Obama Picks Donovan for HUD

Here is President – Elect Obama’s choice to head HUD.  This is Shaun Donovan, a Harvard educated architect and former HUD official who increased the affordable options in New York as head of the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

I am not from Missouri, but as a Realtor and homeowner, I need to be shown he has the ability to turn this around.

His credentials sound really good. 

Donovan has worked in both business and non-profit sectors and at HUD during the Clinton administration, having served as deputy assistant secretary for the office of Multifamily Housing. He later worked at Prudential Mortgage Capital Co. as managing director of its FHA lending and affordable housing investments, before Mayor Michael Bloomberg named him commissioner of New York’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development in 2004.

He has been a visiting scholar at New York University, researching the preservation of federally assisted housing, and also has written about housing policy at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. He holds master’s degrees in public administration and architecture from Harvard.

If the Senate confirms him, Donovan would assume his post amid the worst economic climate in decades. American homeowners are reeling from plummeting home values and rising unemployment. One in every 488 households faced some form of foreclosure filing last month, and more borrowers are delaying mortgage payments for longer periods than in recent history.

My organization, NAR, has said the following about Obama’s choice:

“Strong leadership is needed at this critical time in our economy and in the housing market, and we believe Shaun Donovan will bring that leadership to the Department,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. NAR has noted that a proven leader is critical for HUD during these troubled times in the nation’s housing market and to ensure the current deteriorating environment is not repeated.

“Shaun Donovan is an acknowledged expert in housing with a record of solving challenges at HUD and the New York City Department of Housing, Preservation and Development,” McMillan said. “In addition, his hands-on experience in the private and nonprofit sectors will be extremely helpful.”

NAR says that it recognizes the importance of Donovan’s experience in housing and the critical role he will play on President-elect Obama’s team as they prepare to grapple with the economic problems confronting the country. “NAR stands ready to work with Secretary-Designate Donovan to restore confidence in the housing market and rebuild the American dream of homeownership,” said McMillan.

We all know politicians speak with velvet tongues, and he who has the most charisma wins.  Charisma is not what any of us want to see, we need to see proof and we need this as quickly as possible.

My fingers remain crossed that 2009 will herald a new beginning for all of us.  My fingers need to get uncrossed, they get cramped in the crossed position. 

Seriously though, I do believe, I do see change, and I do see positive movement towards helping our wonderful USA and all our citizens capture the dream of home ownership.

Carole Sanek, Licensed Florida Realtor
TeamSanek can get you started down the road of your real estate adventure. We can get you started, walk you through everything, hold your hands through the process and be there when you are handed the keys to your new home. That is why we are TeamSanek–and this team will be there for you all the way because we want you to capture the dream.

Author Bio
Carole L. Sanek is a licensed Realtor in Florida and member of the National Association of Realtors. She holds an active real estate license with her husband’s brokerage Castle Dream Real Estate LLC in Brooksville, Florida. She has six years of experience in selling and listing real estate in Florida and enjoys helping families relocate to Florida to Capture The Dream. Visit her website at www.castledreamrealestate.com or contact her directly at 1-888-51-DREAM (37326) or you can email her at her personal email address teamsanek@castledreamrealestate.com
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