LEGISLATION
PROPERTY TAX
REGULATORY
IMPORTANT ISSUES

Fri, Mar 05

In response to a June 2008 joint letter from NAR and Washington RESPA attorney Jay Varon, HUD General Counsel, Helen R. Kanovski, provided informal answers to questions regarding what are often referred to as administrative fees or similarly named fees charged to consumers in real estate transactions. The January 22, 2010 letter discusses the ways to account for charges and circumstances where charges are appropriate or less appropriate. The letter notes that all charges to sellers and buyers must be disclosed on line 700 of the HUD-1 and that RESPA does not prescribe how an agent or broker determines the charge, noting it could be a flat fee, percentage, or combination of both. The letter c...
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Fri, Jan 25

This bill would make permanent the three-year suspension of the state equalization property tax. [Note: the suspension is due to expire in 2009. This tax is also called the county equalization assistance for education property tax] To read the bill in its entirety, please visit: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1002p.pdf ...
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Wed, Apr 23

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) held a hearing on Wednesday, April 16, to receive testimony on H.R. 2421, the Clean Water Restoration Act. The bill is sponsored by T&I Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), who is seeking to overturn two recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding jurisdiction over wetlands. The bill seeks to broaden the scope of federal jurisdiction over waters by removing the term "navigable" and replacing it with the term "waters of the United States," a term that opponents of the legislation would dramatically increase federal jurisdiction. NAR strongly opposes this legislation and is working wit...
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Thu, Dec 17

© A/P 2009 Citigroup Inc. will suspend foreclosures and evictions for 30 days in a temporary break for about 4,000 borrowers during the holiday season. The New York-based bank said Thursday the suspension will run from Friday through Jan. 17. It applies only to borrowers whose loans are owned by Citi. Borrowers who make payments to Citi but whose loans are owned by other investors are out of luck. "We want our borrowers to have a much less stressful time, to spend their time with their families during the holidays as opposed to worrying about their homes," Sanjiv Das, head of the company's mortgage division, said in an interview. Read more....
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VOTER REGISTRATION

IS YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION CURRENT? – If you have moved, changed your name or political party please be sure to update your voter registration.

You can register online through Service Arizona EZ Voter registration at https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/
Or you can request a mail in form from your county recorders office at http://www.azsos.gov/election/county.htm

As a reminder, you must have a valid picture ID with your current address on it in order to vote at the polls. If you need to update your address on your ID, you can go to: http://servicearizona.com/ and change it online. A new copy of your drivers license or state ID card will be sent to you for $5.

Fri, Mar 05

Fannie and Freddie Are Right to Force Bad Mortgages Back to Banks

Fri, Mar 05

Both sides dig in as health-care endgame nears

Thu, Feb 04

AAR Winter Conference

Borrowers to Banks: Show Me the Money

A Warehouses Gamble Sours in Phoenix

King: Blue Dogs on voters' short leash over health care

Hoyer: Health reform too good to pass up

Wyandotte County government OKs lower 2010 budget

Loss makes Corus Bank “critically undercapitalized”