[Transferred HUD Employee's Claim for Real Estate Expenses]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requested a decision regarding a transferred employee's claim for real estate expenses. GAO held that HUD could not reimburse the claimant for purchaser's closing costs that he agreed to pay, since: (1) federal travel regulations only authorized reimbursement of the seller's closing costs; and (2) reimbursement would be tantamount to reimbursing the claimant for a decrease in his residence's value. Accordingly, the claim was denied.