Monthly Archives: March 2011

WASHINGTON, DC - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- How will the United States work to solve homelessness? The latest issue of Cityscape, a quarterly magazine published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, examines homelessness and the organizations that are working to assist America’s homeless population

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Small business owners with eligible commercial real estate mortgages maturing after Dec. 31, 2012, will be able to secure more stable, long-term financing through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s temporary 504 refinancing program as a result of a change that will be published in The Federal Register by April 6.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications decreased 7.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 25, 2011.

San Francisco, CA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The San Francisco Business Times recognized two of Martin Building Co.’s projects as “best financial” deals among the publication’s annual “Deals of the Year.” Martin Building Co. was recognized for its creative financing in their effort to build two housing projects in San Francisco. Potrero Launch, an $80.4 million, 196-apartment project, and Arc Light Co., a $41 million, 94-unit rental project with a historic preservation component, were the two specific projects honored.

HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., has orchestrated the trade of Turnpike Plaza shopping center in Huntington Station. Kimco Realty Corporation purchased the 53,000-square-foot, grocery-anchored asset from Centro Properties Group for $7.9 million.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- John A. Courson, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), issued the below statement following today's release of the risk retention proposed rule.

WEST ORANGE, N.J. – With a hilltop location and a panoramic view of a beautiful, wooded landscape, Vizcaya residents are ideally situated for experiencing the wonders of spring. Residents see daffodils bloom and young leaves bud to create a backdrop of greenery, but they also see the community itself come to life.

AUSTIN, TX - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- While the overall residential real estate market is still down, sales of vacation homes fared better than sales of primary residences and investment properties in 2010. In fact, some consumers found low real estate prices, attractive mortgage rates and the potential for price appreciation compelling enough reasons to buy more than half a million vacation homes last year, according to proprietary research commissioned by HomeAway, Inc. as part of the National Association of Realtor’s (NAR) 2011 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey.

QUINCY, MA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- 2011¡XSouth Shore residents in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure will soon have access to expanded foreclosure prevention counseling services through a joint initiative sponsored by the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, Neighborhood Housing Services of the South Shore and the South Shore HOME Consortium.

QUINCY, MA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- 2011¡XSouth Shore residents in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure will soon have access to expanded foreclosure prevention counseling services through a joint initiative sponsored by the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, Neighborhood Housing Services of the South Shore and the South Shore HOME Consortium.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) issued the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 839 to eliminate the failed Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which is funded by $30 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) money.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today welcomed members of Maine’s Housing Authorities to Washington to discuss their concerns and priorities regarding affordable housing opportunities through...

VIENNA, VA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today released its analysis of suspicious activity reports (SARs) that call attention to possible fraud in the commercial real estate financing arena. The analysis, Commercial Real Estate Financing Fraud Suspicious Activity Reports by Depository Institutions, found that reported incidences of suspicious activity in commercial real estate financing as reported by depository institutions filing SARs almost tripled between 2007 and 2010, the period which FinCEN examined.

Sioux City, IA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The City of Sioux City, Neighborhood Services Division has partnered with Inspection Services Division to develop a new program. “We have formed a unique partnership to help low-income elderly, and disabled homeowners with critical emergency repairs that have reduced life, health and safety hazards and improved homeowners’ quality of life” says Darlynn McMullen.

Washington, DC - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The market share of vacation- and investment-home sales1 held steady in 2010, although the sales volume declined with the overall market, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Washington, DC - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, introduced legislation to permanently abolish the affordable housing goals of the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Washington, DC - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- High down payment requirements being proposed by federal regulatory agencies as part of the upcoming rulemaking under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act will unnecessarily burden homebuyers and significantly impede the economic and housing recovery, according to the National Association of Realtors®

EUGENE, ORE - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. welcomes Denise Hurd to the growing network of real estate agents and brokers who have decided to implement an incredible IDX-enabled search feature on their professional websites. Hurd, a Phoenix, Arizona area RE/MAX Realtor, has long been a member of the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS), giving her access to thousands of detailed property listings. Now, home seekers can access the same detailed property listings that were once only available to real estate professionals through Hurd's custom IDX solution. Hurd now hosts dynamic search capabilities on her website, including five unique searches by which to narrow and focus the ARMLS listings. Potential Arizona buyers can now experience an unprecedented IDX enabled real estate search from the convenience of the website Hurd supports.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A plan unveiled today by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. that would require a minimum 20 percent down payment for "qualified residential mortgages" would disrupt the housing market and jeopardize the economic recovery, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

MORRISTOWN, N.J - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A year ago, Verizon Vice President of Operations Lynn Ramsey filled the weekend afternoons at her Basking Ridge townhome with hours of house cleaning and yard work. Now that she’s moved to 40 Park in Morristown, she spends her free time dining in gourmet restaurants, strolling through town with friends and playing in a recreational soccer league. She simultaneously simplified her life and added excitement to it.

EUGENE, OR - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colorado Springs, Colorado real estate professional Angela Byrne has revolutionized her website with the dynamic IDX Broker software. She now hosts thousands of property listings directly on her website...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev., today issued the following statement on legislative proposals by Congressional leaders to effectively eliminate the role of the GSEs in the U.S. mortgage market:“The National Association of Home Builders strongly supports efforts to modernize the nation’s housing finance system, including reforms to the government sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We can’t go back to the system that existed before the Great Recession, but it is critical that any reforms be well-conceived, orderly and phased in over time.

New York, NY - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Developers of 88 Morningside, a premier new development located on the corner of Morningside Avenue and West 122nd Street, has partnered with BoConcept, Denmark’s cutting-edge furniture chain, to create a special model with a “media room” -- an extra room in a one-bedroom apartment that some might refer to as a “man cave.”

PHILADELPHIA, PA/TEANECK, N.J. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- For both energy conservation and economic reasons, Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital, one of the largest healthcare groups in the Philadelphia region, set the goal of reducing its lighting energy consumption by at least 30% without sacrificing illumination quality. To accomplish that - and much more, Jefferson partnered with Encelium Technologies, the manufacturer of the Energy Control System™ (ECS). Encelium customized its innovative lighting control and energy management solution for Jefferson, which has more than 4 million square feet of clinical, research, teaching and housing property.

Torrance, CA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Westwood Financial Corp., one of the largest owner-operators of shopping centers in the U.S., announces the opening of a new management office in Atlanta. The move will help Westwood Financial reach its goal of doubling its Georgia retail portfolio over the next five years as the company continues to expand its portfolio through the Southeastern U.S.

DANBURY/BETHEL, CT. - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Villages at Timber Oak has achieved the impressive mark of more than 75% sold and Baker Residential wants to share this success with homebuyers at the popular residential community in the Fairfield County towns of Danbury and Bethel.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced funding to investigate and enforce fair housing laws in New Jersey. The Senators announced that New Jersey has been awarded $325,000 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address discriminatory housing practices in New Jersey

Boston, MA - March 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Menino announced today that Boston, already a national leader in green building, will launch the Energy Positive "E+" Green Building Demonstration Program, a residential design and construction initiative to bring energy, environmentally, and equity positive green homes to Boston's neighborhoods. The program seeks to promote the future generation of home construction - combining high quality living space with clean energy production that helps power the neighborhood. E+ Green Buildings produce more energy than they use on an annual basis, giving energy back to the grid and saving homeowners money.

POCATELLO, ID - March 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Seventy-five Pocatello area REALTORS® are preparing to shine at a luncheon being held in their honor on Thursday, March 31st. The Saluting Top Area REALTORS® (“STAR”) Awards will be given out during the IdaMortgage Appreciation Luncheon. Hosted by Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA), the event starts at noon at the Juniper Hills Country Club in Pocatello.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that, effectively immediately, it is taking control of the Housing Authority of the City of Lafayette (HACL), citing num...