The Milwaukee Post

4 • Milwaukee Post • July 19, 2013 WEEK IN REVIEW Committee favors alternate foreclosure plan STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST 1 Milwaukee homeowners facing foreclosure because of unpaid city fees on their tax bill would have the option of paying on an installment plan instead of losing their homes, the Judiciary and Legislation Committee unanimously recommended Monday . The plan, proposed by Alderman Robert Bauman, would create an allowance for installment payments on special charges that are placed on a property's tax bill, which (excepting delinquent water charges) are due in full with tax payments Jan. 31. "At least 40 percent of residential prop- erties foreclosed upon by the city for delinquent taxes in recent years have been owner-occupied," Bauman said in a release. "I would rather see as many residents as possible stay in their homes. The city isn't equipped to manage and market this growing volume of property tax foreclosures, and this legislation can cut down on that inventory by giving homeowners another option to return to compliance with their obligations with the city ." According a release, special charges ranging from fines for ordinance violations to delinquent sewer fees and other charges are included on a property's tax bill, and are subject to the same enforcement and 2 Report:Homeowners in Milwaukee metro market paid average of $125K for their homes 3 Milwaukee region exports up 4% last year Homeowners in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metro area paid a median of $125,000 for their homes, according to a 2011 American Housing Survey profile released last week. The profile is based on information on the area's housing costs, mortgages and a variety of other physical and financial characteristics about housing in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area. The median purchase price of metro-area homes constructed in the past four years was higher, at $315,000. Nationally, homeowners paid $110,000 overall and $235,000 for new construction. Additionally, the report says Milwaukee-area homeowners paid a median monthly mortgage payment of $1,100 in 2011, slightly higher than the national average of $1,015. Median monthly expenditures for owners in the Milwaukee area totaled $300 for real estate taxes, $103 for electricity and $47 for property insurance. Respective national medians were $151, $121 and $58. Among the area's owner-occupied homes, the report says 71 percent had a regular or home equity mortgage and 35 percent had a refinanced primary mortgage. The respective national rates were 65.4 percent and 23.4 percent. The American Housing Survey is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data is collected every odd-numbered year and metropolitan-area data is collected on a rotating basis. The Milwaukee region exported $9.2 billion of goods in 2012, helping it remain a top metropolitan area for exports, according to the International Trade Administration. The region saw an increase of 4 percent, or $329 million, in 2012, and was among 31 of top 50 exporting metropolitan areas that registered positive growth for the year. The Milwaukee region ranked 34th among all metro areas. The region's top export merchandise categories were machinery, computer and electronic products, transportation and electrical equipment and chemicals. Among the leading destinations for Milwaukee exports were Canada, Mexico, China, Chile and Japan. Total U.S. exports reached an all-time record of $2.2 trillion in goods and services, according to the administration. 4 Solly's burger among 33 best in country Solly's Grille in Glendale has one of the best burgers in the country, according to a new list from the website Thrillist.com. Solly's was recognized for its Solly Burger, a 1/3-pound butter burger topped with grilled onions. The list was compiled through the website's local editors. penalties as property taxes. "For low-income and fixed-income homeowners, these charges may sometimes be multiples of their tax bill, and interest accrues monthly on any delinquent balance," Bauman said. "These special charges can essentially 'tip' an owner-occupant into tax delinquency and eventual foreclosure." Milwaukee has filed foreclosure proceedings against 791 properties this year for unpaid property taxes, and 388 additional properties appear to be eligible for foreclosure filing before the end of 2013, a release said. Historically the city is forced to seize , two out of every three properties against which it files a foreclosure. Bauman said that these properties are heavily concentrated in economically distressed areas of the city and that foreclosure activity fur, ther exacerbates the problems. The installment payment plan was one of several options discussed before the Special Joint Committee on the Redevelopment of Abandoned and Foreclosed Homes earlier this spring. Other options include administrative changes such as increasing the third-party collections timeline and using tax refund intercept to recover delinquent property taxes. The measures will go before the full Common Council on Tuesday . 5 Link between respiratory viruses and asthma to be explored 6 Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority approves Rishi Tea HQ proposal The Medical College of Wisconsin has received a five-year, $670,000 grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study the immune response believed responsible for the link between respiratory viral infections and the development of asthma. Dr. Dorothy Cheung is the principal investigator of the grant and an assistant professor of pediatrics and medicine within the section of allergy and immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Asthma continues to be a major health concern worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 19 million adults and 7 million children have asthma in the U.S. Respiratory viral infections have been associated with the development of asthma, as well as exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms. In this project, Cheung will study the role of neutrophils, the most abundant white blood cells in the body, in the development of respiratory virus induced asthma, a news release said. The studies conducted will help pave the way for new treatment approaches to respiratory viral infections that may prevent the development or exacerbation of asthma, it added. MILWAUKEE – The Redevelopment Authority of the city of Milwaukee on Thursday approved a proposal by Rishi Tea to buy a 3.8-acre site for its new headquarters. The new site, which sits along South 33rd Court in the Menomonee Valley, was unanimously approved. The proposal calls for a 48,000-square-foot office and manufacturing facility . The new site would replace the company's 38,000-square-foot headquarters at 427 E. Stewart St. Rishi co-owner Benjamin Harrison said the company is not completely set on the Menomonee Valley location but is more committed to it than to any other location. The company hopes to break ground on the new building in September or October. Rishi Tea has grown significantly since its founding in 1997. It employs 46 workers now but expects to add more in the future. "We want to have a real presence in Milwaukee," Harrison said. "We're a Milwaukee-born company ."

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