Arizona RealEstateRama

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representative Ann Kirkpatrick has been working hard to ensure Native American Veterans are not disadvantaged because of their service, and she is pushing to address another way that they are being treated unfairly by the federal government. In a letter to Interior Department Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry EchoHawk, she called on the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to fix a serious flaw with the Housing Improvement Program (HIP) that allows disabled Native Veterans and survivor families to be denied support

May 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- At the request of Mayor Phil Gordon, Councilman Claude Mattox and Councilman Tom Simplot have formed a working group of community members and city staff to develop a Phoenix city ordinance to regulate unsolicited door-to-door sales in response to residents’ concerns. Mattox is the chairman of the Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee, and Simplot chairs the Housing and Neighborhoods Subcommittee

Washington, D.C. - May 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a $330,000 grant to Campesinos sin Fronteras to provide technical assistance for homeowner-assisted housing renovations in the Yuma area. The money comes through Rural Development, a part of the department that focuses on infrastructure in rural areas

Tucson, AZ - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva will host a May 21 workshop on taking advantage of grants available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

PHOENIX, AZ - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- April J. Lucero, 46, of Phoenix, Ariz. was sentenced on May 10, 2010 to two years in prison for her conviction in August 2009 for her involvement in a mortgage fraud scheme in Phoenix, Ariz. Lucero pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire and Bank Fraud, a felony, related to her participation in a two year conspiracy involving the purchase of 37 properties using fraudulent loan documents. Seven other co-conspirators were also charged and have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the conspiracy

May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The city of Phoenix Development Services Department celebrates Building Safety Month throughout May, highlighting the importance of building codes for safety and the men and women that ensure code compliance of all construction in the city.

May 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender, and Junior Achievement of Arizona recently partnered in a job shadowing day with Metro Tech High School of Phoenix. Quicken Loans team members from the company’s Scottsdale office hosted 23 students, during a day designed to give students a unique and up-close look at the workplace

Learn about fair housing practices and laws at a free workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, May 11, at Phoenix City Hall, 200 W. Washington St., assembly room D. This workshop will offer ADRE-authorized fair housing REALTOR® re-licensing credit and is presented in partnership with the Southwest Fair Housing Council.

Washington, D.C. - May 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today hailed the announcement that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is referring its Goldman Sachs investigation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for potential criminal charges. Grijalva signed an April 23 letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking for DOJ to investigate the company’s activities in connection with the economic crisis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representative Ann Kirkpatrick earned a major victory on behalf of Native American Veterans today, securing passage of the Indian Veterans Housing Opportunity Act in the House of Representatives. Rep. Kirkpatrick introduced H.R. 3553 to prevent disabled Native Veterans, their families and their survivors from being denied support through the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA), and she has been working hard to ensure that the voices of Indian Country are heard in Congress.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved a $17.1 million grant for the new 120-bed Tucson State Veterans Home in Arizona.

Washington, D.C. - April 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Arizona Department of Housing today received more than $2 million from NeighborWorks America, a national non-profit created by Congress to support community revitalization, for counseling to families and individuals facing a home foreclosure. The money will be disbursed by the department’s Housing Finance Authority

April 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A free public Healing Racism forum, “Black and Brown: Building Bridges Part II,” will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, at Phoenix College Willo Room, 3110 N. 10th Ave. (northeast corner of 11th Avenue and Flower Street).

Washington, D.C. - April 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today introduced a bill with Rep. Marcy Kaptur to create a “Right to Rent” (R2R) for homeowners facing foreclosure. The bill allows a family receiving a foreclosure notice to petition a judge to stay in their home as renters under a 5-year lease. The judge would appoint an independent appraiser to set fair market rental value, which would be allowed to rise with inflation

April 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Potential homebuyers may qualify for $15,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance to help buy a foreclosed single-family home, townhouse or condominium in the city of Phoenix

TUCSON, AZ - April 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Tuesday will join with representatives of Environment Arizona in releasing a report on how solar energy can be used to power our homes, businesses, farms and neighborhoods.“This report shows the possibilities of solar energy and how solar is an achievable path to our energy security,” said Giffords. “We still have work to do before solar energy can make up a large percentage of America’s energy needs, but we are moving in the right direction.

FLAGSTAFF, AZ - April 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of Representative Ann Kirkpatrick’s continuing efforts on behalf of Native American families and Veterans, Chairwoman Maxine Waters and the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity have agreed to her request to hold a field hearing in Arizona on the important and unique housing issues facing Indian Country. Chairwoman Waters will join Rep. Kirkpatrick in Window Rock on Saturday, April 10th to receive testimony and ask questions about housing challenges for Native American communities and about the Congresswoman’s legislation to help disabled Indian Veterans keep their housing assistance.