Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Housing News Digest, September 6

Solo living drops in Manhattan, rises elsewhere
The biggest growth in solo dwelling has been in small communities such as Chattahootchee County, Ga., near Fort Benning, and Park County, Colorado, a result of other parts of the nation catching up with what had been a big-city trait. While some people initially are frightened by the prospect of living in solitude, others quickly find advantages.

Boulder County people living in poverty on the increase, report says
BOULDER -- Poverty is continuing its rise in Boulder County, according to a recent report examining quality-of-life indicators in the county.

An estimated 42,000 of Boulder County's 294,500-plus residents have incomes or are in families whose household incomes put them at or below federally established poverty lines, according to the 2011 Boulder County Trends report from the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County.

Under the federal government's current poverty guidelines, an individual is considered poor if his or her 2011 income is less than $10,890, and a family of four will fall below the poverty line if its household income this year totals less than $22,350.

How to save the housing market: Destroy homes

The Federal Housing Finance Agency sued 17 banks Friday, seeking damages from the sale of soured mortgage-backed securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Denver residents want backyard livestock
The city of Denver has given 44 people provisional licenses to keep chickens, ducks or other food-producing livestock in their backyards since June, The Denver Post reports.

The licenses allow residents to keep as many as eight chickens or ducks, but far fewer dwarf goats (just two of those).

Foreclosure notice filed for 700 17th Street
The notice of foreclosure, for $17.6 million, was filed against 700 17th Street Operating LLC, owned by Toma West Management Corp.

Denver’s Toma West owns and manages several downtown commercial properties.

Officials from the company did not return calls seeking comment Friday afternoon.