Property tax relief gets slow walked in Ohio, HUD weighs in on the government shutdown, and a familiar face returns to lead NAMB. From the wild and wooly world of real estate, here are our His and Misses for the week of Sept. 29-Oct. 3.
Miss: A Long, Long Road to Relief. This week, a special working group convened by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine submitted its ideas on how to fix the state’s onerous property tax system. According to the Journal-News, the working group offered 20 different proposals packed into a 16-page report that includes 127 pages of supporting documents. Pat Tiberi, the co-chairman of the group, seemed to be apologizing in advance for the report, noting that his colleagues were dealing with a subject that “policymakers struggle to understand.” However, one popular idea is noticeably absent – Tiberi added that state legislators repeatedly told him “they’re not going to write a check for” any tax cuts. How long it will take for DeWine and the state legislature to decide on which proposals they will accept is anyone’s guess. Oh well, it looks like Ohio homeowners will have to wait a long time for any serious property tax relief.
Miss: Now You See It, Now You Don’t. The irrepressible Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte took to his personal X account – for whatever reason, he refuses to use his official government account – to declare, “The ‘AP’, because we expose alleged Mortgage Fraudsters, is writing a hit piece, filled with falsehoods. For example, the AP falsely states I didn’t give away $1 million on Twitter. Anyone who has followed me saw I gave away MORE than $1 million on Twitter!! Sad for Journalism!!” Shortly after posting that message, Pulte deleted it. So far, the Associated Press has not published a “hit piece” on Pulte, and it is unclear why he abruptly pulled that posting. As for giving away more than $1 million, there is no independent confirmation of that audacious claim. Pulte is welcome to produce evidence of this self-congratulatory accolade. Or, even better, he can concentrate on his job and stop picking fights with the media.
Miss: Wrong Forum, Wrong Message. A big thumbs down to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner for using his department’s website and X account for partisan politics. After the federal government went into shutdown mode this week, Turner posted a large banner on the HUD’s website that declared: “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.” On X, Turner wrote, “It is shameful that far-left Democrats are holding our government hostage for their $1.5 Trillion spending splurge.” At the very least, this type of messaging is irrelevant to HUD’s mission and Turner’s job; at the very worst, it calls into question whether Turner ran afoul of the Hatch Act. Turner has mostly kept a low profile since becoming HUD secretary – if he is going to seek more prominence, he needs to do put forth some genuine accomplishments rather than parroting White House talking points.
Hit: Kudos for Kimber. Congratulations are extended to Kimber White, a partner at RE Financial Services in Oakland Park, Florida, who has begun a new term as president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB). White is one of the most prominent leaders within the mortgage broker industry and previously served on the NAMB executive board and as the organization’s president for the 2010-2011 term. “For over 51 years, NAMB has been the voice of the mortgage marketplace,” White said in a statement. “I take this responsibility seriously and look forward to working alongside our members, industry partners, lawmakers, and stakeholders to ensure that NAMB remains a powerful force for good for the next 50 years.”
Hit: A Generous Gift. Praise also goes to Frank and Lucy Heyming, who donated a five-acre property with a 6,300-square-foot home and a flourishing botanical garden to California Baptist University in Riverside, California – a gift valued at $5.3 million. Frank Heyming worked in real estate and property management and is celebrated as a sculptor and artist, while Lucy Heyming is a master gardener and artist. Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, the university’s president, thanked the couple by declaring, “Their generosity and unwavering commitment to Riverside reflect a deep-rooted spirit of philanthropy that inspires us all. We are profoundly grateful for their support.”
Hit: Jolly Good News. If you’re a fan of cricket, you’ll be glad to know that a new 10,500-cricket stadium is being developed in suburban Atlanta, with a scheduled opening for 2027. This will be the nation’s fourth cricket stadium and the first that is privately owned. The project’s developers said they will also build an adjacent hotel with a “sports-focused food and drink program” on the site. DAS Cricket Academy founder Siddharth Das announced the project by stating, “We look forward to introducing this sport to a growing audience in the greater Atlanta region and showing why more than 2.5 billion people enjoy cricket worldwide.” Hopefully, this could help spark a new era of awareness and enthusiasm in the US for cricket.
Phil Hall is editor of Weekly Real Estate News. He can be reached at [email protected].
