Homeowners

Bill Strengthens Protections for Homeowners, Tenants and Neighborhoods

November 16, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson and Legislative Leaders today announced passage of the Governor’s Program Bill No. 46, which provides additional critical protections for New York State homeowners, tenants and neighborhoods in the wake of the ongoing foreclosure crisis.

The legislation builds upon Governor Paterson’s landmark subprime lending reform law enacted last year, by assisting homeowners currently at risk of foreclosure and minimizing the negative impacts that foreclosures have on communities.    » read more »

Drywall Victims Insurance Protection Act will Prevent Cancellation of Homeowners Insurance

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon (LA-03) introduced legislation today to aid Louisiana homeowners with defective Chinese drywall in their homes. The Drywall Victims Insurance Protection Act would prevent insurance companies from cancelling or failing to renew homeowners’ policies as the result of Chinese drywall in the home. The bill would also prevent insurers from changing rates or altering the type or amount of coverage based on problems stemming from Chinese drywall.    » read more »

New EPA Web Site Provides Tools to Cut Energy Costs and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Homes

11/16/2009 -- WASHINGTON – Home owners, buyers and renters have a new resource for going green indoors and outdoors. EPA’s new Green Homes Web site will help people make their homes greener with tips on reducing energy consumption, carbon footprints, waste generation and water usage, as well as improving indoor air quality.

The latest federal survey of American housing (2007) reported 128 million housing units across the U.S., accounting for nearly 54 percent of national energy use and nearly 31 percent of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, the most common greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.    » read more »

$8,000 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers, $6,500 for Current Homeowners Purchasing New Homes

November 16, 2009 -- Monroe, NY – U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-Dover) stood with Orange County realtors and a family who will benefit from both an $8,000 and a $6,500 homebuyer tax to detail how an expanded and extended Homebuyers’ Tax Credit enacted by Congress will help new and current homeowners in Orange County and stimulate the local economy.    » read more »

At Columbus Couple’s First Home, Senator, CHP Underscore How Federal Credit Can Help Strengthen Columbus Real Estate Market

November 16, 2009 -- COLUMBUS, OH – At the soon-to-be new home of Mike Decker and Katie Arends, who used the first-time homebuyer federal tax credit to build their first house, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today discussed how the newly extended federal tax credit can help other Columbus community members purchase new homes. Brown fought in Congress to extend the tax credit through April, which the president signed into law earlier this month.    » read more »

Programs to help impacted businesses and landlords, provide additional help for homeowners

November 12, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver today announced four new disaster assistance programs for small businesses and landlords impacted by the 2008 storms and floods, as well as improvements to the duplication of benefits policy for homeowners, at a press conference in Cedar Rapids.

The new business assistance programs will be funded by $85 million of the state’s nearly $800 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).    » read more »

November 12, 2009 -- (Louisville, KY) Today, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) was joined by Louisville Realtors, representatives from the Home Builders Association of Louisville, and local homeowners and recent homebuyers to announce that more Louisvillians than ever are eligible for a homebuyer’s tax credit.

“The first-time homebuyer credit included in the Recovery Act has already helped hundreds of Louisville families fulfill the dream of homeownership and given a much-needed boost to the local housing market,” said Congressman Yarmuth. “Congress extended the credit last week, making it easier for sellers to find a buyer and for buyers to afford the home they want.”    » read more »

November 13 -- A new law provides extra incentive for Northern Ohio families who are looking for their first home—or who might be in the market for a different principal residence.

The Worker, Homeowners and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur supported, extends the deadline for purchasing and closing on a home and raises the income limitations for homeowners claiming the credit. The new legislation, which President Obama has signed into law, extends and expands the provisions of the popular homebuyer tax credit program that was implemented earlier this year as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the economic stimulus bill).    » read more »

November 11, 2009 -- Johnson City, NY - As part of his ongoing effort to strengthen the housing market and the overall economy in the Southern Tier, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today held a roundtable discussion with members of the Greater Binghamton Association of Realtors to discuss legislation he recently helped the House pass that extends the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers through April 30, 2009 and creates a new $6,500 federal tax credit for non-first-time homebuyers who have been in their current residence at least five years.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- Warwick, RI - As millions of American homeowners continue to struggle against the tide of home foreclosures, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) heard from Rhode Island homebuyers and realtors yesterday about the recession's impact on the local housing market. Whitehouse hosted a roundtable discussion at The Rhode Island Association of Realtors in Warwick.    » read more »

New Hires to Help Families Buy, Refinance Homes

Iselin, N.J., November 10, 2009 - Chase, one of the nation's leading home lenders, today announced that it plans to hire 1,200 mortgage loan officers by the end of 2010, increasing the sales force 60 percent to help more Chase customers finance home purchases or reduce their monthly payments through refinances.

"We have made a number of strategic investments in our organization," said Dave Lowman, head of home lending at Chase. "We have invested in new systems, aggressively grown our capacity and now are looking to increase our sales force. With our vast branch network and growing customer base, the opportunity for Chase loan officers is tremendous."    » read more »

1 Million Energy Star Homes Built in the United States / Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas top the list for most Energy Star homes

11/10/2009 -- WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today reaches a milestone for the Energy Star program by passing the 1 millionth Energy Star qualified home mark. With more than 15,000 partners in sectors all across the economy, Energy Star has been enormously successful at saving consumers money by reducing the energy usage of products used in the home and office everyday.    » read more »

Homebuyers’ Tax Credit and Business Tax Relief to Stimulate Local Economy; H.R. 3548 was passed by the House Thursday and signed into law by President Obama Friday

November 9, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) - Late last week, Congressman Baron Hill 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, H.R. 3548, will provide immediate assistance, extending relief to millions of workers, families, and businesses nationwide. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday, November 5, 2009, and signed into law the next day by President Obama.    » read more »

Nov. 07, 2009 -- Washington, DC – On Thursday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HR 3548, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 by a vote of 403 to 12. This bill provides critical aid to families in Southeast Michigan and across the country in the form of extended unemployment benefits, tax relief to businesses, and an extension and expansion of the homebuyers’ tax credit.

The bill, which was passed earlier this week by the Senate, now goes to the President’s desk, where it is expected to be signed into law.

A copy of Congressman Conyers’ statement of support is below:

Statement of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. on
Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009
November 5, 2009

Madam Speaker,    » read more »

Tax credit expansion will continue to spur home sales and stabilize markets

WASHINGTON (November 5, 2009) -- Today, Congressman Chandler voted in favor of extending and expanding the first-time homebuyer tax credit for an additional year, creating a new tax credit for current homeowners, and providing an additional extension for military families to purchase homes.

“So many benefit from this legislation—new homebuyers, people who have owned their home for years, our military families, our small businesses, and our economy,” Chandler said. “Over a million people have already taken advantage of this program to purchase their first home. It works, and it puts real money into the housing market and back in the pockets of Central Kentuckians.”    » read more »