Medford Cherry Creek Affordable Housing Project Compromise in the Works.

My prior post on this topic is HERE. 

Looks like reduction in number of units and a land swap may be in works according to a Medford Mail Tribune story HERE. 

The agenda for a Thursday Medford City Council meeting HERE includes a related agenda item on PDF pages 28-30. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Oregon LUBA Remands Rejected Medford Affordable Housing Project Back to City Council.

LUBA decision/final opinion is HERE.

Medford Mail Tribune story is HERE. The story indicates that LUBA found that there was clear permissible zoning for the project , that the City Council violated open meeting requirements, and also that the Jackson County housing authority is planning a separate fair housing lawsuit against the city.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Jackson County Housing Authority Alerts Medford They May File Fair Housing Suit Against City for Blocking Construction of Affordable Rental Project.

Medford Mail Tribune story is HERE.

A copy of the letter sent to the City is HERE.

My prior September 2011 post about this project is HERE.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Former HUD/FHA Top Official From 1980's Convicted of Multiple Fraud, Theft and Racketeering Charges in Medford.

Sad to hear of conviction and sentencing (Medford Mail Tribune story HERE) of former HUD/FHA Deputy Director of Single Family Jim Nistler for a housing development ponzi scheme in Medford. The 80 year old Nistler has now been sentenced to 19 months in prison.

I knew Jim when I was the FHA Single Family Director in Oregon and he was the TOP FHA SF official in the country for a few years during the 1980's. Jim was always supportive of our Oregon office, and of me, and it is very sad to learn that he cheated investors, including some elderly investors, as part of a real estate development in his home state of Oregon.

While the downturn in the market may have played a role, that is still no excuse to cheat investors who put their trust in your honesty, particularly if some of that trust may have been based on your former service as a public official.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Bend Led All US Metro Areas in Home Price Appreciation in Last 20 Years, Oregon Had 4 of Top 15 Metro Areas.

[Title Correction]

I recently added a link in the right panel for Oregon house appreciation data HERE. That site makes extensive use of repeat house price sales data from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO).

At THIS ranking page within the site, I found 20 year Metro price sales changes of particular interest. Using OFHEO data, Bend led ALL metro areas in the country with an price appreciation of 498%. Three other Oregon metro areas also made it into the top 15 metro area. Medford ranked #3 with a 402% increase; Portland ranked #12 with a 364% increase; and Eugene ranked# 15^th with an increase of 336%.