Archives

Washington, DC - April 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) wrote to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Chairman, Todd Snitchler, calling upon him to reject two separate proposals by FirstEnergy and the PUCO staff that would discontinue the all-electric home rate created by FirstEnergy in the 1970’s. FirstEnergy created that rate to encourage builders to build homes, and consumers to purchase homes that used electric heating, rather than cheaper gas heating alternatives. When that rate no longer served FirstEnergy’s interest, it attempted to eliminate that rate without any concern for the impact it would have on those homeowners. “The elimination of the all-electric rate would cause the heating costs of all-electric homes to soar and their values to plummet,” wrote Kucinich in the letter.

COLUMBUS, OH - April 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Designated as Fair Housing Month, April is recognized nationwide as a time to commemorate the advancements in making equal access to affordable housing available to every American regardless of race, color, religion, sex, nationality, familial and military status, disability or ancestry.

COLUMBUS, OH - March 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Spring cleaning is one of many rituals that Ohio homeowners take part in following a long, cold winter. While you’re cleaning up your home this spring, why not take a few extra moments to protect its contents by creating a home inventory.

COLUMBUS, OH - March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) today announced the 2011 Housing Tax Credit Program recipients who will each receive a portion of $23.8 million in federal housing tax credits for the construction, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable housing units in Ohio. Funding was awarded to 33 developments that will serve families, seniors, and persons who are mentally ill or homeless in 22 of Ohio's 88 counties.

Washington, DC - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today took to the House floor once again to stand up for programs designed to help homeowners struggling to keep their homes. Today he challenged H.R. 861 – The Neighborhood Stabilization Program Termination Act. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program was authorized in the 111th Congress to help neighborhoods deal with the blight and rising crime rates associated with foreclosed homes.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the current Republican budget proposal eliminating a successful grant program that could leave thousands of veterans on the streets, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) held a news conference call today to urge the continuation of the program to prevent veteran homelessness.

COLUMBUS, OH - March 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Board today approved $750,000 in funding through the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) to provide flexible, low-interest financing for affordable housing developments. Funding for HDAP comes from the federal HOME program and the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) attended a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs today entitled ‘The Administration’s Report to Congress: Reforming America’s Housing Finance Market.’ The hearing examined the progress the Obama Administration has made in reforming the mortgage During the hearing, Sen. Brown announced that he would file legislation to help Ohio homeowners avoid foreclosure through both affordable mortgage modifications.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that $28 million in tax credits were granted to the Cincinnati Development Fund (CDF) and $18,000,000 in tax credits were granted to the Cincinnati New Markets Fund. The tax credits were provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. NMTC allocations will allow for economic and community development that fosters job growth in the Greater Cincinnati Area.

February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing Landscape 2011, the National Housing Conference’s annual study of housing affordability trends, examines the number of households nationwide that experience severe housing cost burden; that is, spending more than 50 percent of household income on housing costs. Ohio experienced a one percent increase in 2009 over 2008 in the number of households experiencing severe housing cost burden

COLUMBUS, OH - February 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Board yesterday approved $1.6 million in funding through the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) to provide flexible, low-interest financing for affordable housing developments. Funding for HDAP comes from the federal HOME program and the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF).

February 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The report, “Home Insecurity: Foreclosure Growth in Ohio, 2011,” analyzes foreclosure filings and housing trends among Ohio counties and finds that despite a slight reduction foreclosures in 2010 compared to 2009, the 85,483 foreclosures recorded in 2010 remains a dangerously high number. “The growing number of delinquent mortgages and homes with negative equity is simply unsustainable,” said David Rothstein, Policy Matters researcher and author of the report

ASHTABULA, OH - February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sanford Schroll and his company, American Scrap Tire Recyclers Inc. (ASTRI), pled guilty on Feb. 4 in Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas to one count of operating an unlicensed scrap tire collection facility.Schroll, 73, of Geneva, was sentenced to two years of community control and a $10,000 fine. Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mackey told Schroll the fine will be suspended if he cleans up all of the scrap tires located at 2730 Walter Main Road, Geneva. If he fails to clean up the property, he could face two years of incarceration

February 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that the State of Ohio has entered into a proposed consent order with Raymond Croxford, doing business as Knollwood Mobile Home Park (U.S. Route 50 West, Athens County). The order resolves allegations of violations related to unauthorized wastewater discharges from the park’s wastewater treatment plant into Margaret Creek

Columbus, OH - February 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Open burning can cause health problems, safety issues and general nuisance conditions, even in rural areas. Ohio allows certain types of open burning in rural areas; however, some restrictions still apply. When these regulations are violated, Ohio EPA takes action to stop the problem, which may include civil penalties against those responsible.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following pressure from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the Federal Reserve Board announced that it would maintain critical protections for homeowners outlined in the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). In January, Brown and five of his Senate Banking Committee colleagues urged the Federal Reserve to reconsider proposed rules that would eliminate the ability of homeowners to stop foreclosures and rescind predatory home loans.

January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ohio EPA has ordered a Portage County resident to pay a $1,250 civil penalty for repeated illegal open burning. Seth Powers was ordered to pay the penalty after open burning solid waste, wood, brush and other materials on property located at New Milford Road and adjacent to the I-76 overpass in Rootstown Township. Powers has a land contract on the residential property.

COLUMBUS, OH - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Board yesterday approved $5.6 million in funding through the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) to provide flexible, low-interest financing for affordable housing developments. Funding for HDAP comes from the federal HOME program and the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and five of his Senate Banking Committee colleagues urged the Federal Reserve to reconsider proposed rules that would eliminate the ability of homeowners to stop foreclosures and rescind predatory home loans. The proposed rule would prevent homeowners from cancelling mortgages that violate the Truth in Lending Act

COLUMBUS, OH - December 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a letter sent today to Ohio judges, Attorney General Richard Cordray has requested that the state courts continue to pay close attention to foreclosure cases that may have affidavits signed by robo-signers. In support of continued vigilance, Cordray highlights several courts that have taken action to address the situation."In tracking these cases throughout the state, we have found that judges are finding different ways to handle them," said Cordray.