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PITTSBURGH, PA - November 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A resident of Blairsville, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to 41 months in prison on his conviction of wire fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Harrisburg, PA - November 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Energy’s designation of Allentown-based AFC First Financial Corporation as a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR sponsor means Pennsylvania families that pursue money-saving home energy-efficiency improvements through the Keystone Home Energy Loan Program will benefit from higher standards, State Treasurer Rob McCord said today.

Harrisburg, PA - November 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Treasury holds more than $315,000 in unclaimed property that belongs to veterans, active duty personnel, and military support organizations, and State Treasurer Rob McCord wants to help return this property to its rightful owners.

Philadelphia, PA - November 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Veteran’s Day was celebrated by Congressman Bob Brady (D., PA) at the dedication of the brand new Robert G. Brady Veterans Center at the HELP Philadelphia Homes, in Southwest Philadelphia.

HARRISBURG, PA - November 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Outreach teams currently providing storm-damage repair and rebuilding advice in Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Montgomery counties will continue doing so for another week.

HARRISBURG - November 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Stephen E. Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) announced today that Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is now accepting applications for cash grants and crisis grants.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is charging a Philadelphia condominium association with violating the Fair Housing Act for refusing to revise its “no pets” policy as a reasonable accommodation for condominium residents with disabilities who required assistance animals. HUD's charge alleges that The Philadelphian Owners' Association (POA), which manages the 776-unit Philadelphian condominium complex, requiredthat residents provide burdensome and invasive medical documentation before requests for accommodation would be considered, severely limited access to the complex's facilities for residents accompanied by assistance animals, and failed to address several instances of harassment of residents requiring assistance animals.

HARRISBURG, PA - October 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today announced that it exceeded its $105 million allocation from the federal government through the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program by approximately $3 million.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following Tropical Storm Lee.

Philadelphia, PA - September 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Negotiations for a new union contract covering more than 2,600 property service workers in Philadelphia began on Friday between 32BJ and representatives of the real estate industry. 32BJ presented its contract proposals to leaders of Building Owners Labor Relations, Inc. (BOLR), an organization representing Philadelphia’s major commercial office building owners, managers, and cleaning companies such as ABM Industries, Inc., The Arthur Jackson Company, and Shellville Facility Services

HARRISBURG, PA - September 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency is encouraging homeowners in danger of foreclosure to contact an approved counseling agency and submit their applications for the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program on or before Friday, Sept. 16 to allow adequate time for processing.

Harrisburg, PA - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania is a statewide membership organization working to increase the availability of homes within reach of all Pennsylvanians, especially those with low incomes. Our members include nonprofit and for profit developers, social service and homeless providers, housing counselors, local government officials, lawyers, bankers, real estate professionals, and people in need of affordable homes. We are all working to balance the housing market so that supply more closely matches the demand for affordable homes.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has charged the owner and manager of Breckenridge Plaza Apartments in Phoenixville, PA, with violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children. Breckenridge Plaza, Inc., and Morris Zelikovsky were charged with making discriminatory statements, including in advertisements on craigslist.org, indicating a preference against families with children, offering different rental terms and conditions to families with children, and discouraging families with children from applying for housing.

HARRISBURG, PA - July 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The board of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency yesterday conditionally approved $11.2 million in funding and approximately $30 million in tax credits for the construction of affordable multifamily housing developments located throughout Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding in April.

HARRISBURG, PA - June 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Wondering where your property tax or rent rebate payment is? State Treasurer Rob McCord provided an answer today when he said Treasury will issue approximately half a million payments totaling $240 million to Pennsylvanians on July 1.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - June 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Edward G. And Jacqueline McCusker, both 47, of New Hope, PA, were convicted today in connection with a $14.6 million mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in at least 35 fraudulent mortgage loans, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The couple was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of wire fraud and three counts of mail fraud. Edward McCusker was also convicted of an additional count of mail fraud. The McCuskers operated Axxium Mortgage, Inc., along with co-defendant John Bariana who pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Co-defendants Jeffrey A. Bennett and Stephen G. Doherty, owners of the Doylestown law firm Bennett & Doherty, P.C., also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing

ERIE, PA - June 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord – seeking to reunite more than $650,000 in unclaimed property with the state’s K-12 schools – visited the Erie City School District today to return over $20,000 to administrators there, and he said the returned money should be used to help preserve educational opportunities in challenging economic times.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - June 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gennaro Rauso, 47, of Trenton, NJ, was sentenced today to 160 months in prison for several mortgage fraud related charges, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Rauso owned and operated a real estate management company—D&B Property Investors—that purported to help financially distressed homeowners with their foreclosure problems

PHILADELPHIA, PA - May 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kirk H. Kirby, 40, of Capital Heights, Maryland, and Sholonda Y. Johnson, 39, of Philadelphia, were sentenced today to 60 months and 30 months in prison, respectively, in connection with a real estate investment scheme, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Kirby and Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts each of wire fraud in connection with a real estate investment scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses to lenders. Kirby owned and operated Invictus Financial Group ("IFG"), located in Havertown, PA. Johnson was a loan officer at various mortgage brokerage companies.