– National Government and Public Real Estate News –
Statement by NLIHC President Sheila Crowley on the Confirmation of Mel Watt as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency
WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 11, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Statement by National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Sheila Crowley on the Confirmation of Mel Watt as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Representative Mel Watt (D-NC) as the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, marking a great day for the millions of low income Americans in need of decent, affordable homes. More…
Housing Recovery in National News |
Housing Recovery in Social Media |
JOHNSON ON RISK SHARING IN HOUSING FINANCE MARKET
Today, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) held a hearing titled “Housing Finance Reform: Fundamentals of Transferring Credit Risk in a Future Housing Finance System.” More…
Statement from the National Housing Conference on the confirmation of Rep. Mel Watt as FHFA director
Today’s confirmation of Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is a hopeful sign for the progress of housing finance reform in the United States. More…
Mel Watt confirmed as FHFA director
Watt brings experience and fresh ideas to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac regulator
Congressman Melvin Watt was confirmed as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) by the United States Senate in a 57-41 vote yesterday. The FHFA is a powerful federal government agency responsible for regulating government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which invest in more than three-fourths of the nation’s new mortgages. More…
Coalition Provides New Options for Mediation and Dispute Review Boards to Resolve Disputes Efficiently
Today, the ConsensusDocs Coalition is announcing a new tool to effectively address alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the design and construction industry. Guided Choice is a new approach to mediation for a more active and holistic approach role for a mediator to actively guide parties towards resolution. ConsensusDocs is now including information on how to implement Guided Choice in the ConsensusDocs Guidebook, and is educating users on the process at its 2nd annual Construction SuperConference Workshop being conducted today in San Francisco, Calif. The American Arbitration Association (AAA) will honor requests from the parties to use the Guided Choice process in AAA administer mediation through arbitration. More…
– States Government and Public Real Estate News –
November Market Report
Memphis-area home sales for November were down 2.9 percent from a year ago, with 1,154 total sales recorded in the Memphis Area Association of REALTORS® MAARdata property records database. Total sales declined 16.3 percent from October. Average sales price YTD rose 10.7 percent to $143,341. Inventory was down 1.7 percent with 6,504 units listed for sale. Sales volume YTD increased 19.4 percent to $2.15 billion. More…
Jackson’s Cedar Creek I Apartments Receive WCDA Funding
he Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA) Board of Directors approved Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funding for the rehabilitation of Cedar Creek I Apartments in Jackson, Wyoming. The tax credits, which are allocated by the WCDA through a competitive application process, will finance the rehabilitation of all 23 affordable rental units in the Cedar Creek I Apartments. More…
Appointment of Representative Mel Watt Important Step Forward for Housing Recovery
In response to today’s Senate vote to confirm Representative Mel Watt as the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Kevin Stein, Associate Director of the California Reinvestment Coalition, released this statement. More…
A.G. Schneiderman Commends Governor Cuomo And Commissioner Lawsky For Issuing New Regulations To Help New York Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today praised Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, for issuing new regulations permitting “shared appreciation” mortgage modifications in New York State. Under a shared appreciation modification, a bank or mortgage servicer agrees to reduce the outstanding principal balance on a borrower’s mortgage in exchange for a share of any future increase in the value of the home. For borrowers who are underwater on their mortgage, owing more than their home is worth, shared appreciation modifications can significantly improve their chances of avoiding foreclosure. More…
GEBROE-HAMMER COMPLETES $8 MILLION OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY APARTMENT SALES
Investment Market for Multi-Family Properties Continues to be “Voracious”
Gebroe-Hammer Associates has arranged the sale of twoNorthern New Jersey apartment properties for a combined total of nearly $8 million, reports Ken Uranowitz, president of the firm. The two separate transactions total 49 units in Caldwell and Montclair, and both properties were sold by long-term owners. More…
Ohio Leads the Nation with 100 LEED-Certified Public Schools and Hundreds More in the Pipeline
Ohio LEED schools save energy, money and resources and are healthier for students and faculty
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recognizes the state of Ohio and the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) on the LEED® certification of the 100th public school building in the state. Ohio leads the country with more LEED-certified public schools than any other state, with hundreds more in the LEED pipeline. More…
If Your Home is Uninhabitable, FEMA Rental Assistance May be an Option
While survivors of the Nov. 17 Illinois tornadoes are making repairs to or rebuilding their homes, assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may be available to help pay for a warm, clean and safe place to stay during the cold winter months ahead. More…
– Government and Public Real Estate News in Media –
MassDevelopment Bonds Help Preserve Affordable Housing Units in Boston and Cambridge
MassDevelopment has issued tax-exempt bonds on behalf of two affordable housing projects in greater Boston: $11.8 million on behalf of Chapman Arms LLC, a 50-unit apartment facility in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, and $5.3 million on behalf of Brighton-Allston Apartments LLC, a 60-unit rental housing facility on two sites in Boston’s Allston and Brighton neighborhoods. More…
Can immigration reform transform the housing market?
As Congress restarts conversations about the federal budget and deficit reduction, the immigration reform debate is still front and center for many. As that debate unfolds, it is important to put some hard facts on the table. What are the costs and benefits of reform? What impact will reform have on economic growth and wages? How will immigration reform affect the federal budget? More…
We’re Going to Talk About Invisible Kids – and Then We’re Going to Act
So we’re going to talk about it this week — kids who are invisible to most of us. It’s a first in Connecticut — a statewide policy forum on youth and homelessness. If you don’t know who I’m talking about when I say “youth who are homeless in Connecticut,” I can understand that. These kids and young adults are not hanging out on most streets. More…
Developing Downtown Housing Above Commercial Space Brings Obstacles, Opportunities, New CT Report Finds
Connecticut’s downtowns have a wealth of potential to redevelop under-utilized buildings into housing above commercial space – if mixed-use development can be encouraged through financing and favorable regulations, according to a new report from the Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC). More…
Nashua Telegraph: Heating assistance for low-income families facing more cuts
Heating assistance for low-income families facing more cuts
A federal program that helps more than 1,000 low-income families in New Hampshire pay energy bills is facing a $1.6 million reduction because of the budget-cutting sequester, after five years of reductions that have already cut its funding in half. U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., and officials for the state and Southern New Hampshire Services in Nashua lamented these cuts during a public forum Monday. Kuster called on her Congressional colleagues to restore the heating assistance money, known as LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program). More…
New program offers big savings to first-time homebuyers
First-time homebuyer Derek Benedict was shopping around for a loan when his mortgage planner, Tom Kowalchik, told him about the newly introduced Mortgage Credit Certificate Program. More…
