WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — In a letter to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) asked that new Senate regulations on the financial services industry include Fattah’s mortgage relief provisions that are contained in H.R. 4173, the Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act of 2009. more »

Harrisburg, PA - March 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) held its annual homeownership program awards banquet to honor its leading lenders at the Hilton Harrisburg on February 23, 2010. PHFA’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Hudson, and PHFA’s Director of Homeownership Programs, Kate Newton, awarded certificates honoring the Agency’s top ten lenders for 2009. The top broker was also recognized, as well as the top local program administrator for the Renovate & Repair program. PHFA relies on a network of about 130 lenders and brokers who have been approved and trained to participate in the Agency’s home purchase loan programs. The lenders originate, process and close the loans, and then sell them to the Agency. PHFA then services the loans until they are paid in full. more »

Harrisburg, PA - March 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — As neighborhood deterioration continues to sweep through Pennsylvania’s urban areas, particularly in Philadelphia, a plan to fight blight proposed by Rep. John Taylor (R-Philadelphia) was endorsed last week by Dan Kildee, a leading national expert on land banking. more »

Harrisburg, PA - March 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Rep. Stephen E. Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) is calling on House Democrat leaders to bring House Bill 60 to the floor for a vote so Pennsylvania can take full advantage of federal affordable housing funds. The bill was scheduled for consideration on Monday, but Barrar believes it was later pulled from the calendar due to amendments that would ban groups like ACORN from receiving any funding from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). more »

Harrisburg, PA - March 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Starting in April, funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will make it possible for tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians to reduce their energy consumption and save money through a new rebate program for home heating equipment, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today. more »

Harrisburg, PA - March 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — In an effort to provide property tax relief to Pennsylvania’s disabled veterans, Rep. Thomas P. Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) is joining with Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Lehigh/Berks) to introduce a pair of bills designed to help disabled veterans. more »

Philadelphia, PA - March 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — The Philadelphia Housing Authority announced today it would begin accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program on-line, through its Web site, pha.phila.gov. The announcement comes as the agency opens its voucher program waiting list for applications for the first time since 2000. The application period begins Tuesday, March 2 and closes Monday, March 15. more »

Pittsburgh, PA - February 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, February 16, 2010, that Jason Jester, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to five years of probation, including four months of home detention, on his conviction of wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. more »

February 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — A Bucks County estate featuring an enchanting stone farmhouse on 2.86 acres of manicured property is scheduled to go on the auction block next month.

Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Co., a national auctioneer of elite properties, has scheduled the auction for Thursday, March 18 at 1 p.m. at the estate, 6739 Upper York Road, New Hope (Solebury Township). Bidding will start at $750,000. The estate was originally listed at $1,495,000. more »

Reading, PA - February 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Additional hope for first-time homebuyers arrived today with Sovereign Bank delivering yet another grant to the highly successful Our City Reading initiative.

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (PA-06) served as keynote speaker at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts during a lunchtime event at which Our City Reading founder Albert Boscov and other community leaders participated in the presentation of a $250,000 grant, clearing the way for 50 additional properties for first-time homebuyers of limited means. more »

HARRISBURG, PA - February 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Foreclosure relief checks totaling more than $2.7 million have been mailed to several hundred Pennsylvania consumers as part of a multi-state settlement with Countrywide Financial Corporation. more »

HARRISBURG, PA - February 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Tom Corbett today cautioned Pennsylvania consumers to be alert for possible scams linked to online ads for rental homes and apartments, along with Internet “for sale” ads and auctions for cars, motorcycles and other items. more »

CONSHOCKEN, PA - February 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) PA/Southern NJ/DE state director and president of Metro Commercial Real Estate, Steven Gartner, will host the annual Economic Review and Forecast on February 9, 2010 at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge. more »

Bethlehem, PA - February 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Charlie Dent (PA-15) announced today that the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank) is making a $250,000 grant to a Bethlehem-based nonprofit so it can complete work on the renovation of a property in Downtown Allentown and expand its outreach to the chronically homeless. The grant is sponsored by KNBT, a division of National Penn Bank. more »

Five Former GIANT Locations Available for Sublease in the PA Market

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA - January 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Metro Commercial announced today that they have been selected by GIANT Food Stores to sublease five of their surplus locations in Pennsylvania.   The Giant-Carlisle Division of Ahold USA, headquartered in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is a leading supermarket chain in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia with grocery stores operating under the names of GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets. more »