The Housing Crisis in Pueblo, Colorado

  Community Rally Hits One Consistent Message: Get Rid of Ed Demarco Fred and Sophia Patterson have a mortgage that was bought from Bank of America by Freddie Mac. When Mr. Patterson had his identity stolen, he lost everything, and asked for some assistance. The Pattersons accepted a temporary loan modification and continued to payContinue reading “The Housing Crisis in Pueblo, Colorado”

Introducing Chain of Title in Colorado and other Protections for Homeowners.

A term that apparently means nothing to the banks of Colorado and the Alliance affiliate, Colorado Progressive Coalition is set to make the banks understand just what that phrase means. But for homeowners: it means a lot more. A chain of title is the sequence of historical transfers of title to a property. The “chain”Continue reading “Introducing Chain of Title in Colorado and other Protections for Homeowners.”

MapLight.org

This is part eight in a series of posts that will explore some of the leading organizations from around the country that are engaged in unearthing and combating the influence of money in the political process. Role in the Landscape MapLight.org tracks the influence of money in the U.S. Congress as well as in CaliforniaContinue reading “MapLight.org”

Big Banks Must Step Up to Address the Revenue Crisis

The big banks live in a parallel universe. In their universe, the financial meltdown was beyond their power to stop.  The recession that left more than 1/10th of the American workforce unemployed is a shame they had little to do with.  The massive government bailout of the financial system was an opportunity to make aContinue reading “Big Banks Must Step Up to Address the Revenue Crisis”

Washington CAN! Holds Action Demanding Big Banks To End Foreclosures

On Tuesday, October 26th, at 11:30 a.m., more than two dozen homeowners, friends, and community members marched into Chase Bank in downtown Burien, Washington and demanded an end to foreclosures in the state. These homeowners represented just a handful of the 225,000 underwater homeowners in the state of Washington. The action, organized by Washington CAN!,Continue reading “Washington CAN! Holds Action Demanding Big Banks To End Foreclosures”

Banks and Foreclosures: Where’s the Accountability?

Over the past several weeks Bank of America, Ally, and GMAC have announced that they have will be halting foreclosures in the 23 states that require a judge to sign off on foreclosures before eviction. Did this decision come from enlightened bank management who understand what is needed to stabilize the housing market and pullContinue reading “Banks and Foreclosures: Where’s the Accountability?”

Where’s the Note: Is Your Mortgage Affected?

Recent reports show the bankers in charge of approving the foreclosure paperwork weren’t even reading what they were signing. Wall Street has bought and sold our mortgages so many times, they’ve lost track of who owns what. And now they’re getting caught red-handed. In one state, two banks tried to foreclose on the same home.Continue reading “Where’s the Note: Is Your Mortgage Affected?”

Congress Passes Financial Reform Bill!

On Thursday, July 15, Congress passed the strongest financial reform bill since the Great Depression, tightening restrictions on banks and Wall Street, cracking down on lending practices, and expanding consumer protections in order to prevent a repeat of the 2008 meltdown, the consequences from which we are still reeling. President Obama will sign the billContinue reading “Congress Passes Financial Reform Bill!”

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

In late May, seventy-five people from twelve different states gathered in Seattle for the inaugural two-day symposium of the Institute for Pragmatic Practice (IPP): “Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is: Building State Budgets that Reflect Our Values.”