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Earlier this summer KCHBA joined the national coalition “United for Patent Reform” in support of federal patent trolling legislation. Patent trolls, which bring frivolous lawsuits against businesses while not actually manufacturing anything themselves, cost the economy billions both indirectly and directly each year. They send threatening letters asserting patent infringement claims with the goal of collecting large settlements. Patent trolls are hurting home builders and other Main Street businesses across the region. For example, they have sued home builders for using fans to dry out a house frame or scanning documents to their computers.

U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Mark Warner (Va.) today introduced legislation to reduce the number of underutilized federal properties, which could save taxpayers $9 billion over the next 10 years. U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Rob Portman (Ohio),

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill this week joined a bipartisan coalition of nine Senators to introduce legislation to establish a new infrastructure financing authority that would help Missouri better leverage private funds to build and maintain the state’s outdated infrastructure, without the use of federal tax dollars.

Single family housing permits issued during January 2015 decreased from recent months according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City’s (HBA) monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report.  With 235 single family units, the January total decreased by 48 (17%) from the same month a year ago (January 2014) and 88 from December 2014.  Multi-family activity continues its growth pattern with 214 units permitted in January.

WASHINGTON D.C. - July 16, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Billy Long (MO-7) and U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (MO-8) today announced the House Natural Resources Committee will conduct a field hearing in West Plains, Missouri, on Monday, July 29th, to learn how the National Blueways System designation was initially imposed on the White River watershed in Missouri and Arkansas and how future designations can be prevented.

Jefferson City, MO - March 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of his ongoing efforts to protect Missourians from home repair scams, Attorney General Koster today filed a lawsuit against a home-repair business for violating both Missouri’s Merchandising Practices and no-call laws.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 30, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Chris Koster today said that Missourians who received mortgage relief, including principal reduction and short sales, for their primary residence may be able to consider the value of the relief received as non-taxable income.

Jefferson City, MO - September 27, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Chris Koster today filed three separate lawsuits against individuals and their companies for misleading Missouri consumers in connection with mortgage-modification services. The lawsuits were filed against Colleen Kelly, a Missouri resident operating Heartland Loss Mitigation, LLC,; Eric Mader, a Florida attorney operating Mader Law Group, LLC, a Florida company; and Jim Caplan, a Florida attorney operating CAPLAW, P.A., a Florida company

Columbia, MO - September 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In today’s time where the increasing cost of energy and the negative effects of climate change has been a concern to most citizens, the demand for solar power energy sources has progressively increased. One of the issues that possible solar energy users see is the lack of local and state laws to implement the proper use of solar energy. To fix this problem, University of Missouri’s Law Expert has started to draft new model ordinances and modules that will make it more efficient for the locals to use solar power.

March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) has approved 28 applications from developers for the construction of new affordable housing developments and the rehabilitation of existing properties. MHDC administers the federal and state low-income housing tax credits and federal HOME monies to developers who provide affordable housing, designed to serve low- and moderate-income populations in the state of Missouri.

JEFFERSON CITY, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Wednesday, State Treasurer Clint Zweifel called on the Missouri Housing Development Commission to pass his plan to create housing to tackle homelessness and mental illness. The plan required no new spending; instead it leveraged existing federal and state resources. Following is a statement from Treasurer Zweifel on the approval of a new version of his plan that now includes funding for two housing developments focused on chronically homeless individuals, those suffering from a mental illness, Missourians with a physical or developmental disability and youth aging out of foster care:

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - March 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY-ful) issued a statement following yesterday's release of a clean audit of his office performed by State Auditor Susan Montee's office.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - March 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY-ful) and Attorney General Chris Koster announced today they had reached a $303,000 settlement in a lawsuit against Sprint over uncashed and unclaimed rebate checks. Treasurer Zweifel said his office had already added more than 3,600 Missourians affected by the lawsuit to ShowMeMoney.com. Thirty-six states signed on to the $22 million settlement. As a result, thousands of people will be able to claim their rebate checks and put money back in their pockets.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - December 29, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A little more than six months after being signed into law, legislation developed by State Treasurer Clint Zweifel will allow him to return more on investments he manages for Missouri taxpayers beginning January 1. The legislation, Invest in Missouri, received the unanimous support of the Senate and the House and was signed by Gov. Nixon on June 29.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- An initiative proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon and State Treasurer Clint Zweifel to provide property tax relief to Missouri homebuyers was approved today by a 7-to-1 vote of the Missouri Housing Development Commission. This initiative is expected to provide property tax relief for 9,000 to 11,000 Missouri families.