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CHICAGO, IL - July 25, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn continued his long history of fighting for consumers today by signing two new laws to help Illinois residents avoid risky home loans and protect those who are in debt from being unfairly sent to jail. The new laws increase protections for families from High Risk Home Loans and Refund Anticipation Loans and also establish stringent new guidelines before a borrower can be sent to jail following non-payment of debt

SPRINGFIELD, IL - July 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home sales surged 18 percent over previous year levels, with data released today by the Illinois Association of REALTORS® showing signs that the state’s housing market is strengthening.

Chicago, IL - July 17, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that up to $3 million in funding from the national foreclosure settlement reached this year will be used to fund new mortgage foreclosure mediation programs in Illinois counties where such programs currently do not exist.

Chicago, IL - July 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Lisa Madigan together with the Department of Justice announced a $175 million nationwide settlement today with Wells Fargo over allegations that the bank steered borrowers of color into subprime loans more frequently than comparable white borrowers and charged borrowers of color more money for their mortgages than white borrowers were charged. The settlement will provide at least $15 million in restitution to impacted Illinois borrowers, while an additional $7 million will create a fund for down payment assistance. Currently, approximately 3,300 Illinois borrowers are estimated to be victims of discrimination by Wells Fargo.

CHICAGO, IL - July 11, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- July 10, 2012. In an effort to provide relief to residents facing high energy bills in the wake of the recent heat wave, Governor Pat Quinn today announced that applications will be accepted for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) beginning July 11. Through LIHEAP, utility bill payments are made on behalf of households with incomes of up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level

CHICAGO, IL - July 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law that will help more Illinois Veterans find employment following their service to our country, an important measure he proposed during his State of the State address in February.

SPRINGFIELD - June 25, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Illinois Department on Aging Director John K. Holton, Ph.D., is reminding Illinois seniors about their last chance to get approved for Circuit Breaker property tax grants before the program ends July 1. The Circuit Breaker program provides grants to eligible seniors and persons with disabilities to help them reduce the costs of property taxes, license plate renewals and rides on public transit. After June 30, property tax grants will no longer be available. The General Assembly did not appropriate funds for Circuit Break property tax grants for fiscal year 2013.

SPRINGFIELD, IL - June 21, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home sales in Illinois recorded their best May performance since 2007, and year-over-year median sales prices moved into positive territory in the Chicago area for the first time in more than four years, data released by the Illinois Association of REALTORS® show

Chicago, IL - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Energy Department and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced on June 5 that Chicago, Illinois, is joining the Better Buildings Challenge, part of an initiative launched last year by President Obama to catalyze investment in commercial and industrial building energy upgrades and support new jobs across the country. As a partner in this national initiative, Chicago is committing to reduce energy use by 20% across nearly 24 million square feet of public and private building space within the next five years.

CHICAGO, IL - May 25, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- After years of struggling with substance abuse and shuttling between relatives’ homes, veteran Steven G. Brooks finally has a stable place to call home and access to the training he needs to launch a new career. A 43-year-old Marine Corps veteran of the first Gulf War, Brooks is one of the new residents of Hope Manor Apartments, a new development on Chicago’s West Side that ensures 80 formerly homeless veterans have both a safe and supportive place to live

SPRINGFIELD, IL - May 21, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Illinois home sales had their strongest showing in two years and statewide median prices remained steady for the second straight month, April data released by the Illinois Association of REALTORS® show.

ROSEMONT - April 24, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- To further Governor Pat Quinn’s commitment to protect Illinois families and communities from foreclosure, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) today helped kick off the free Help for Homeowners Community Event at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

SPRINGFIELD, IL - April 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Illinois home sales posted the best March sales numbers in four years, and median prices snapped a 20-month streak of price declines, data released by the Illinois Association of REALTORS® show.

CHICAGO, IL - April 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn sent a message of welcome to Illinois to federal housing leaders to Illinois as they addressed the 500 attendees at the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Affordable Housing at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Governor Quinn commends the state’s housing industry leaders for their dedication to ensure working families, seniors and people with disabilities access to have safe, affordable housing.

CHICAGO, IL - April 5, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) teamed up today with the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance to kick-off Fair Housing Month with a discussion about the timely topic of: Opportunity Mapping: because where you live matters. Today’s panel is one of a series of events that will be held around the state as part of Fair Housing Month, which commemorates the 44th anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act. This year also marks the 33rd anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act, which is administered by IDHR and bars discrimination in housing