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SACRAMENTO, CA - September 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that on September 2, 2010, a federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging James Berghuis, 38, formerly of Sacramento, now residing in Laguna Niguel, with mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The indictment was unsealed this afternoon as a result of Berghuis’s arrest earlier today

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A former mortgage broker who helped orchestrate a massive mortgage fraud scheme that caused well over $40 million in losses was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison

SACRAMENTO, CA - August 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) announced that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the current situation of mortgage foreclosure scams occurring around the country, and an analysis of the government’s efforts to prohibit such deceptive financial practices.

LOS ANGELES, CA - June 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The California Senate this morning approved SB 1178 (D-Corbett) by a 30 to 4 vote, extending anti-deficiency protection for consumers who have refinanced their original mortgage loans and now are facing foreclosure. The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) is the sponsor of the consumer protection legislation.

Washington, DC - May 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representatives from more than a dozen mortgage servicers plus several local HUD-approved housing counselors were on hand last week in Anaheim and San Bernardino, California to assist struggling homeowners with their mortgages

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that nine men engaged in a Southern California boiler room, tricked out in high-roller style with a roulette wheel and other casino equipment, have been charged with 97 criminal counts for stealing at least $2.3 million from more than 1,500 desperate homeowners who were promised loan modifications but received no relief.

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jake Weathers, 34, Elk Grove, Glenn Watkins, 40, Elk Grove, Kevin Watkins, 25, Elk Grove, Frederick Davis, 40, Elk Grove, and Paul Yearby Jr., 29, of Fair Oaks, with 11 counts of mail fraud relating to their alleged operation of a mortgage fraud scheme that involved the defendants changing their names to Muslim names in order to obtain new credit and to conceal poor credit histories and other liabilities in their birth names.

May 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- This Friday, May 7, 2010 Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) will host a Combat Fraud Forum at the Cypress Community Center located at 5700 Orange Avenue from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attendees will obtain information on identity theft, mortgage loans and lending, investment scams, charity fraud, Medicare fraud and more

April 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Friday, May 7, 2010 Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) will host a Combat Fraud Forum at the Cypress Community Center located at 5700 Cypress Avenue from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attendees will obtain information on identity theft, mortgage loans and lending, investment scams, charity fraud, Medicare fraud and more

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California homeowners sued Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) on Tuesday claiming the lending giant is intentionally withholding government funds intended to save homeowners from foreclosure, announces Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro

San Francisco, CA - February 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco has appointed three new members to its Affordable Housing Advisory Council (AHAC)—Jasmine Borrego of TELACU; Joel Jacinto of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA); and Dean Matsubayashi of Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation (LTSC). The Bank’s AHAC is a 15-member group that provides guidance on affordable housing and economic development issues and helps shape the Bank’s community investment grant programs and credit products

Morgan Hill, CA - December 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- After much speculation by the general populace (and the real estate industry) and much consternation by Congress, the much-anticipated extension of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit has been passed.

30-Year Industry Veteran Brings Extensive Real Estate Assessment Expertise to Top Appraisal Post. Truckee, CA - December 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Clear Capital, a premium provider of data and solutions for real estate asset valuation, investment and risk assessment, today announced the appointment of Mike Ousley as the company's Executive Vice President, Appraisal Group, reporting to Duane Andrews, Clear Capital CEO, and Kevin Marshall, Clear Capital President.

Program has benefited more than 3,100 first-time home buyers in California. LOS ANGELES, CA - December 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today announced it is extending its Mortgage Protection Program (MPP) for first-time home buyers through Dec. 31, 2010. To date, C.A.R. has approved benefits for 3,122 first-time home buyers at no cost to the consumer.

Fights to Keep American Families in Their Homes. WASHINGTON, DC – The House of Representatives passed an amendment offered by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D–California) to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173) yesterday, which requires mortgage servicers or lenders participating in the Making Home Affordable Program to publicly report their progress in helping responsible homeowners stay in their homes. The amendment was introduced by Congresswoman Matsui with Rep. Betty Sutton (D–Ohio) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D–Florida), and debated on the House floor. Passage of H.R. 4173 is expected today.

Southern California Loan Officer, Real Estate Agent Linked to Scheme in Which Unqualified Buyers Obtained Mortgages for Luxury Homes. LOS ANGELES, CA - November 16, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The former director of sales for a Colorado real estate company that built luxury homes throughout the state agreed in court papers filed today to plead guilty to a federal conspiracy charge, admitting that he and other company officials participated in a $16 million “builder bailout” scheme in which buyers of $1 million-plus homes were paid kickbacks if they purchased homes from the company

WASHINGTON, DC - November 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) today praised House passage of Unemployment Insurance Benefits for an additional 20 weeks for workers in California. The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, H.R. 3548, passed by a bipartisan 403 to 12 vote.

LOS ANGELES, CA - November 2, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) --The U.S. Congress late yesterday passed a congressional resolution extending through 2010 the current conforming loan limits of $417,000 for most areas in the U.S. and $729,750 for high-cost areas, including many in California. President Obama is expected to sign the resolution today or tomorrow as part of a broader piece of budgetary legislation that will prevent a government shutdown.

Los Angeles, CA - October 29, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Concerned about a "new wave" of foreclosures, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today called on ten major banks and loan servicers to detail their plans to assist homeowners facing dramatic monthly payment increases on Pay Option Adjustable Rate Mortgages.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage counseling agencies will receive $2.6 million to hire more counselors over the next two years, and help the hundreds of thousands of California homeowners facing interest rate resets and the threat of foreclosure. The California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC), along with financial institutions and two foundations, today announced grant awards to 40 nonprofit mortgage counseling agencies through the California Home Ownership Preservation Initiative to help them better respond to the overflow of clients their offices are serving