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To view headlines and summaries of recent news articles related to housing, with links to the full article, simply click on the appropriate link below.
VHC News Clips, volume 2009-31 (February 4, 2010)
Charlottesville Housing Authority Moves Away from "Troubled" Status
C'ville Weekly, February 2
(RECAP: The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority has moved away from its "troubled" status list, given by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for underperforming public housing agencies.)Experts: Market Stabilizing
Fairfax Times, February 2
(RECAP: Homes in Fairfax and adjacent counties are more affordable than they have been in years, according to a recent study published by The Concord Group, an economic research firm based in Boston.)Fannie Gives 3.5% REO Discount
Housing Wire, February 2
(RECAP: Fannie Mae will provide a 3.5% discount to those purchasing a real-estate owned (REO) property listed as part of its HomePath division, according to a company notice.)Modification is Not for Every Borrower: Treasury Adviser
Housing Wire, February 2
(RECAP: Seth Wheeler, senior adviser to the US Treasury Department, said that one of the main goals of the Obama Admin istration is to fix the mortgage market in the United States , although federally subsidized modifications may not be appropriate for many borrowers.)Councilors Seek 15 Percent Increase in Affordable Housing Stock in 15 Years
Daily Progress, February 1
(RECAP: The City Council has agreed that Charlottesville 's affordable housing stock should increase to 15 percent of all city housing in the next 15 years.)Falls Church Project Poised to Move Forward
GlobeSt.com, February 1
(RECAP: An affordable housing project here appears poised to move forward, according to an account in the Falls Church Times. The project, located at 350 S. Washington St. , has been held up in negotiations with a neighboring development at 360 S. Washington St. , which is about to be purchased by McLean, VA-based Jefferson One. )When Will Condos Rebound?
Richmond BizSense, February 1
(RECAP: Bigger isn't always better. Chris Johnson of Monument Construction converted a defunct dry cleaners into 16 units priced between $119,000 and $209,000. Since finishing construction in August, he has sold 11 of the units. )Say Goodbye to Fannie and Freddie? Not Quite
Smart Money, February 1
(RECAP: Are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac facing imminent extinction? Some elected officials are setting the stage for a debate in the capital over how to at least revamp Fannie and Freddie, which operate as government-sponsored enterprises or GSEs )Habitat for Humanity Helps Hampton Family Get New Home
Virginia Daily Press, February 1
(RECAP: On Monday Pearlean Brooks was at a groundbreaking for her new home that is being built under Habitat for Humanity's Women Build program. She will spend the next few months building the house. )Frank Leads Push to Disband Mortgage Corporations
Boston.com, January 31
(RECAP: Barney Frank has been one of the staunchest defenders of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their mission to increase access to affordable housing. Now he's helping to lead the charge to dismantle the troubled mortgage giants.)Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Delinquencies Rise
The Sydney Morning Herald, January 30
(RECAP: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's home loan delinquencies rose 4.2 per cent in October and the companies modified more mortgages under President Barack Obama's anti-foreclosure program, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said.)Homeowners Seek Relief in Drywall Suit
The Virginia Gazette, January 30
(RECAP: Evans and four neighbors have joined class-action litigation that began in New Orleans on Friday. Norfolk attorney Richard Serpe filed suit in federal court in May, representing more than 80 Virginia homeowners with Chinese drywall.)Obama Housing Rescue Threatened by Foreclosures, Unemployment
Business Week, January 29
(RECAP: President Barack Obama's efforts to bolster the U.S. housing market, the trigger of the worst recession since the 1930s, may be undone by record unemployment and repossessions by lenders. )What's the Deal with This House?
Culpeper Star Exponent, January 29
(RECAP: The town of Culpeper has long talked about the merits of attracting “affordable housing” to the area, but the unfinished dwelling that appeared on Evans Street months ago is not exactly what it had in mind. However, the builder of the conspicuous two-bedroom, two-bathroom skeletal home — marked in spray paint with ‘Affordable Houses' — says that's exactly what it is: an effort to build something that people can afford in this economy.)Madison Heights Neighborhood in Newport News Rebounding
The Daily Press, January 29
(RECAP: Madison Heights is part of the city's effort to restore the southeast community, including the demolition of World War II-era public housing and the building of a planned mixed-use development spearheaded by Newport News native Aaron Brooks, a former New Orleans Saints quarterback.)The Urbanist Case Against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
DC.Streetsblog, January 29
(RECAP: The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), an advocacy group working to reform local development practices, is seizing on House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank's (D-MA) recent call for a new system of housing finance to replace government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.)Washington Street Property Could Sell, Paving Way for Affordable Housing Project
Falls Church Times, January 29
(RECAP: An existing roadblock to “The Wilden” affordable housing project on South Washington Street could fall away through a change of ownership of property adjacent to The Wilden site, according to information communicated to City officials today. )Increasing Energy Efficiency in Public Housing Bill Introduced
from NLIHC's Memo to Members, January 29
(RECAP: Senator Al Franken (D-MN) introduced S. 2952, a bill that would create a grant program for greening federally assisted housing, on January 26.)Mixed Signals on NHTF in Senate Jobs Bill
from NLIHC's Memo to Members, January 29
(RECAP: Senate leaders continue to figure out what form their jobs initiative will take. Last week, 25 Senators sent to a letter requesting that the bill include $1 billion to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be coupled with NHTF capital dollars. This would match the provisions in the House jobs bill passed in December.)U.S. Poverty Becoming More Suburbanized
from NLIHC's Memo to Members, January 29
(RECAP: Poverty rates across the country are growing faster in the suburbs than in cities and rural areas, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program. As of 2008, the nation's suburbs housed nearly a third of the nation's low income people and were home to 1.5 million more people in poverty than the nation's cities.)Mortgage Rates on 30-year Loans Fall to 4.98 Percent
Bloomberg News Service, January 28
(RECAP: Mortgage rates in the U.S. fell for a fourth week as lenders and the Federal Reserve sought to support home financing amid signs a housing rebound is stalling. )U.S. Housing Market at Inflection Point: The “Old Normal ” Will Not Be Part of Recovery, Says New Research From the Urban Land Institute
RealEstateRama, January 28
(RECAP: As the U.S. economy recovers, emerging trends in demographics and consumer behavior will become major drivers of new housing opportunities, resulting in a residential market vastly different from the one that existed prior to the recession, according to Housing in America . )Foreclosures and Falling Prices
Virginia Daily Press, January 28
(RECAP: The 2010 Hampton Roads real estate market will be made up of falling home prices, high inventory and a flood of foreclosures and short sales. )Area Homebuyer Assistance Programs Alive and Well
Washington Examiner, January 27
(RECAP: Congress recently extended the deadline for the first-time homebuyer tax credit and introduced a new program to incentivize current homeowners with a $6,500 credit -- targeting both initiatives to expire April 30, 2010. )Fairfax County Supervisors Approve Affordable Housing Plan
The Washington Post, January 27
(RECAP: Almost a year after gutting a public program in Fairfax County used to maintain and expand affordable housing, the wealthy Northern Virginia locality adopted a sweeping blueprint Tuesday to increase its support for affordable housing through developers, nonprofit organizations and faith-based groups while laying out an ambitious goal to end homelessness within the next decade. )Is Change Coming to GSE Mortgage Servicing?
Housing Wire, January 22
(RECAP: The mortgage finance industry is abuzz over a rumored change to the way the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would assign and manage mortgage servicing rights.)News Clips Archives
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