BOSTON, MA - April 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown today announced that seven Massachusetts housing organizations will receive a total of $399,780 in federal funding from NeighborWorks America. The funding will be used to help local communities revitalize and sustain their neighborhoods and to provide counseling to families and individuals facing the threat of foreclosure.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The HomeStar program to help families retrofit their homes with more efficient windows, doors and other home improvements today passed the Energy and Commerce Committee, moving a program backed by President Obama, to a vote in the House of Representatives. The HomeStar legislation passed the committee by a vote of 30-17.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and a bipartisan group of legislators on Wednesday introduced the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, calling it critical job-creating legislation.

Partnership between MassHousing, city of Haverhill and Haverhill Bank will help create opportunities for qualified buyers who purchase properties in need of repair. BOSTON, MA - April 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing, Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini and Haverhill Bank announced a new initiative today to make grant funds available to first-time homebuyers who purchase foreclosed homes in Haverhill. Qualified homebuyers who obtain a MassHousing Mortgage through Haverhill Bank will be eligible for a second loan to assist in rehabilitating the foreclosed property. The second loan will be funded through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which was created in federal economic recovery legislation.

BOSTON, MA - April 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing Executive Director Thomas R. Gleason testified before the House Committee on Financial Services in Washington, D.C., today, advocating for reform of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and other socalled GSEs, and urging Congress to make sure future GSEs commit themselves to supporting affordable housing

BOSTON, MA - April 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Martha Coakley has filed a lawsuit against Christian Hayes, of Danvers, a former mortgage loan officer with Bank of America, alleging he deceptively funneled loan modification requests originally directed to Bank of America to his company Foreclosure Alternatives where he demanded illegal fees from distressed homeowners before assisting them with their troubled mortgages. The Attorney General’s Office is seeking a preliminary injunction prohibiting Hayes and his business from soliciting or advertising foreclosure-related services to Massachusetts residents, destroying any records or transferring assets.“Homeowners who were struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments went to their lender seeking expert advice and we allege that those homeowners were mislead and taken advantage of,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley. “Under first-in-the-nation regulations that our office issued, it is illegal for a mortgage professional to require up-front fees to assist struggling homeowners. Our office will continue to hold accountable individuals and businesses who attempt to exploit struggling homeowners in this unfair and deceptive manner.”

SPRINGFIELD, MA - April 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The owner of a four-unit residential apartment building in West Springfield has been sued for violating state anti-discrimination laws, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced. The Attorney General’s Office filed a complaint against Mary Anna Cosentini in Western Division Housing Court alleging that she refused to rent to a prospective tenant and her family because the woman participates in the Section 8 housing subsidy program administered through a local agency.“In the current economy, the need for rental or transitional housing assistance is particularly great and these programs are important as families are facing job losses and critical housing needs” said Attorney General Coakley. “Landlords in Massachusetts must understand that it is illegal to refuse to rent to a person holding a Scection 8 voucher or to refuse to do business with an agency administering housing vouchers.”

$560 million allocated by Patrick Administration for affordable home mortgages and to build or preserve affordable rental housing. BOSTON, MA - April 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has received from the Executive Office for Administration and Finance an allocation of $560.8 million in private activity bonding authority for calendar year 2010. It is believed to be the largest allocation to one quasi-public agency of so-called “private activity bonds” in state history.

BOSTON, MA - April 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Boston Regional Challenge, a new report released today by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing, finds that the average working household in the Boston region spends over $34,000 a year – or 54 percent of their income – on the combined costs of housing and transportation.

BOSTON, MA - April 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A former local attorney pled guilty in Suffolk Superior Court for his role in a complex scheme in which fraudulent documents were used to defraud homeowners and mortgage lenders in real estate transactions involving 26 distressed properties in the Greater Boston area. Bruce Namenson, age 47, of Walpole, pled guilty yesterday to charges of Larceny over $250 (18 Counts), Making or Publishing False or Exaggerated Statements (9 Counts), and False Written Reports by Public Officer or Employee (4 Counts). After the plea was entered, Superior Court Judge Carol Ball sentenced Namenson to serve 2 years in the House of Correction, one year to serve, with the balance suspended for 3 years.

ANDOVER, MA - April 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mold in a damaged home can create serious health problems for residents following the severe storms and flooding in March, warn Commonwealth/ FEMA officials overseeing the Massachusetts recovery effort.

Judgment part of statewide investigation into reports of discriminatory Internet advertising. BOSTON, MA - April 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office obtained a judgment against Linheart Smith, a Hyde Park landlord, resolving allegations that he made discriminatory statements in rental advertisements posted on the popular classified advertising website Craigslist.org (“Craigslist”). The judgment, signed by Suffolk Superior Court Judge John C. Cratsley, on April 2, 2010, provides a broad range of relief and preventive measures to ensure Smith’s future compliance with state and federal fair housing laws. This judgment is the result of a continuing statewide investigation by the Attorney General’s Office into reports of widespread discriminatory Internet advertising.“Our office’s lawsuit alleged that this landlord had discriminated against low-income individuals seeking housing. Landlords and real estate professionals must recognize that the rental market is a regulated industry and compliance with our anti-discrimination laws is an important obligation,” said Attorney General Coakley. “While we hope that this enforcement initiative will have a deterrent effect, our office will continue to monitor Craigslist and take action against landlords and real estate professionals who violate the law.”

WALTHAM, MA - April 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) reported today that despite the record rain last month, the number of single-family homes put under agreement in March was up 27 percent over the same time last year, while condominiums were up 38 percent. March marks the ninth straight month that the number of both single-family homes and condominiums put under agreement had increased over the year before.

WALTHAM, MA - April 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- REALTORS® across Massachusetts and the country will be hosting open houses as part of the first-ever REALTOR® Nationwide Open House Weekend on April 10-11. With favorable market conditions and the availability of homebuyer tax credits, buyers will have the opportunity to tour an increased number of open houses in their desired communities. Participating open houses will be marked with blue REALTOR® “R” balloons and be listed

BOSTON, - March 31, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Attorney General Martha Coakley cautioned victims of the 2010 floods to do their homework when selecting contractors to repair the water damage to their properties, to avoid becoming a victim of a scam.“Today, most of the state for the second time is dealing with the damage from these unprecedented storms,” said Attorney General Coakley. “While many people have banded together through this difficult time, there are also unsavory individuals seeking to capitalize on this situation, and we urge consumers to do their homework when picking a contractor to fix their homes.”