as a result of this toxic product

SANTA ANA, CA - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- First American CoreLogic, a member of The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF) family of companies and America’s largest provider of advanced property and ownership information, analytics and services, today introduced its free patent-pending ePropertyWatch Professional service, which is designed to help real estate and mortgage industry professionals stay in touch with customers and drive repeat business and referrals.

Washington, D.C. - October 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis today supported the House of Representatives effort to make first-time homebuyer tax credits more flexible for members of our Armed Forces.

New York, NY - October 7, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, ANDREW CUOMO, the Attorney General of the State 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"), RICHARD H. NEIMAN, the Superintendent of Banks for New York State, BRIAN G. PARR, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service ("USSS"), and RONALD J. VERROCHIO, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service ("USPIS"), announced today the unsealing of a seven-count Indictment charging 12 individuals—including mortgage brokers, loan officers, and attorneys—with engaging in a scheme to defraud various lending institutions by using fictitious identities and documents to obtain more than $9 million in residential mortgages. All 12 defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to be presented in federal court later today.