You're the GOP. How do you take a hurricane
hitting Louisiana on the 3rd anniversary of your Katrina clusterf*ck and spin it to your advantage

(good luck again to the people of Louisiana and the gulf. Latest hurricane track here)

Serious question. You know there are overpaid political consultants running game theory all weekend on this one. Let's give 'em a hand... My prediction? The GOP postpones their convention. This will be big, big news. Other ideas:

1) Have Bush and Cheney skip the convention so they can get to New Orleans and man the crisis center and serve hot dogs to their victims (oops, I mean the hurricane's victims)

2) Cancel the convention all together. It was gonna be tough to put a happy face on the horsesh*t of the past seven years anyway

3) Say that all these hurricanes and government shelters are working out pretty well for Louisianans, since their homes were crashing in value and they didn't have jobs anyway

4) Use the oil supply disruption in the Gulf as an excuse to drill for more oil in places that won't get taken out by hurricanes, like Malibu and Hilton Head

5) Have John McCain give his acceptance speech from a hurricane shelter, dressed in military gear, wearing a POW hat, carrying a gun, chewing tobacco

6) Have Kanye West perform his new song "George Bush Loves Black People" at the convention

7) Blame gays and abortion for creating a vengeful god who hits America with hurricanes to send America a message that they should continue to vote Republican, The Party of God

8) Have Bush give another birthday cake to McCain as all hell breaks loose, and let a convention center full of rich white people party while on the CNN split screen a state full of poor black people suffers




Read The Full Article:
http://housingpanic.blogspot.com/2008/08/youre-gop-how-do-you-take-hurricane.html

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Jim Cramer says FDIC has no plan

His solution - dump the crap on the US taxpayer. Get popcorn. The sh*t is gonna hit the fan. Especially with incompetent way-over-her-head monkeys like Sheila Bair running the joint. And get ready for the mother of all bailouts HP'ers. RTC2. RTC on steriods. Bankers and speculators gambled. And you and I get stuck with the tab.

Cramer: The FDIC Needs a Plan -- Now

Jim Cramer says the FDIC desperately needs to find a way to dispose of its assets.

Read The Full Article:
http://housingpanic.blogspot.com/2008/08/jim-cramer-says-fdic-has-no-plan.html

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Talking about Have Hurricanes met their match

 

Yet One More New Goodie In The World Of Building & Housing! 

Have Hurricanes met their match?


Aug. 28: A new product called "Storm Stoppers" claims to repel debris that can crash through windows during heavy storms. Company CEO John D. Smith explains.

Apella Saves Money

 McKissock Real Estate & Appraisal School 10% Discount Via Apella

 

Read The Full Article:
http://apellatabletalk.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!279E88EA9A2B42C5!1953.entry

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Talking about Geothermal energy heating up

 

Have You Come A Long Way Baby Geo-Thermo... Or Do You Still Need A Little More To Be Better? 

Geothermal energy heating up


Aug. 28: Climatemaster president Dave Ellis talks to CNBC's Mark Haines and Erin Burnett about his company's energy-efficient geothermal based heating and cooling systems.

Apella Saves Money

 McKissock Real Estate & Appraisal School 10% Discount Via Apella

 

 

Read The Full Article:
http://apellatabletalk.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!279E88EA9A2B42C5!1950.entry

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Going Green Can Save You Money

Today many people are looking to conserve energy and “green” their homes.Did you know that Florida homes, air conditioning accounts for 40-50% or more of your electric bill?The top 9 items you can do to lower your monthly electrical bill as related to your air conditioning system’s electrical consumption. 1 - Keep your thermostat at 78 [...]Click here to learn about Pelican Marsh in Naples Florida.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.adeltarealty.net/blog/naples-homes/energysavings/

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Talking about Building a $35 billion city

 

Could This Be The Way For The Rebuild Of U.S. Infer-Structure? 

Building a $35 billion city


Aug. 27: Songdo IBD, the world's largest real estate project, is currently being built along South Korea's coast. John Hynes from Gale International explains to CNBC why the city for 65,000 is being built all at once.

Apella Saves Money

 McKissock Real Estate & Appraisal School 10% Discount Via Apella

 

Read The Full Article:
http://apellatabletalk.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!279E88EA9A2B42C5!1947.entry

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Who says you own your house

Teranet does! Teranet is an 'Income Trust' that operates the electronic Land Registry system in Ontario, by authority of the Provincial Government and holds a monopoly on recording real estate transactions in Ontario that lasts through 2017. Teranet takes a...

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TorontoRealEstateBlog/~3/377568200/who-says-you-ow
.html

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Four Arrested In Ne Texas Probe Involving Broad
Scheme

In the following press release Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced that three previously indicted defendants operating a Navarro Countymortgage scam were arrested Thursday by Texas Attorney General GregAbbott?s investigators and other authorities. The arrests tie to newbut related charges stemming from their more recent Kaufman Countyoperations.

Kandace Marriott, 52, and Darrell L. Marriott, 55,of Gun Barrel City in Henderson County, as well as their daughter,Kally Marriott, 22, of Dallas County who has not been indicted, werearrested at their residences. They are being held on $5 million bondeach in Kaufman County. Another defendant indicted in February, KarenHayes, 57, of Kemp in Kaufman County surrendered to authoritiesThursday and is also under $5 million bond.

Media links
Karen Hayes
Darrell Marriott
Kandace Marriott
Kally Marriott
TheOffice of the Attorney General received assistance from the KaufmanCounty Criminal District Attorney?s Office, the FBI and the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development?s (HUD) Office of InspectorGeneral. Attorney General Abbott?s Criminal Prosecutions Division isleading the prosecution of the four defendants with the cooperation ofdistrict attorneys? offices in Navarro, Henderson and Ellis counties.

Thefour, three of whom were previously indicted in Navarro County inFebruary on separate but related felonies, were arrested and chargedwith five new felony offenses in Kaufman County. They schemed to forgesignatures and falsify home loan applications for prospectivehomeowners who would not have qualified for loans backed by HUD. Theyare charged with:

• Engaging in organized criminal activity;
  
• Making false statements to obtain property or credit;
  
• Securing the execution of documents by deception;
  
• Misapplication of fiduciary property;
  
• Money laundering

Thefour have operated a Kaufman County real estate business since late2005 known as Torenia Inc., doing business as Energy Homes. Because thefour continued to operate this allegedly fraudulent enterprise evenafter the announcement of the Navarro County indictments last February? and have continued to operate this business until last week ?Attorney General Abbott?s prosecutors sought and received a court orderFriday increasing their bonds to $100,000 each in the pending NavarroCounty case. The four closed their previous Navarro County business,One Way Home & Land, after litigation and investigations in late2005 and moved their enterprise to Kaufman County under a new assumedname, Torenia.

Another defendant indicted in Navarro County lastMarch, employee Bret Harwell, 45, pleaded guilty Friday in districtcourt to securing the execution of a document by deception, a statejail felony. He will serve two years probation. One other defendant,Debra Grace, 47, pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony charge ofsecuring the execution of a document by deception. She was placed oneight years probation.

The alleged scheme to defraud HUD costthe federal government and taxpayers millions of dollars. According tothe state?s enforcement action, the four supervised the falsificationof residential loan applications to ensure that the buyers? loans wouldbe approved by mortgage lenders. Investigators found that thedefendants repeatedly falsified supporting documents and information,including the buyers? rent payment verification statements, proof ofemployment and information about Social Security Administrationbenefits, among other documents.

The defendants targetedlower-income purchasers whose residential loans would be guaranteed byHUD. As a result, when unqualified buyers soon defaulted on their homeloans, their mortgage lenders did not suffer the losses. Rather, HUD asguarantor of the loans, had to cover these costs. In the Navarro Countyscheme, investigators believe the four cost the taxpayers more than $3million.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mortgagefraud.org/journal/2008/8/28/four-arrested-in-ne-texas-probe-in
volving-broad-scheme.html

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Auction at Lake Las Vegas

Bargains at Lake Las Vegas

If you haven't been keeping up on real estate news in the Las Vegas valley, there have been several developers that have filed bankruptcy. Most of the projects involved were nothing more than a plot of land or the shell of a building, but not all. Lake Las Vegas resort filed some time ago and is auctioning off some property.

The auction will take place on Saturday, September 13th, 4 p.m. The properties to be auctioned include 11 fully furnished condominiums with five selling absolute (studios to two bedroom units), 12 luxury homes (three to five bedroom, some fully furnished) and four homes sites.

Lake Las Vegas real estate offers some of the most luxurious residences available in the Las Vegas valley. There are luxury condominium communities and several neighborhoods of semi-custom and custom luxury homes. The community has several events throughout the year, not to mention various water sports and great golfing.

For listings of Lake Las Vegas homes or information about the upcoming auction, call me at 702-493-8033.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.lvrealty.net/news/auction-lake-las-vegas

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Illinois AG files suit against foreclosure rescue
company

In the following press release Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today continued her aggressivelegal fight against mortgage fraud by filing a lawsuit against aClearwater, Fla., company which operates a rescue fraud scheme thatpreys on vulnerable homeowners on the verge of foreclosure. This is the14th lawsuit Attorney General Madigan has brought against mortgagerescue fraud companies.

Madigan filed suit in Cook County against Law & Associates LLC,and its managing member, Thomas E. Law, II, alleging the defendantsviolated the Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act and the Consumer Fraud andDeceptive Business Practices Act by falsely promising to help consumerssave their homes after falling behind on their mortgage payments.According to the complaint, the defendants charged consumers up to$1,900 and promised to provide mortgage foreclosure rescue servicesthat they either failed to perform the services or only performedineffective services. Attorney General Madigan?s Consumer Fraud Bureauhas directly received one complaint relating to the defendant and 68complaints referred from the Better Business Bureau.

?In the midst of the mortgage foreclosure crisis, unscrupulouspeople are using so-called mortgage rescue scams to prey on vulnerablehomeowners,? Attorney General Madigan said. ?I am continuing to takeaggressive action against these illegal schemes to send the messagethat their deceptive and fraudulent practices are not welcome inIllinois.?

Madigan?s lawsuit alleges Law & Associates market mortgagerescue services to at-risk homeowners, encouraging them to call atoll-free number where they are told there is an upfront fee of $1,990for mortgage rescue services. Consumers who indicate they cannot affordthe charge are offered a reduced rate of $1,800 on a payment plan thatmust be paid in full prior to them receiving any mortgage rescueservices. The defendants also promise desperate homeowners that theservice fee is refundable if the company is not able to successfullynegotiate an agreement with the homeowners? mortgage lenders or providea ?viable strategy? to avoid foreclosure. The lawsuit alleges thedefendants fail to provide the services promised and fail to refund theservice fee.

Madigan?s suit asks the court to prohibit the defendants fromengaging in mortgage rescue practices. The suit also seeks a civilpenalty of $50,000, additional penalties of $50,000 for every violationfound to have been committed with the intent to defraud, and a $10,000penalty for each violation committed against a person 65 years orolder. Further, the suit asks the court to rescind the contracts signedas a result of these deceptive practices and offer full restitution toaffected consumers. Finally, Madigan?s suit asks the court to order thedefendants to pay all costs associated with the investigation andprosecution of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is part of Madigan?s ongoing work to curtail theforeclosure crisis and help Illinois families stay in their homes.Madigan?s office has sued 14 mortgage rescue companies to stopdeceptive practices and successfully participated in three multi-statesettlements against major subprime lenders: Household Finance,Ameriquest and First Alliance Mortgage Company. To date, Madigan?soffice has obtained nearly $900 million in enforcement actions againstthese lenders.

Last year, Madigan announced a comprehensive strategy to address thelooming home foreclosure crisis in Illinois. As part of this effort,Madigan?s office hosted a statewide home ownership preservation summitin July 2007, bringing together more than 100 participants from themortgage lending industry, consumer advocacy groups and governmentagencies to identify problems and look for solutions to mortgageforeclosures.

On the legislative front, Madigan worked to pass the High Risk HomeLoan Act of 2003, and drafted the Mortgage Rescue Fraud Act of 2006,which was designed to deter scam artists from preying on vulnerablehomeowners on the verge of foreclosure. The Attorney General alsoinitiated and drafted the Illinois Homeownership Protection Act, a newlaw that tightens controls on brokers and lenders to prevent consumersfrom being unwittingly locked into questionable loan terms.

Madigan also has sued mortgage giant Countrywide Home Loans, Inc.,for deceptive and fraudulent loan origination practices. Additionally,she has issued fair lending subpoenas to Countrywide and Wells FargoFinancial Illinois, Inc., to determine whether these companies steeredAfrican American and Latino borrowers into higher cost or otherwiseinappropriate home loans in violation of fair lending and civil rightslaws.

Madigan urged Illinois homeowners who are facing foreclosure toimmediately contact their mortgage company or a HUD-certified housingcounselor for assistance. To get a referral to a certified housingcounselor or to learn more about the steps to take to avoidforeclosure, homeowners can call Madigan?s Homeowners? Referral Helpline at 1-866-544-7151 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Homeowners also can visit Attorney General Madigan?s Web site at www.IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov, to access the Illinois Mortgage Lending Guide,a resource manual containing step-by-step instructions for thosestruggling to make their loan payments and a list of HUD-certifiedcounseling agencies that offer default counseling services. Homeownerswho do not have easy access to the Internet should call the AttorneyGeneral?s Referral Helpline to request a copy of the guide by mail.

Assistant Attorney General Kevin Rouse is handling the case for Madigan?s Consumer Fraud Bureau.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mortgagefraud.org/journal/2008/8/28/illinois-ag-files-suit-against-for
eclosure-rescue-company.html

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