RealEstateRama

Washington, D.C. - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — The Administration’s options for mortgage finance reform released today include choices that could threaten consumers’ access to affordable mortgage credit to buy homes by severely constricting the government’s historic role in supporting affordable, long term credit, and on shifting control of the mortgage market to Wall Street banks and investors whose previous missteps have already caused massive foreclosures and losses for consumers and communities

WASHINGTON, DC - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — Today, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) issued the following statement on the housing finance report released by the Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the first time, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development today published the most authoritative analysis of the extent and nature of homelessness among Veterans. According to HUD and VA’s assessment, nearly 76,000 Veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009 while roughly 136,000 Veterans spent at least one night in a shelter during that year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The advance fee ban under the FTC’s Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) Rule is designed to protect financially distressed homeowners from mortgage relief scams that have sprung up during the mortgage crisis.

(LPAC) - February 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressional candidate and LaRouche PAC organizer Kesha Rogers, who is running in Houston, TX as part of a six person national slate of LaRouche Democrats, issued the following statement today

WASHINGTON, DC - February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The United States has filed six lawsuits in five states to stop tax return preparers from fraudulently claiming the first-time homebuyer tax credit and the earned-income tax credit, the Justice Department announced today. The filings of those civil injunction complaints coincided with the indictment of a Philadelphia man on criminal charges of fraudulently claiming the first-time homebuyer credit. All of these actions are part of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to halt tax scams involving false claims for tax credits and to prosecute those who fraudulently file tax returns containing those claims.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International’s Board of Governors recently passed two new policy positions in response to important, emerging issues. Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Policy Position: BOMA International supports amending, if not the outright repeal of, FIRPTA to increase the amount of foreign capital invested in the U.S. commercial real estate market

February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- USAA Real Estate Company is pleased to welcome Len O’Donnell as President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all operations of the company. O’Donnell comes to USAA Real Estate Company with more than 25 years of extensive real estate experience as President and CEO of Crimson Capital Ltd and Principal of Crimson Real Estate Fund, based in Houston. Prior to Crimson, Len spent 10 years as a leading investment sales broker in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.

Cleveland, OH - February 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Quicken Loans Inc., the nation’s largest online lender and a top-five retail mortgage lender, paid off a client’s mortgage today as part of its “Thanks a Million” contest. Daniel Carbo of Colchester, Connecticut, received the great news during a center court presentation at this evening’s Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game at Quicken Loans Arena. Two other contenders for the grand prize, Ryan and Tonya Rasnake from Cedar Bluff, Virginia, and Richard and Valerie Purvis from East Haven, Connecticut, each received $5,000 as runners-up in the sweepstakes at tonight’s game.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Friday, February 4, 2011, the Mortgage Bankers Association, (MBA) submitted the attached comment letter to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in response to FinCEN’s proposal to expand its anti-money laundering programs to help reduce mortgage fraud against lenders through a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) reporting requirement (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 1506-AB02).

Washington, DC - February 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The recession contributed to an increase in overall homelessness from 2008 to 2009, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and family households experienced the largest percentage increase.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- HOPE NOW, the voluntary, private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers and non-profit counselors, released its final 2010 loan modification data, which shows that an estimated 1.76 million homeowners received permanent, affordable loan modifications from mortgage servicers in 2010.

NEW YORK, NY - February 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Chase announced today plans to add 25 new Chase Homeownership Centers in 19 states this year, expanding its program to provide borrowers in the hardest-hit communities with the knowledge and resources they need to explore all the ways they can stay their homes. This investment will bring the total number of Chase Homeownership Centers to 76 nationwide

Bluffton, S.C. - February 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A strong finish to the year boosted closed and pending real estate sales at Palmetto Bluff to $44.5 million, a 42 percent increase over 2009 sales of $26.3 million. The 20,000-acre environmental preserve and residential community in South Carolina’s Lowcountry had a particularly strong fourth quarter with $14.3 million in sales, more than half of its total sales in 2009.

Des Plaines, IL - February 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- One hundred and forty Regional “Contractor of the Year” (CotY) Winners were named by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) during this year’s regional competition. Judging for the regional projects took place at NARI’s national headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois, in the first week of January.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Friday, February 4, 2011, at 10:00 a.m., the Congressional Oversight Panel will hold a hearing in room 538 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to examine the current state of the commercial real estate market and its implications for bank stability and returns to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Fort Mill, S.C. - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lennar Homes has committed to purchasing 40 homesites in Springfield from Crescent Resources, LLC, prompting Crescent to start development of a new section within the community. Lennar Homes has developed a new collection of home plans specifically designed to complement Springfield and will open a model home/design center in late-summer.

McLean, VA - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) released the results of its fourth quarter 2010 cash-out refinance analysis.

Washington, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The federal bank, thrift and credit union regulatory agencies, along with the Farm Credit Administration, announce that the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry will begin accepting federal registrations today. Under the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (S.A.F.E. Act) and the agencies' final rules, residential mortgage loan originators employed by banks, savings associations, credit unions, or Farm Credit System institutions must register with the registry, obtain a unique identifier from the registry, and maintain their registrations.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $707,096 National Emergency Grant increment to continue to provide services to about 600 workers affected by the closure of the Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary companies