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Association Law Group (ALG), one of Florida’s leading HOA and condominium law firms with offices in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, has hired U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant, Andre M. Brown as its new in-house media contact and public relations liaison. Brown is a decorated combat veteran who served for 15 years in the Marine Corps and completed 7 tours of combat in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom before retiring from active duty in October of 2014.

Eight leading companies in commercial real estate, CRE legal, and CRE lending have signed on as the 2015 Industry Partners for the CCIM Institute, a global commercial real estate affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. These luminaries in the field include GE Capital, KW Commercial, Realty Mogul, Sperry Van Ness, Century 21, NAI Global, GRANITE, and Syndication Lawyers.com Trowbridge Taylor Sidoti

Last week, Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced H.R. 1662, the Common Sense Housing Investment Act, which would replace the mortgage interest deduction with a 15 percent flat rate tax credit on interest paid on mortgages up to $500,000. The tax credit would be available to all homeowners, regardless of whether they claim the standard deduction or itemize their tax deductions

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) challenged Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), who last week introduced a bill that would wipe out almost all of the District of Columbia’s local gun safety laws, to travel in their own lane and introduce gun bills affecting their own constituents, including allowing guns in federal buildings, such as post offices and social security offices, in their states.

The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) today have introduced the National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed District of Columbia gun bill that forced Norton to pull the D.C. House Voting Rights Act from the House floor in April 2010.

Washington, DC – March 20, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Department of Justice today announced a settlement agreement between the United States, the Greenbrier Village Homeowner’s...

CCIM Institute Regional Vice President Craig Fernsler, CCIM, GRI, SRES, will meet with several influential members of the U.S. Congress on March 17 in Washington, D.C., to discuss the strong economic stimulus that Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 exchanges provide to the U.S. economy. Fernsler, along with several members of the National Association of Realtors, is countering the recommendation from the Obama administration’s budget for fiscal year 2016 to limit the deferral provisions of Section 1031.

The Internal Revenue Service today reminded people with home-based businesses filling out their 2014 federal income tax returns that they can choose a simplified method for claiming the deduction for business use of a home

Thank you all for being here this afternoon. I want to address the heinous attacks that occurred against two brave law enforcement officers in Ferguson, Missouri, last night. I unequivocally condemn these repugnant attacks. I know that all of us in the law enforcement family—and all Americans across the country—are hoping and praying for a speedy recovery.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 3, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- The 60 Minutes report Sunday about Hurricane Sandy insurance claims is a matter of great concern to me and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. We share the views expressed by FEMA Deputy Associate Administrator Brad Kieserman during the program. Any allegation of fraud is highly troubling, and especially so when it involves Americans who have lost their homes in a natural disaster

Shades of Senate bills past; Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) unveiled a bill to increase funding for affordable housing by adding a statewide...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 27, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- The rule of thumb should be this: If a financial product, such as a reverse mortgage, takes more than 350 words to explain, then there should be legal checkpoints before someone is allowed to sign off on one

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 18, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) - According to a new survey of commercial real estate insiders who attended a leadership conference hosted by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, the outlook for the commercial real estate industry remains strong despite growing concerns over sluggish job creation and higher taxes. The poll was conducted during NAIOP’s 2015 Chapter Leadership and Legislative Retreat and surveyed over 100 commercial real estate insiders

Mastic Beach, New York - February 11, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- On February 9, 2015, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers' Committee) and pro bono counsel Cooley LLP filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip on behalf of Long Island Housing Services, Inc. (LIHS), six tenants, and two landlords against the Village of Mastic Beach and the head of the Village's housing code enforcement, Timothy Brojer. The Lawyers' Committee and Cooley LLP are representing the plaintiffs on a pro bono basis

MONTPELIER - February 9, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Peter Shumlin’s plan to address the Medicaid cost shift could save Vermont schools nearly $3 million per year, helping to reduce the burden of property taxes for Vermonters. The plan could also save municipal governments around the state up to $900,000 per year.

Phoenix, AZ - February 6, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced the resolution of a consumer fraud lawsuit filed against Stealth Solar LLC (Stealth) and owners Fred and Sandra Richie. Stealth Solar sold photovoltaic (“PV” or “solar”) systems and energy products. According to the lawsuit filed in 2014, Stealth obtained most of its business by making thousands of telemarketing calls that convinced customers to let Stealth employees make sales pitches at their homes. The company operated in Arizona, California and Hawaii from 2010 to 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 5, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two San Jose, California, brothers were sentenced to prison for committing tax fraud and bank fraud, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California announced.

Boston - February 4, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that he signed onto the Long-Term Homeowners Tax Deferral Home Rule Petition, proposed by Councilors Bill Linehan and Stephen J. Murphy. This effort will give qualifying homeowners the option to defer their property taxes to be paid with interest at a later date.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 4, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senior officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – some of whom were presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed – broke federal law and violated employment practices, according to investigators from HUD’s Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 2, 2015 - (RealEstateRama) -- Single family housing experienced limited growth in 2014 over 2013 yet still reached the highest number since 2007 according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City’s (HBA) monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report. The year ended with 4,220 single family permits compared to 4,090 in 2013. Including multi-family units, the total for 2014 was 8,130 compared to 6,969 in 2013 for an overall 17 percent increase. Looking at housing production over the past 35 years, single family permit activity stands at 66% of the average during that time period. The 3,910 multi-family units permitted during 2014 is 131% of the average over the past 35 years