Update June 29 – Supreme Court Ruling – The U.S. Supreme Court refused to lift a ban on evictions for tenants who have failed to pay all or some rent during the coronavirus pandemic. By a 5-4 vote, the court left in place the nationwide moratorium on evictions issued by the CDC. The Alabama Association […]
FHA Again Backs DACA Mortgages
In one of the Trump administration’s last acts, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) declared that the Federal Housing Administration will once again back mortgages for immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. HUD said DACA recipients who are legally permitted to work in the U.S. are eligible to apply […]
Oct. 5 – CVAR Connect
CVAR’s COVID-19 Resources REALTORS®: Updates & Guidelines What’s Happening at CVAR under COVID-19 restrictions Latest COVID-19 Updates from C.A.R. Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS® is conducting all business remotely. Meetings and classes presented by CVAR will be online and free of charge (see classes below). ____________ Online at CVAR Oct. 5 | CRMLS Training – Matrix, Agent Essentials Oct. […]
HUD’s Alters Fair Housing Rule
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officially repealed the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, replacing it with a rule titled “Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice.” The 2015 AFFH rule required all local, state, and public housing officials to use the Affirmatively Fair Housing Assessment Tool, which uses HUD data and questionnaires […]
Building Exceeds Expectations
Housing starts and permits shattered expectations in July, both hitting recent highs for residential construction. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, starts spiked 22.6% from the revised June estimate — the largest month-over-month gain since October 2016. That annualized pace is up 23.4% from July 2019, and […]
Trump Scraps Fair Housing Rule
Trump and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, led by Ben Carson, last week officially scrapped a rule meant to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Enshrined in 2015, the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing policy held communities accountable for providing fair housing by requiring any town that wanted to receive HUD […]
What Agents Should Know About Fair Housing Violations
Discrimination in housing can be a serious issue for real estate agents if they’re not adequately educated and informed on the latest federal and state fair housing guidelines. Unfortunately, fair housing laws are sometimes skimmed over in professional training and continuing education courses as well as at brokerage sales meetings. These laws are extremely important and […]
Trump Names FHA Nominee
The Trump administration announced last Thursday it plans to nominate Dana Wade to serve as HUD’s assistant secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner, a role that would put her in charge of the Federal Housing Administration. Brian Montgomery holds that role now, and is currently awaiting a full Senate vote to confirm him as […]
Oct. 28 CVAR At A Glance
Featured Classes and Events Oct. 28 | License Renewal Crash Course Oct. 31 | Halloween – Boo! Nov. 4 | CRMLS Training – Free – Glendora Nov. 5 | Maximize Downpayment Assistance – CVAR East (Rancho Cucamonga) Nov. 6 | Relevant Agent 2020 – Covenant House Fundraiser Nov. 7 | CVAR Caravan – Speaker HUD’s Nancy […]
What ‘Affordable’ Looks Like
Communities often oppose “affordable housing” because they think it’s for the destitute. But these days, middle-income earners usually qualify for “affordable housing.” Affordable housing could be more accurately termed “workforce housing.” One REALTOR® describes a difficult transaction that not only involved an individual buyer, but also the local community, which at first opposed her development […]