Tag Archives: Program

Longtime Obama Operative Roger Fisk Signs with American Program Bureau

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Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) February 14, 2013

Nearly six years to the day since working then-Senator Obamas presidential announcement in 2007, Roger Fisk has announced he is joining the American Program Bureau (APB), a Boston-based international speakers bureau, to share with audiences the lessons and stories of the Obama journey.

Fisk will draw on his vast and varied experiences on presidential campaigns (Obama 08, 12; Kerry 04) and in presidential administrations (Obama, 2009-2013) to share his insights into the changing political landscape of the 21st century. I am really thrilled to partner with APB and look forward to sharing my enthusiasm for politics, says Fisk. We live in an incredibly interesting time in terms of how we can engage people and get them involved in big, important ideas. I am grateful for the journey I have traveled and look forward to sharing that enthusiasm with audiences all over the country.

An early addition to the Obama effort, Fisk worked 30 states in the first Obama campaign as the director of special events, then went home to Massachusetts where he worked as the Commonwealths state director in the general election. While on the road, Fisk was in charge of such high-profile events as A More Perfect UnionObamas historic speech on race in Philadelphia, March 2008as well as the candidates appearances on 60 Minutes, Saturday Night Live and Good Morning America. For the first Obama term, Fisk served at the commerce department where he coordinated trade and diplomatic missions all over the world; in spring 2012 he went on to work the presidents reelection as a White House lead advance. Fisk also worked both inaugurations: in 2009 as Cabinet liaison and 2013 in contingency planning and operations.

Prior to this, Roger Fisk spent many years in service to current Secretary of State John Kerry (as an intern in 1989; as part of the US Senate staff as a senior aide, 1996; on the Senate reelection team, 1990; and on the Kerry presidential campaign). He is a resident of Washington, D.C.

About American Program Bureau (APB):

In business since 1965, APB represents a roster of high-profile speakers from entertainers and politicians to thought leaders and academics. Learn more about APB at apbspeakers.com or follow us on Twitter @apbspeakers.







Pennsylvania HARP Mortgage Lenders Can Bank on Recently Announced Two-Year Extension of the Obama Administrations Underwater Refinance Program

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Cherry Hill, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) April 17, 2013

HARP Mortgage Lender, a national network of approved HARP mortgage professionals, reports that Pennsylvanias Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) has been extended for an additional two years, allowing underwater homeowners the ability to utilize a program that has helped over 45,000 Pennsylvanians and 2.2 million underwater borrowers nationwide save thousands of dollars per year since its inception in 2009.

The Federal Housing Finance Agencys extension was announced on April 11, 2013, and comes in the wake of a calendar year where user-friendly adjustments to HARP yielded record numbers of borrowers reaping the benefits of the program, with the average borrower saving over $ 4,300 per year on mortgage payments, according to a recent report by Fannie Mae. This included 19,944 new HARP borrowers in Pennsylvania for 2012, which makes up 44 percent of The Keystone States overall borrowers since the program began four years ago. The reason for the dramatic uptick is the provisions the Obama administration added to HARP in late 2011, which, among other major benefits, lifted the 125 percent loan-to-value (LTV) cap for borrowers, making the program increasingly attractive to Pennsylvania borrowers who are deeply underwater.

Click HERE to check HARP Loan Eligibility

And while the FHFA hasnt given an estimate yet on how many deeply underwater borrowers they expect to utilize HARP during its extension through January 31, 2015, the figure of 1.1 million HARP borrowers nationwide in 2012including 228,141 with LTVs over 125bodes well for this rapidly accelerating home loan tool.

About 30-40 percent of our clients have LTVs over 125 percent, says Anthony Piccone, President of 7th Level Mortgage in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Our product guidelines will allow us to go up to 200 percent. Piccone adds that the average HARP loan his company sees is about $ 220,000.

Because of the incredible HARP interest rates, which hit a 40-year low for national interest rates at 3.31 percent last November, this means that not only can a HARP borrower pay half the interest rates they might have been paying on a property that they mortgaged at $ 400,000 before the housing market declined, but that rate is essentially slashed in half again when taking into account that HARP refinancing enables borrowers to pay interest rates based on what their property is currently worthnot what they might have overpaid for it.

Its because of incentives like this that Piccone points to a recent client of his who is saving over $ 389 per month through HARPwhich comes to about $ 4,700 in savings per year. And as that Fannie Mae report showed, clients like this one of Piccones are closer to the norm than they are exceptions to a rule.

In all, what the 2-year HARP extension means is more time for Pennsylvanias would-be borrowers to get their ducks in a row and make sure they are eligible to use a HARP refinance loan so that they can join the other 2.2 million users who are saving close to $ 5,000 every year.

About HARP:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac announced additions to the Home Affordable Refinance Program in October, 2011 that make it easier for lenders to refinance HARP-eligible mortgages for responsible borrowers.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) works as a streamline refinance program that helps responsible borrowers who have been prompt with their mortgage payments, but might not have been able to refinance in recent years due of falling home values.

The Obama administration says that HARP will save homeowners $ 250 on average per month in mortgage payments, and recent numbers point to even higher savings. HARP is also expected to help 4-5 million underwater homeowners.

To qualify for HARP 2.0, borrowers must meet these requirements:

1) Their first mortgage loan is owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

2) Fannie or Freddie acquired the loan before May 31, 2009.

3) Borrowers have to be up-to-date on mortgage payments.

4) A homes value cant exceed the amount owed on the home, or there is minimal equity.

5) All mortgage payments in the past 6 months have been paid promptly.

HistoWiki.com’s Clint Evans Announces Kindle Book Giveaway Which Shows the Missing Links from Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” Weight Loss Program

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Austin, Texas (PRWEB) December 20, 2012

Michelle Obama’s “Lets Move” program is a great first step and shines a bright light on an overwhelming problem. By 2030, according to Reuters, 50% of Americans will be Obese (article title: “Fat and getting fatter: U.S. obesity rates to soar by 2030″). HistoWiki.com curator Clint Evans and his co-author “E. Calvin Barber II say in their new Kindle book, “Get Down to 150,” reversing the obesity epidemic and trend is about more than just moving around. Nutrition is 80% to 85% of the battle.

As noted at the HistoWiki “History of Obesity page, Obesity costs the average man an extra $ 2,646 per year and the average woman an extra $ 4,879 on average. According to a 2010 study, direct obesity related medical expenses in America are $ 160 billion per year. The estimated indirect costs? $ 450 billion.

And while being overweight can be a financial problem, what stops most people making lifestyle changes promoted by the “Let’s Move” program can be indulging cravings instead of actual hunger. Evans says “Calvin and my overriding philosophy is to use healthy, whole natural foods to satisfy hunger. It’s not about diets because many studies have proven diets don’t work (according to WebMD article: “Diets Don’t Work Long-Term”). Instead, it’s about satisfying those cravings that often derail so many diets and cause the phenomenon of “Yo-Yo dieting”.

To help those grappling with obesity, Evans and Barber are unveiling a limited 1 day “book promotion is a Christmas gift for the Kindle book “Get Down to 150″.

“It’s our way of giving an early Christmas present to overweight and obese sufferers everywhere. There are lots of reasons why people are overweight. We don’t shy away from controversial topics like whether dairy is the right way to go for weight loss or bone thinning issues. The reasons why, what happens by staying in the same behavior and what happens by making a healthy shift, as well as the how-to lose weight are covered in the book,” says Evans. The authors are hoping to tap into that spirit of Christmas to give away a day’s worth of copies.

HistoWiki.com’s mission is to the leading social media curation forum for innovative content leaders examine and archive their topics of expertise and passionate interests. For more information about Obesity, call Evans at (512) 508-8935 or contact him via his “Clint Evans Google Plus profile. In addition to being an author, Clint Evans and E. Calvin Barber II are involved in consulting, publishing, coaching, and community service to help decrease obesity and childhood obesity.







Proposed HARP 3.0 #MyRefi Refinance Program May Benefit 30 Million Borrowers

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Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) July 09, 2012

HARP Approval (http://harpapproval.com), a leading national network of authorized HARP refinance lenders, prepares for HARP 3.0 updates under President Obamas #MyRefi Home Affordable Refinance Program that could have an impact on up to 30 million borrowers.

The White Houses #MyRefi campaign to streamline refinancing and help improve the economy is stimulating open discussion and debate within the banking community, as well as proposed legislation from Washington.

HARP 2.0 is a refinance program created by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to help responsible borrowers who have continued to make their mortgage payments, but may be unable to refinance over recent years due to a decline in their property value.

Click Here – For Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac HARP Eligibility

The Obama Administration has stated that HARP will save homeowners an average of $ 250 a month in mortgage payments, and that the Home Affordable Refinance Program overall will help an anticipated 4-5 million underwater homeowners.

Senate bill 3085, introduced by U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), would expand and streamline refinancing opportunities under the existing Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). Research from Manhattans Columbia Business School at Columbia University, estimates this new legislation would increase the total number of homeowners who refinance under HARP to up to 13 million and produce total potential savings of $ 35 billion a year.

Director of Economics for Fannie Mae, Orawin T. Velz, published a commentary in June, 2012, about how refinancing can restore the financial health of households. In her report, Velz listed a number of benefits to the economy of a large scale streamlined refinance program, which would allow every homeowner to lower their interest rate to four percent, regardless of whether they had a mortgage with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA or VA.

San Diego Black Health Associates Join Forces with Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program for California Statewide Initiative

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Los Angeles, CA, (PRWEB) April 12, 2012

The San Diego Black Health Associates (SDBHA) has just confirmed its partnership for the upcoming Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program taking place across the state of California on Saturday, May 12th, 2012.

From 11AM-4PM, volunteers will mobilize in San Diego cities along with metro cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to facilitate screenings in over 75 black-owned barbershops. The program anticipates screening approximately 1,500 African American men for diabetes and high blood pressure during the multi-city event. Participants will also receive healthy lifestyle education and medical resources for local clinics and physicians.

San Diego Black Health Associates are working with the Black Barber Shop effort based in Los Angeles to ensure that African American men to act in their own best health interests. We want consumers to know that chronic health conditions like diabetes and obesity are preventable. We are thoroughly convinced that by making a few changes to our diet and exercising regularly, we can live longer, function in a pain free environment and be the model for our children that they need says Paul Simms, SDBHA President.

Founded by the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation (DAP) in 2007, the tour has visited over 750 barbershops in 50 cities and 13 states and will continue its mission to screen 500,000 African American men by the end of 2014. This unique and innovative grassroots program works strategically with black-owned barbershops, because it represents such a cultural institution of familiarity and trust among African American malesmaking it the most effective avenue to disseminate health education information.

“The need to address health care disparities in African American men is paramount in light of the fact that they have the lowest life expectancy of any group in the U.S.,” says Dr. Bill J. Releford, D.P.M., founder of the DAP Foundation. “For decades, the black barbershop has served as a centralized gathering place where African American men feel comfortable discussing the most important issues that impact their lives: politics, social trends, family and finances. Now, we are introducing an important discussion of health and the critical need for health awareness.”

Compared to the general public, it is African American males who have a higher risk of diabetes and other cardiovascular conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 3.7 million (14.7 percent) African Americans ages 20 years or older have diabetes, while statistics show that forty percent (40 percent) of African American men die prematurely from cardiovascular disease as compared to twenty-one percent (21 percent) of white men.

Dr. Bill Releford organized the initiative to empower African American men to better understand cardiovascular diseases. As he travels across the country to spread awareness, he welcomes corporations, small businesses and county facilities to get involved in the mission. To learn more about The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program log-on to http://www.blackbarbershop.org and please remember to support this statewide effort on May 12th.

About San Diego Black Health Associates

Over a 20-year period, SDBHA has operated specific programs aimed at improving the health status of black people and other people of color. In addition, SDBHA is a resource for healthcare professionals, organizations and laypersons. Through the use of dedicated volunteer members, SDBHA has developed strong working relationships with a variety of community agencies and organizations, including the African American church. Through these collaborations, we have been successful in maximizing the impact of our community health promotion activities. Visit them online at http://www.sdbha.org.

About Dr. Bill Releford

As Founder of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program and the Diabetic Foot Institute, Dr. Bill Releford is a visionary and industry pioneer. He began his private practice in 1990 and has dedicated his lifes work exclusively to the reduction of diabetes-related amputations in high-risk populations. Dr. Releford and his efforts have recently been highlighted in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, THE VIEW, THE DOCTORS, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams as well as the TODAY SHOW and more. Additionally, Dr. Releford’s innovative community organizing strategies culminated into an invitation from President Obama to attend the White House Super Bowl Party in 2011. To learn more about Dr. Relford and his work visit http://www.drreleford.com.

About the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation (DAP)

The DAP Foundation’s African American Men’s Outreach Program seeks to partner with community groups and organizations to reduce the incidence of health conditions that adversely affect African American males by utilizing education, prevention and early detection through screening activities. DAP’s efforts have already been successfully duplicated in other metropolitan areas, such as Oakland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta and Baltimore. For more information on participating or sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://www.blackbarbershop.org