http://www.knowledgeplex.org A comprehensive news and information resource for the affordable housing and community development field. Powered by Fannie Mae Foundation. en-us Copyright 2008, KnowledgePlex 2008-05-18T14:24-04:00 feedback@knowledgeplex.org, info@knowledgeplex.org http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1764461.html WASHINGTON, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Fannie Mae(NYSE:FNM)today announced a new, national policy on down payment requirements for conventional, conforming mortgages the company will purchase or guarantee. Starting June 1, 2008, Fannie Mae will accept up to 97 percent loan-to-value ratios for conventional, conforming mortgages processed through its Desktop Underwriter(R) (DU(R)) automated ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1759891.html ALBANY - New York's proposed foreclosure freeze is getting a cold reception in the state Senate, to the chagrin of some Democrats. The bill - a response to rising foreclosure rates statewide - sailed through the Assembly last week, but seems to have shallow support among Republican leaders in the Senate, where it may not go to a vote. Frustrated Senate Democrats on Wednesday held a news conference ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1763101.html Denser, taller and less-pricey neighborhoods are ahead for Hollywood under a revitalization plan approved Thursday by the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. Agency commissioners voted unanimously to help finance a series of residential and commercial projects that backers say will add much-needed low-income housing and "first-class" office space to the area by 2013. The five ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1763821.html New housing starts tumbled by almost a quarter in the first three months of 2008 to their lowest level in 12 years as builders shelved projects in an ailing market, official figures showed today. Firms began work on 32,100 dwellings in England during the first quarter - 24% below the same period in 2007 and the worst since 1996, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1763791.html WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — U.S. home builders see no signs of improvement in the housing market after a disappointing start to the spring selling season, the National Association of Home Builders reported Thursday. http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1764271.html May 15—The date, Oct. 29, 2006, is etched in E. Robert Vorndran's mind like the creases that gather at the corners of his eyelids, almost hidden by dark aviator shades. On that autumn day, Vorndran had a heart attack that led to a series of surgeries that, without health insurance, cost him his house, his car, his boat and his dignity. His possessions are gone, but he found respect at Victory ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1763551.html Construction has begun on the first mixed-use developmentdesigned around a commuter rail station in Austin, Texas. When allphases of the $100 million project are complete, Midtown Commons atCrestview Station will provide approximately 900 apartments and64,000 sq. ft. of commercial space. Developer Trammell Crow Co.also has obtained approval for as many as 500 single-family homesand condominiums ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1763511.html Various legal claims — from federal civil rights laws to city codes — used in efforts to stem loss of tax base and decline of property values MINNEAPOLIS — Valeria Golebiowski moved to the Hawthorne neighborhood 45 years ago, and she's staying even as it crumbles around her. Golebiowski, 72, remembers when flower gardens bloomed and neighbors chatted over coffee. Eleven of ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1763371.html Donovan Rypkema doesn't want to save every building. As a historic preservationist, he knows there are limits. "I'm not one to say nothing should ever be torn down," said Rypkema. "Every time we apply for a demolition permit, we should say 'Is what we're going to get better than what we got?'" At a lecture Saturday at the 93-year-old Kennedy School in Northeast ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1764401.html Fears that a housing project for the homeless would bring drugs, crime, violence and lower property values to a west-end Waterloo neighbourhood boiled over at a public meeting last night. http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1758031.html CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — Mortgage application filings rose a seasonally adjusted 2.9% last week compared to the prior week, driven by increased interest among homeowners seeking out refinancings, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday. http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1758611.html Hospitals that leave homeless patients on the streets of Los Angeles without their consent would be fined $25,000 under an ordinance to be considered today by the Los Angeles City Council. http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1757251.html In early 2007, long before he became Gov. Bobby Jindal's Louisiana Recovery Authority director, Paul Rainwater was just an agency staff member, in charge of $1.4 billion reserved for work that will protect storm-ravaged homes during future storms. http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1758361.html Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon unveiled plans Tuesday for an environmentally friendly development of businesses, housing and recreation on 600 acres of county-owned land off Cathcart Way near Highway 9. The county envisions a job center, a transit hub, four-story condominiums and "green" businesses such as hydroponic greenhouses and solar-energy production on land once slated ... http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/1758171.html by wes allison Times Staff Writer WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate plans to wade into the housing crisis with a plan aimed at helping many Americans avoid foreclosure on their homes, even as its supporters acknowledge the idea is risky, and ultimately may not work. But given the magnitude of the nation's housing crisis, with nearly 650,000 foreclosures in the first three months of this year alone ...