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RAMP REALTOR® Blogs
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Posted on 3/31/2011 6:54 PM By Jeffery Zirngibl |
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NAR has proposed an increase in their portion of the annual dues. The monies would be dedicated to the REALTOR® Party Political Survival Initiative. What do think about this issue? Do you support this proposal?
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Posted on 3/28/2011 2:50 PM By Joi Rogers |
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NAR launched a “Call to Action” this morning asking REALTORS® to contact members of Congress to defend the Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID).
President Obama’s budget proposal included changes for MID, and Speaker of the House John Boehner has also made comments that some changes on MID are open for discussion. Congressional Leaders from both parties have also signaled that “Everything is on the table,” which includes MID...
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Posted on 3/26/2011 6:44 PM By Joi Rogers |
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We've started a blog. Hellooooooo out there!
Up-to-date association news and information that affect Pittsburgh REALTORS®, the community, local real estate, and private property rights will be regularly published right here.
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Posted on 3/23/2011 9:06 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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One of the great uncertainties in the wake of Gov. Corbett's budget proposal is how PA Legislators will respond to his call for cutbacks in education funding to school districts, including funding for charter schools. He has insisted that he will not raise taxes to deal with the budget shortfall Pennsylvania finds itself in.
There are many wild cards locally, and the prospect of potential changes in property taxes courtesy of the court-ordered Allegheny County reassessment being handed down later this year (which also happens to have more than half of County Council up for re-election, plus the election of a new County Chief Executive), have many musing just how it will all play out. School Districts, residents, parents, senior-citizens, teachers, community leaders, elected officials, and REALTORS® have opinions that run the gamut, with consensus on some points, and deep divergence on others. Declining enrollment in districts is certainly a stress factor financially and politically, e ...
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Posted on 3/22/2011 9:12 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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NAR has assembled a new regulatory issues brief on the current status of Qualified Residential Mortgages (QRM's). The QRM's were discussed in H.R. 4173 (Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act).
A ruling is expected that would bring consensus and agreement to what the definition of a QRM is, which would then be published for comment. NAR is seeking a broad definition of QRM to exempt a wide range of safe and affordable mortgages from the Dodd-Frank Act risk retention requirement.
To read NAR's brief on the matter, click here.
To review provisions on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, click here.
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Posted on 3/21/2011 9:15 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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RAMP is pleased to share news that Ron Croushore has been appointed to the board of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). Ron's appointment was made by PA House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, and he is the first REALTOR® to ever serve on PHFA’s Board! Ron was President of RAMP in 2006, and currently sits on RAMP’s Board of Directors. RAMP is also represented by Ron at the state level, where he serves at District 8 Vice-President for the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS®.
Through its mission, PHFA “provides the capital for decent, safe, and affordable homes and apartments for older adults, persons of modest means, and those with special housing needs.” The homeownership resources and programs provided by PHFA have touched over than 100,000 families and individuals with by providing funding over $5.5 billion. PHFA’s home loans are financed through the sale of mortgage revenue bonds, not tax allocations. ...
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Posted on 3/17/2011 9:17 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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I’d like to direct you to some information that’s been circulating on the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) that was announced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last year, and in conjunction with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This was part of a process believed to aid in the standardization of key data to achieve greater consistency for mortgages purchased by GSE’s.
Appraisers are expected to comply with UAD requirements later this year. For appraisals with an effective date on or after September 1, 2011, the appraisal report must be completed in compliance with the UAD for conventional mortgage loans sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Several technical resources have been updated, and I’d encourage you to take some time to review the material on these links:
• UAD/UMDP Frequently Asked Questions
• 20 Minute UAD Tutorial
If you have questions, contact NAR’s Jerome Nagy at 202-383-1233 or jnagy@realtors.org
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Posted on 3/14/2011 9:34 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Next month, Dave Stevens will step down from his post as head of The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which has has served as since 2009.
For a brief summary on his tenure as FHA Commissioner, click here.
Click here for blog musings by REALTOR® Magazine's Robert Freedman on "FHA Remains the Mortgage Lifeline."
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Posted on 3/14/2011 9:21 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
Information being released from the 2010 Census show that while Allegheny County's population has decreased since 2000, stabilization may be on the horizon as the population loss has decreased in more recent years. Areas experiencing growth in Allegheny County are more likely to be characterized by new development, prime commute locations, and sewage systems.
Learn how the municipalities you live and work in have changed over the past decade by clicking here.
Now look and see how the neighboring counties are doing by clicking here.
Care to see how we fared as compared to neighboring metro areas? Click here.
For more media coverage, try these articles:
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Posted on 3/9/2011 9:47 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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You may recall hearing about the Obama Administration exploring ways to reform the housing market, which includes a hard look at Fannie and Freddie. Click here to review an article in REALTOR® Magazine that discusses what might happen. Among the ideas that have been floated by the White House:
▪ Shrinking the size of the portfolio of mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by at least 10 percent a year.
▪ Creating an insurance fund for mortgages, supported by premiums paid by lenders.
▪ Winding down government subsidies of mortgages by raising the fees charged to cover the risk of default.
▪ Raising fees for borrowers and requiring larger down payments for home loans.
NAR is hosting a webinar on "GSE Reform: The Issues that Will Impact Your Business" on Thursday, March 31st. Sign up for this FREE, one-hour webinar by clicking here, to learn more about:
Non-legislative changes that could be implemented immediately\
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