As part of housing finance reform, the House Financial Service Committee passed a measure that will eventually eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and pass the job of bundling most mortgages into marketable securities to private investors. Under the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners (PATH) Act, the government would supervise …
A proposed law in the Massachusetts Legislature, MA H1116, would provide out of court dispute resolution and require water, septic and sewer inspections at each home, something the residents say is needed, but owners say it could sink them. Costing $300-$500 per septic tank, and nearly as much for the …
Campaign contributions for seven of eight newly installed GOP House committee chairmen have risen 59 percent in this year over the first six months of 2011. The 11 continuing committee chairmen only show a three percent average increase in first-half contributions this year over the same time frame two years …
Following the receipt of letters by manufactured housing community residents from landlords allegedly trying to lock them into long-term leases with built-in increases, two Del. lawmakers are holding a meeting on the new rent control measure set to become law Jan. 1. Under the new bill, community owners will be …
While the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) reports the government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) finance reform bill in the House, called the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act (PATH), is being prepared to move forward, there is no indication manufactured housing consumer financing is included. Although some industry reports say …
Manufactured Housing Finance Needs to be in Reform Bill Read More
Massachusetts’ controversial Chapter 40B provision allows developers to build housing complexes that do not conform to local zoning ordinances if the town does not have ten percent affordable housing in its stock. Belcherton, in west central Mass., has only 6.4 percent affordable housing, and its Board of Selectmen are considering …
Amendment would Change Definition of Affordable Housing Read More
Following two years of uncertainty, the U S. Senate confirmed Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by a 66-34 vote. While an outstanding lawsuit questions the original recess appointment of Cordray to the post by President Barack Obama, the confirmation solidifies the director’s position as …
Cordray Confirmed to Head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Read More
On July 10th, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), in cooperation with five other federal agencies, issued joint proposed regulations providing exemptions from appraisal requirements for certain higher-priced mortgage loans (HPMLs), which would include manufactured home loans. Imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act, mortgage loans are considered to be higher-priced if …
Exemption for certain Manufactured Housing Appraisals on Tap Read More
Joe Kelly, executive vice-president of the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association (IAMHA), reports the Manufactured Housing Political Action (MHPAC) fund has raised $16,655 this year. He says the fund began the year at zero because all the funds had been spent on the elections in 2012 to good effect: Manufactured housing …
Iowa PAC Produces Results for the Manufactured Housing Industry Read More
The U.S. Senate is considering rewriting the tax code which could eliminate housing tax incentives and thereby negatively affect all home residential construction businesses as well as home values, taxes, and the economy in general. The mortgage interest deduction and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit could both be at …
National Association of Home Builders Sounds the Alarm Read More
House Republicans, led by Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Tex., Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, are getting set to introduce mortgage finance reform legislation that will totally eliminate government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and replace them with a private system. Knowing all the features are not likely to pass, the …
The 2014 fiscal year House Appropriations Committee measure that outlines budgets for the Dept. of Housing and Urban development (HUD) contains a provision that HUD must choose a permanent administrator of the Office of Manufactured Housing within 120 days of the legislation’s enactment. Introduced by Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), if …
House Committee to HUD: Hire Manufactured Housing Administrator or Else Read More
The U. S. Dept. of Energy is developing energy standards for manufactured housing, as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), and wants input from interested parties. The focus is on the relationship between energy efficiency and indoor air quality, incentives to install energy-saving devises in …
Energy Department Seeking Comment on Air Quality Standards Read More
In its latest Housing Insights report, Fannie Mae notes that while overall home construction fell by 70 percent between 2006 and 2011, manufactured housing (MH) began declining in 1998, falling nearly 90 percent. In 2012 MH accounted for 7.4 percent of total home construction, a substantial drop from 20.2 percent …
Fannie Mae: Manufactured Housing has Challenges to Overcome Read More
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, in a speech followed by a Q and A before the Exchequer Club, said more commotion than necessary is being made about the qualified mortgage (QM) rule. He says lenders will continue lending as they have in the past, even outside the rule, …
Former beauty queen and one time manufactured home dealer JoLeigh Ares, doing business as Park Girl Sales LLC in the Rio Grande Valley area of Tex., has racked up an alleged 89 claims against her now bankrupt business totaling $2.9 million. The brownsvilleherald reports $1.5 million of the total is …
Manufactured Home Retailer, Facing Multiple Fraud Charges, Opens New Business Read More
Following a story MHProNews last covered June 11, 2013 regarding the rent justification bill in the Delaware General Assembly, lawmakers passed SB 33 but removed the requirement that increases be greater than the average annual increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the last three years. The Delaware State …
Delaware General Assembly Passes Rent Justification for Land Lease Communities Read More
A plan to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a Market Access Fund (MAF) has been proposed by two U. S. senators as well as by several analytic firms and think tanks. Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mark Warner (D-Vir.) say their reform bill would create the MAF from …
Proposal would Replace Government-Sponsored Enterprises Fannie and Freddie Read More
The transportation package that was passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Bob McDonnell includes tax increases that go into effect July 1, 2013. The titling tax for manufactured homes remains at $10, but the retail sales and use tax, which covers modular homes, will …
MHProNews has learned from charlotteobserver the North Carolina state senate has approved a tax reform plan on second reading with the third and final reading—and likely approval– set for Tue., June 18. The Republican-dominated senate bill includes a tax hike for factory-built homes. Under the new measure the sales tax …
