HUD: Department Cuts Red Tape to Speed Hurricane Recovery
19 waivers offer flexibility to state and local planners The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a package of 19 regulatory and administrative waivers aimed at helping communities to accelerate their recovery from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. While HUD granted a number of individual waivers following disasters in the past,…
ABA: Prestigious Ag Banking Award Goes to Pennsylvania Banker
The American Bankers Association Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking will present Pennsylvania banker Michael H. Firestine with its annual Bruning Award for his leadership and outstanding dedication to providing credit and financial guidance to farmers, ranchers and rural businesses. The award will be presented at the ABA National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Milwaukee on…
Census Bureau: Discover America Counts Launched to Share Stories Behind the Numbers
Today, the U.S. Census Bureau announced the launch of a new content section on census.gov called America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers. Designed in the style of an online newsroom, America Counts features headlines, graphics, videos and stories about Census Bureau data. Among the current stories, you will find out where the birth rate is…
SBA: Celebrating National Veterans Small Business Week 2017 Oct. 30 through Nov. 3
The U.S. Small Business Administration will celebrate veteran, service member, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouse entrepreneurs during National Veterans Small Business Week, Oct. 30-Nov. 3. “Veteran-owned businesses are a critical pillar of the U.S. economy as they contribute more than $1.14 trillion to the nation’s annual total sales and receipts,” SBA Administrator…
SBA: 2017 InnovateHER Challenge National Competition Award Winners Announced
Linda McMahon, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, today announced the winners of the 2017 InnovateHER Challenge, the SBA’s nationwide live-pitch competition highlighting the innovative products, services, and technologies developed by visionary entrepreneurs that have a measurable impact on the lives of women and families, and in the marketplace. “It is my pleasure to…
FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Decreased in September 2017
Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages decreased from August to September, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.00 percent for loans closed in late September, down 5 basis points from 4.05 percent in August….
Federal Reserve: New Members of Community Advisory Council Announced
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced five new members of its Community Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC is composed of a diverse group of experts and representatives of consumer, workforce, and community development organizations and interests, including from such fields as affordable housing, economic development, labor, small business, and asset and wealth building. CAC…
HUD and Census Bureau: New Residential Sales Report for September 2017
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for September 2017: NEW HOME SALES Sales of new single-family houses in September 2017 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 667,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the Department…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.7 Percent in August 2017
U.S. house prices rose in August, up 0.7 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.2 percent increase in July was revised upward to 0.4 percent. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages…