Archives

WASHINGTON, DC - November 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-Sacramento) announced that $344,621 has been awarded to the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services through a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to support outreach and primary care services for homeless populations in Sacramento. Thanks to this funding, the Mercy Clinic at Loaves and Fishes will continue to provide area homeless with outpatient primary and public health care services--as well as inpatient and other secondary and tertiary health care services--in cooperation with local doctors and hospitals. This competitive award will allow the clinic to continue operating through 2012.

Washington, DC - November 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- This week, the House voted on legislation to extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit through April 30, 2010, which is currently set to expire December 1, 2009. The bill also expands eligibility of the credit, raising the income eligibility cap on individuals to $125,000 and $225,000 for married couples, up from $75,000 and $150,000 respectively, and homes sold for more than $800,000 are ineligible.

Washington, DC - November 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) voted to stimulate the local economy and provide stability to American families hit hardest by the recession by extending the homebuyer’s tax credit, unemployment benefits, and tax relief for military families and businesses. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act will provide immediate assistance, extending relief to millions of workers, families, and businesses nationwide.

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.

Washington, DC - November 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Watson voted to stimulate the local economy and provide stability to American families hit hardest by the recession by extending unemployment benefits, the homebuyers’ tax credit, and tax relief for military families and businesses. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act will provide immediate assistance, extending relief to millions of workers, families, and businesses nationwide.

WASHINGTON, Dc - November 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Laura Richardson acted to make the basic tenets of the American Dream possible for thousands of Californians by voting for the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 (HR 3548), which will help the unemployed by extending unemployment benefits and will continue to stimulate the housing market by extending and expanding the first time homebuyer credit. The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a vote of 403 to 12 and now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

LOS ANGELES, DC - November 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today commended Congress and the Senate for its swift actions in extending and expanding the provisions of the Federal Tax Credit for First-time Home Buyers. The U.S. House of Representatives earlier today voted 403 to 12 for passage, as did the U.S. Senate late yesterday. The legislation now goes to President Obama for signature.

Washington, DC - November 5, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) voted to stimulate the local economy and provide stability to families hit hardest by the recession by extending unemployment benefits, the homebuyers’ tax credit, and tax relief for military families and businesses.

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.

October 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement after Green Cities California, the collaborative of 10 cities and counties acknowledged as sustainability leaders, launched a Web site today that will serve as a resource for other communities striving to go green

October 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement after the Obama Administration’s announced move to provide support to housing finance agencies across the nation. This action will help restart the housing market for low to moderate income first-time homebuyers, including in California, which has been among the hardest hit by the real estate crisis.

Washington, DC - October 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35), Chairwoman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, recognizing the impact foreclosures are having on the country, called on the attorneys general from the nation’s 50 states to bring suit against lenders in order to force more loan modifications.“We need aggressive action to force lenders to modify the predatory loans that they made. State attorneys general and civil rights groups are taking the lead in preventing foreclosures by filing lawsuits against the originators of these predatory loans, and I commend them for their action,” Chairwoman Waters said

Legislation would prohibit discrimination against adoptive and foster parents based on sexual orientation, marital status. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, today introduced H.R. 3827, the "Every Child Deserves a Family Act." In the same manner that we ended race discrimination in adoption, this legislation would prohibit states and child welfare agencies from denying or delaying adoption or foster care placements solely based on the sexual orientation or marital status of the potential parents.

Washington, DC - October 16, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee and a leading advocate for Gulf Coast recovery efforts, issued the following statement today after President Obama visited New Orleans to assess the city’s progress and heard from residents about the challenges they continue to face:“More than four years after Hurricane Katrina, I remain concerned about the recovery of the Gulf Coast in general, and the City of New Orleans, in particular. Katrina was one of the deadliest storms in our nation’s history, taking over 1,800 lives, displacing more than one million people, severely damaging over 300,000 housing units, and causing at least $81 billion in damages.

Sacramento, CA - October 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a consumer alert warning California homeowners to avoid individuals and businesses that charge up up-front fees for foreclosure relief services in light of a just-enacted state law that makes this "abusive practice" subject to prosecution.

San Francisco, CA - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently honored innovative green building design ideas that reduce the environmental and energy impacts of buildings. These concepts aim to help architects and builders reduce more than 88 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris sent to U.S. landfills each year and the climate impacts of buildings and building materials

SANTA ANA, CA - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- First American CoreLogic, a member of The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF) family of companies and America’s largest provider of advanced property and ownership information, analytics and services, today introduced its free patent-pending ePropertyWatch Professional service, which is designed to help real estate and mortgage industry professionals stay in touch with customers and drive repeat business and referrals.

October 12, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- To help prevent California homeowners and homebuyers from being negatively impacted by the fraudulent mortgage practices that have arisen in the aftermath of the national foreclosure crisis, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation to increase protections for consumers in the lending market and provide law enforcement with more tools to crack down on deceitful mortgage practices. These bills aim to strengthen California’s reverse mortgage laws by providing senior homeowners with greater consumer protections when considering reverse mortgage agreements, make it a felony to commit fraud in connection with a mortgage application and promote responsibility and accountability in the real estate market.

Washington, DC - October 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, chaired by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), held a hearing today on “The Future of the Federal Housing Administration’s Capital Reserves: Assumptions, Predictions and Implications for Homebuyers”. FHA plays an increasingly important role in the nation’s housing market. Recent news articles have raised concerns about the FHA’s capital reserve fund, the account the agency uses to pay insurance claims to lenders when borrowers default on home loans. Assistant Secretary for Housing and FHA Commissioner David Stevens, testified today regarding steps FHA is taking to boost capital reserve levels.