Oregon RealEstateRama

Washington, DC - September 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley urged Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan Wednesday to implement several improvements to the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) to make mortgage modifications simpler and speedier for borrowers and counselors.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 28, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that HUD is awarding competitive grants totaling $18,399,323 to 10 tribes, Alaskan native villages and tribal organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to improve housing and stimulate community development.

PORTLAND, OR - July 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $14,977,177 to six grantees in Oregon to rapidly re-house families who fall into homelessness, or prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.

Salem, OR - July 7, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) – The Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) issued cease-and-desist orders against two mortgage brokers and two loan originators in four recent cases

Salem, OR - June 3, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — In its continuing effort to strengthen enforcement of mortgage lending laws, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services recently issued cease-and-desist orders assessing fines and revoking the licenses of two mortgage brokers: Mountainview Marketing of St. Helens and Sterling Coast to Coast Financial Group Inc. of Irvine, Calif.

Washington, DC - May 19, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), responded via Twitter to Newsweek Contributing Editor George F. Will’s article entitled Ray Lahood, Transformed in which Will attacks Portland. Referring to the city as the “P-word” Will asserts that the city’s government “has been, intermittently, as progressive as all get-out, trying to use zoning, light-rail projects and high-density housing to cool the planet by curbing automobile use.”

Washington, DC - April 29, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on a press conference call to announce that the Federal Transportation Administration has issued a project construction grant agreement for the Portland Streetcar Loop.

Washington, DC - April 24, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1145, the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act.

Salem, OR - April 24, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — In an ongoing effort to better protect Oregon mortgage borrowers from fraud, the Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a cease-and-desist order permanently barring Larry Jason Somera of West Linn from the mortgage lending industry after he pleaded guilty in Multnomah County Court to one count of forgery.

Portland, OR - April 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The Portland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office today announced expanded efforts to identify and prosecute mortgage fraud. As part of a multi-agency approach, special internet and phone tip lines have been established to handle reports of mortgage fraud. Investigations will be handled by the Oregon Mortgage Fraud Working Group, which has been operating since 2007, and continues to tackle mortgage fraud on multiple fronts.

Bend, OR - March 3, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Governor Kulongoski’s State Board of Higher Education appointment of Bend real estate developer Kirk Schueler was confirmed last week by the Oregon State Senate.

Washington, DC - March 5, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer voted in favor of H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. This bill includes provisions that Blumenauer has long championed, such as giving bankruptcy judges the ability to modify existing mortgages for families who file for bankruptcy, which will encourage lenders to voluntarily modify loans.

Salem, OR - March 4, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Oregonians facing foreclosure should beware of offers to modify their mortgage loan or find a loan modification for a fee, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services and Department of Justice warned today.

Salem, OR - February 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — In an ongoing effort to increase enforcement of mortgage lending laws, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services levied fines against a mortgage broker and one of its employees for unethical and fraudulent behavior.

Portland, Ore. - February 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, Karin J. Immergut, announced a federal indictment was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon charging Kamau Herndon, 37, of Portland, with six counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, three counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme.