Cases involve unethical behavior, falsified loan documents, training requirements

Salem, OR - August 19, 2008 - (RealEstateRama) — In its continuing effort to strengthen enforcement in the mortgage lending industry, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services issued cease-and-desist orders and fines against four mortgage companies for violating Oregon’s mortgage lending laws. more »

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. - Buena Vista Custom Homes has announced the ground breaking of its newest neighborhood, Sterling Creek, located in Southwest Portland.

The forested site will feature six-craftsman style homes on large lots that look onto a wooded green space and Sterling Creek. Home buyers can pick from floor plans that range from 2,206 to 3,684 square feet and feature four bedrooms with two and a half to three bathrooms. Prices range from $429,950 to $549,950. more »

Bend, Oregon - April 7, 2008 - NorthWest Crossing, an award-winning Central Oregon neighborhood, today announced that Housing Works has purchased a cottage for its housing program in Bend. The construction of the home was made possible through a partnership of several local companies. West Bend Property Company, the developer of NorthWest Crossing, donated the homesite. Craftsman Homes and their team of subcontractors and suppliers donated time and materials for the home. more »

Portland, Ore. – 04/08/2008 - After considering over three hours of testimony and legal arguments, Judge Michael Mosman today sentenced Ryan Bonneau, 31, of Portland, to 30 months in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme involving two residential real estate transactions in 2004. He will serve a period of five years supervised release after completion of his prison term. more »

The 6 percent interest is simple, meaning that the interest computes yearly against the deferred tax amounts. Deferral accounts do not accrue compound interest, which means interest is computed on previous interest in addition to the deferred tax amounts. more »

Salem, OR - March 17, 2008 - In response to Governor Kulongoski’s call to connect Oregonians with pre-foreclosure counseling, the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), and the Oregon Law Center announced today that Oregon has received more than $500,000 in grant money to provide counseling and legal assistance to homeowners at risk of foreclosure. more »

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. - March 10, 2008 - Buena Vista Custom Homes announced today the company’s weekend auction of its remaining inventory resulted in 36 homes and 14 lots being sold. The event generated over $10 million in sales and was attended by over 450 people. more »

Numbers released show discounts of up to 36% from previous pricingLAKE OSWEGO, OR - February 25, 2008 - Buena Vista Custom Homes today released sales figures from its record-breaking first home auction and the numbers show that buyers at the initial auction received discounts as high 36 percent off the originally listed price. more »

Smith-Kerry provision will help keep low-income families in their homes

February 28th, 2008 - Washington, D.C - Oregon Senator Gordon Smith today continued his efforts to keep Oregon families in their homes and ease the skyrocketing rate of foreclosure across the country. Senator Smith urged the Senate Finance Committee to take a serious look at his proposal to address the subprime mortgage crisis. Roughly 2.5 million mortgages were in default in the third quarter of 2007 – a 40 percent increase from 2005. more »

February 13th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - To prevent the rise of foreclosure marketing scams aimed at America’s seniors, Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) examined fraudulent activity following the subprime mortgage crisis in the Senate Special Committee on Aging today.  The hearing, “Foreclosure Aftermath: Preying on Senior Homeowners,” focused on strategies to help homeowners avoid foreclosure and potential fraud.   more »