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LANSING, MI - April 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Granholm Administration today unveiled the state's proposed plan to distribute $154.5 million in federal funds beginning this summer that should help more than 17,000 Michigan households avoid foreclosure, including 11,000 homeowners who are currently drawing unemployment benefits and are struggling to make monthly mortgage payments.

April 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In the fall of 2008, America suffered a devastating economic assault. It left deep wounds: millions lost their jobs; millions lost their homes. Good businesses shut down. Financial markets froze, the stock market plummeted, and once valuable securities turned worthless. Storied financial firms teetered on the edge or went under. The contagion spread worldwide. And in October 2008, American taxpayers were hit with a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that Washtenaw County, Michigan is being awarded a $250,000 grant to produce 30 new affordable green rental units in Ann Arbor. The County will use Avalon Housing, Inc., an established community-based affordable housing developer, to create these new apartments which will feature a sustainable site design, water-conserving fixtures, energy-efficient appliances/lighting, and environmentally friendly building materials.

LANSING, MI - April 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Recently, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed into law a bill establishing a new per occupant fee as part of the licensing and inspection process for migrant labor housing in Michigan. The $5 per occupancy fee is paid by growers at the time of their application to help offset general fund budget reductions to the Michigan Department of Agriculture's (MDA) Migrant Labor Housing Inspection Program

LANSING, MI - March 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michigan Senate Democrats continued to combat the negative impact of home foreclosure on Michigan families today with their effort to lower property taxes for homeowners in communities hit hard by foreclosure. The amendment to Senate Bill 395 would have required tax collectors to consider foreclosed homes in a neighborhood when determining property values and taxes. The amendment was defeated by the Republican Majority on a party line vote.

LANSING, MI - March 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR), the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR) today announced a settlement with CitiFinancial regarding the firm’s failure to report 91,127 residential mortgage loans, including more than 4,000 in Michigan, to the federal government as required by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The settlement requires CitiFinancial to pay a $63,457 penalty to the State of Michigan, which will be put into the Mortgage Brokers, Lenders, and Servicers Licensing Act Fund and used to support OFIR’s mortgage examination and licensing programs

March 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Comfort Inn & Suites Hotel and Conference Center, located in Mt. Pleasant, has earned Green Lodging Michigan (GLM) Steward certification from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).

March 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, during National Consumer Protection Week, Michigan's Automobile and Home Insurance Consumer Advocate Melvin Butch Hollowell announced he has been appointed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to the position of Consumer Liaison Representative. The NAIC has also listed Hollowell in its newly-created Consumer Expert Database

WASHINGTON, DC - March 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, made the following statement after the committee held a hearing to review proposals designed to create jobs by making buildings energy efficient. The committee heard testimony from Terrence Mierzwa with Consumers Energy, headquartered in Jackson as well as Larry Laseter with Masco Home Services located in Taylor. The committee considered three proposals, including two supported by Senator Stabenow, the Building Star Energy Efficiency Act and the Home Star Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program.

LANSING, MI - March 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Senator Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) offered the following statement on the need to protect Michigan consumers from foreclosure scams, and her legislation to help do so. Senate Bill 930, Whitmer's legislation to develop qualifications and regulations on foreclosure consultants, was introduced in October 2009 and is currently awaiting action by the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owner and property manager of a 48-unit apartment complex in Ann Arbor, Mich., alleging that the defendants discriminated on the basis of race or color in the rental of apartments, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced.

LANSING, MI - February 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) has shut down another operation claiming to be a Detroit-based mortgage company. This time the agency ordered an operation called “Decoster Financial Group” to cease and desist from doing business. OFIR believes that Decoster, through its website, http://www.decosterfinancialgroup.com, was posing as a legitimate mortgage company in an attempt to steal consumers’ money and identity. The fraudulent company was encouraging customers to apply for loans by providing personal information including social security and financial account numbers. Earlier this month, OFIR shut down a similar Detroit operation referred to as “Kenneth and Doyle Financial” and has put an end to a number of these fraudulent financial companies in the last year

February 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- State Historic Preservation Office architect Bryan Lijewski will meet with Monroe property owners and developers at a free workshop on Thursday, February 18. The event is being presented by the Monroe Historic District Commission.

LANSING, MI - February 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) shut down an operation claiming to be a Detroit-based mortgage company called “Kenneth and Doyle Financial” by ordering it to cease and desist from doing business. OFIR believes that Kenneth, through its website, was posing as a legitimate mortgage company in an attempt to steal consumers’ money and identity. The fraudulent company was encouraging customers to apply for loans by providing personal information including social security and financial account numbers.

February 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today noted that the Michigan Department of Treasury is now processing Michigan Home Heating Credits (HHC) for the 2009 tax year. The credit assists low-income customers with winter energy bills