The following stories are brought to you by the fine folks on the News4 assignment desk.
BEING "UPSIDE DOWN" NOT ENOUGH FOR A SHORT SALE
WTOP: "What does it take to qualify for a short sale? It's a bit more complicated than you may think.
Christine Langford of Keller Williams Real estate is a distressed property expert. She says there's a formula to prove a seller is eligible for a short sale.
Being upside down isn't enough to qualify. You also have to prove the financial inability to pay the mortgage through tax returns, bank statements and pay stubs."
GROUP OFFERS MORE INCENTIVES FOR CARPOOLERS
Montgomery Gazette: "Although Commuter Connections posters are ubiquitous on Metro subways, MARC trains and public transit buses, now the organization that urges people to carpool is offering financial rewards to do so.
Commuters who join or begin a carpool can earn up to $2 a day for each day they share a ride, for up to 90 days.
The goal is to ease the heavy traffic congestion plaguing the area by getting more people to try carpooling, said Nicholas Ramfos, director of Commuter Connections. Participants register to join or form a new carpool at CommuterConnections.org, provide information about their daily commutes, and complete a brief survey."
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
WOMAN PRETENDED TO BE DEAD MOM TO GET BENEFITS
Washington Examiner: "Woman pretended to be dead mom to get benefits
A D.C. woman admitted that she pretended to be her dead mother to collect more than $35,000 in federal retirement benefits.
Yolanda Powers, 31, will likely receive a sentence of six to 12 months of home detention under federal guidelines, prosecutors said."
METRO WILL PROCEED WITH JOINT DEVELOPMENT
Washington Business Journal: "Despite the arrest of Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson on corruption charges, the head of joint development for Metro said the agency is moving “full speed ahead” with its search for a development partner at New Carrollton, a site that has attracted national attention for its potential as a large-scale, mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
Steve Goldin, director of real estate at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, said the barrage of negative headlines over the FBI investigation won't hamper progress."
