Yearly Archives: 2017

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced an update to the 2017 water allocation for San Joaquin Valley agricultural service contractors who receive water through the Central Valley Project (CVP).

Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA) in introducing legislation to increase transparency for homeowners who take out loans to make environmentally-focused home improvements

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today awarded a contract to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., for repair work on Oroville Dam’s spillways. Repairs are scheduled to begin immediately to have the system operational by November 1, the traditional start of the winter rainy season.

Each year in April, REALTORS®® join the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and rest of the nation in recognizing April as Fair Housing Month. On April 11, 1968, 49 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed the landmark U.S. Fair Housing Act, Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1968, which strives to ensure equal housing opportunity for all and prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and family status.

An Orange County, California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California to serve 109 months in prison including the last 12 months in a halfway house for his role as the owner and operator of a multi-million dollar fraudulent mortgage modification scheme that posed as a successful law firm, the Justice Department announced.

A federal court in Helena, Montana permanently barred Ron Broyles of San Rafael, California from preparing - or assisting others in preparing - any property appraisal that will be used in connection with federal taxes, the Justice Department announced. Based upon evidence the government submitted to the Court in support of a request to bar Broyles, the Court found that Broyles assisted in the organization of a timeshare donation scheme, directly participated in and promoted that scheme, which resulted in timeshare owners claiming improper federal tax deductions for donating their timeshares

A Northern California real estate investor was sentenced yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced.

U.S. Representatives Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) introduced H.R. 1558, the Repeatedly Flooded Communities Preparation Act. The bill aims to limit the financial resources expended by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on claims for properties flooded multiple times

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R-Calif.) questioned expert witnesses about his proposal to help local communities mitigate flood risk and ways to increase transparency in flood insurance coverage for homeowners during a Housing and Insurance Subcommittee hearing entitled “Flood Insurance Reform: A Community Perspective."

Rep. Pete Aguilar issued a statement in response to President Donald Trump’s “skinny budget,” which outlines the priorities of the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2018. The president’s proposal would gut funding for critical federal programs affecting San Bernardino County residents, such as affordable housing, after school and summer programs, work-study aid, and transportation and infrastructure projects including the Redlands Passenger Rail, which is funded through the TIGER grant program

Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte) rejected President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, issuing the following statement: “In gutting the EPA and firing over 3,000 employees who work to remove toxins from our air, ground, and water, President Trump is risking the health of the public and our planet.

America’s colleges and universities are positioned to lead the transition to 100 percent renewable energy, according to a report released today by UCLA CALPIRG Students. The report stresses that a complete shift to clean, renewable energy is the best way for colleges and universities to achieve their carbon reduction goals and highlights schools across the country that are taking measures to make the transition to renewable energy

Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, called for renewed federal commitment to water-related infrastructure at the Subcommittee’s first hearing of the 115th Congress

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today released the following statement after the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the quadrennial American Infrastructure Report Card, which scores a D+ for our nation’s infrastructure.

“Learning from Leaders in the Year of the Fire Rooster” last Friday aimed at encouraging real estate professionals to be leaders in organized real estate. The event, hosted by the SILVAR's Global Business Council and Young Professionals Network (YPN), attracted over 100 members from SILVAR and other real estate associations.

Northern California Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) and John Garamendi (D-CA) announced the introduction of H.R. 1269, which will accelerate the federal review of Sites Reservoir and better position the project for funding under Proposition 1. The bill also authorizes the federal government to be involved in construction of the project should it be found feasible and is an innovative new way for the federal government to participate in a locally controlled project

Over the course of five meetings on March 3rd, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Yuba City, Fairfield, Davis, CA) met with a number of local leaders and farmers focused on the Oroville Dam spillway crisis, its impact on farmers, job training programs, and affordable housing