Home Loan Focus

This recession has been dubbed as possibly one of the worst in history, maybe even worse than the recession experienced during the Great Depression in economic terms.  Therefore it is becoming more and more common for people that previously had great credit, great jobs, great income and even a great deal of savings to suddenly find themselves on the other end of a barrage of collections calls.

With collectors getting access to not only home and work number but also cell phone numbers, the calls can seem to come at 15 minute intervals all day long.  This ironically makes it very difficult to get any work done, find a job, drum up new business or even think straight.

Fortunately, Google Voice can provide you with a service that is possibly the next best thing to hiring a lawyer to chase the collectors away.

All you have to do is set up your phone numbers in Google Voice.  Then you add the phone numbers of collectors into your Google Contacts list and set each of these numbers to go directly to your Google Voice Voicemail and if you like you can even have any message (if they actually leave a message) transcribed automatically into text and emailed to you.

Not only do you have a perfect record of every single collections call, but you have transcripts and a recorded voice file as well.

This is even better if you HAVE already hired a lawyer and are in the process of filing bankruptcy.  If collectors have not stopped calling you as required, this becomes a means of documenting their misdeeds systematically and without any additional effort on your part.

Stimulus will kick in this year – Obama

Read full story for latest details.

Source: Stimulus will kick in this year – Obama

Banks could shortchange taxpayers

The Treasury Department is at risk of short-changing taxpayers by not collecting enough from banks trying to get out from under the government’s thumb, according to a panel that watches over the federal bailout program.

Source: Banks could shortchange taxpayers

Trade gap narrows to smallest in a decade

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Source: Trade gap narrows to smallest in a decade

HUD urges families receiving disaster housing assistance
to apply for rental vouchers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is urging families still receiving Katrina/Rita transitional housing assistance to contact HUD to ensure that they are considered for rental vouchers, which are not time limited. A toll-free number, 1-800-955-2232, has been set up to make the process as easy as possible.

Source: http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-115.cfm

Secretary Donovan awards over a billion dollars in Recovery Act Funding to prevent homelessness across the country

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $1.2 billion to over 400 communities across the nation to rapidly re-house families who fall into homelessness, or prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place. The funding is provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help persons and families facing a sudden financial crisis that could lead to homelessness. To view the list of grantees receiving funding under this round of grants, visit HUD’s Recovery Act website.

Source: http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-113.cfm

HUD issues 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today issued its 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, a national study that explores changes in homelessness nationwide. HUD’s assessment concludes that while overall homelessness in America held fairly steady from 2007 to 2008, the number of homeless families, particularly those living in suburban and rural areas, increased.

Source: http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-108.cfm

Secretary Donovan approves Cincinnati’s Recovery Act Plan to revitalize neighborhoods and create jobs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today approved the City of Cincinnati’s plan to use a $3.5 million federal grant to help stabilize and revive local neighborhoods, rehabilitate affordable housing, and improve key public facilities. Funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program will support state and local community development while stimulating employment.

Source: http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-111.cfm