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Washington, DC - October 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As homeowners in San Diego and across the nation continue to tangle with banks, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) introduced legislation to give people another tool to avoid foreclosure and the subsequent damage to the their credit rating. The Short Sale Transparency Act will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to disclose the minimum asking price they are willing to accept for a short sale if the first offer is rejected.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) announced that the San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund. The grant will allow the Housing Trust Fund to provide low-interest financing for affordable housing for middle class families in San Luis Obispo County.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) voted for the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011 (H.R. 1309), which passed the House by a vote of 406-22. The bill re-authorizes the National Flood Insurance Program for five years, and makes needed reforms to address the financial stability of the program by phasing out non-essential premium subsidies. The legislation is particularly relevant for homeowners in the Santa Maria Valley and the cities of Oxnard and Ventura. The County of Santa Barbara, the County of Ventura, and the City of Santa Maria all written letters to the Congresswoman expressing support for the legislation.

June 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- “More than two years after the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was launched, I am pleased that the Administration has finally decided to take enforcement seriously and penalize three servicers who have, as a matter of standard practice, foreclosed on millions of homeowners, often without properly screening them for modifications or otherwise following program rules.

Washington, DC - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee and a leading champion for homeowners, delivered the following remarks today during a Subcommittee on Housing, Insurance, and Community Opportunity Hearing on “Legislative Proposals to Determine the Future Role of FHA, RHS and GNMA in the Single-and Multi-Family Mortgage Markets.”

Washington, DC - April 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) yesterday reintroduced H.R. 1567, the Foreclosure Prevention and Sound Mortgage Servicing Act of 2011. Congresswoman Waters has introduced similar legislation since the 110th Congress, and has long maintained that the servicing industry is broken. By reintroducing and updating the bill, Congresswoman Waters continues to demonstrate her commitment to ending the foreclosure crisis and holding servicers accountable.

Washington, DC - March 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee and a top congressional advocate for affordable housing, reintroduced H.R. 1209, The Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA), late last week. The bill would reform the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental housing assistance to 2 million low-income American families

Washington, DC - March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House of Representatives voted today to end the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) created and which President George W. Bush signed into law three years ago under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA). Last week, House Republicans also voted to end the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Short Refinance Program and the Emergency Homeowners Relief Program (EHRP), the latter of which Congresswoman Waters worked to include in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

Washington, DC - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, spoke out today against Republican attempts to terminate the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). This was the second markup in as many weeks where Committee Republicans ended programs to help people stay in their homes and help communities weather the foreclosure crisis.

Washington, DC - March 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement today after details of the proposed settlement between state attorneys general and mortgage servicers were revealed

Washington, DC - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, took Committee Republicans to task today for voting to defund two programs that help struggling homeowners.

Washington, DC - March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to the recent rise in home foreclosures, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) introduced legislation to give veterans access to mortgage refinancing opportunities. The Veterans Home Loan Refinance Opportunity Act (H.R. 834) will allow veterans in Alaska, Oregon, California, Wisconsin, and Texas to take advantage of low-interest home loan refinancing options available from the state. Currently, veterans in these states can use the home loans to purchase a primary residence -- but not to refinance.

Washington, DC - February 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, released the following statement today after Republicans on the Committee announced their intention to defund foreclosure prevention programs

Washington, DC - February 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement today after reports of a deal between the Obama Administration and mortgage servicers to settle systemic fraud issues in the servicing and foreclosure industry

SAN MATEO, CA - February 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) today announced that the Small Business Administration is offering a program that will help small businesses facing maturity of commercial loans or balloon payments refinance their mortgage debt

SAN MATEO, CA - February 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) today announced that the Small Business Administration is offering a program that will help small businesses facing maturity of commercial loans or balloon payments refinance their mortgage debt.

Washington, DC - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) reintroduced her legislation from the 111th Congress today that would make key investments in affordable public housing. H.R. 762, the Public Housing Reinvestment and Tenant Protection Act of 2011, contains provisions to revitalize housing units and neighborhoods; address one-for-one replacement issues; empower housing authorities to make reforms; and to create jobs, with support from Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), her colleagues on the Financial Services Committee. She issued the following statement

Washington, DC - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the Ranking Member on the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, released the following statement today after the Obama Administration unveiled its plan, “Reforming America’s Housing Finance Market

SAN MATEO, CA - January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Jackie (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) and other members of Congress sent a letter (attached) today to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Acting Comptroller of the Currency John Walsh urging them to hold JPMorgan Chase accountable for overcharging thousands of military families on their mortgages and even wrongfully foreclosing on 14 families

December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), chairwoman of the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee, took to the House floor this morning in support of H.R. 5510, the “Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act of 2010,” which would allow states to use their Hardest Hit Funds to provide legal assistance for homeowners facing foreclosure.