Monthly Archives: April 2011

IRVINE, CA - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Award-winning KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, is pleased to announce that Craig T. Chinn, Studio Director for KTGY's Retail and Commercial Studio, has been invited to participate as a roundtable facilitator at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) annual RECON, The Global Retail Real Estate Convention held from May 22-25, 2011, in Las Vegas, NV. Chinn's breakfast roundtable discussion, which will be held on Monday, May 23, at 7:00 a.m., will focus on repositioning retail and commercial centers.

Houston, TX - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Every year, Houston receives more than $35 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, as well as millions of dollars from other Federal funding sources to stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods across the City. These funds are made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and support an array of vital activities and projects benefiting thousands of Houstonians. Activities include the development of community centers, health clinics, schools, parks and multi-family housing, as well as providing home repairs for the elderly and down payment assistance to help families achieve the American dream. In addition, funding is used to provide crucial social services to countless community organizations serving the homeless, at-risk youth, seniors and persons with disabilities

Tampa Bay, FL - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) arranged the sale of Westbury at Lake Brandon Apartments located in Brandon, Florida for $33.1 million, or $90,437 per unit. The 366-unit, Class A apartment community was purchased by Alliance Residential Company, a private investment company based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Miami, FL - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federated Companies, a leading national real estate investment and development firm, is pleased to announce that it has purchased a 4.17 acre development project, Legacy Park Wakefield in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The project is a MGL 40-B mixed-income market rate/affordable rental community which will consist of two, four-story garden buildings and one, three-story townhome building containing 128 total units. The garden style unit's floor plans are a mix of one, two, and three bedroom layouts, and the units range in size from 842 to 1,230 square feet. Additionally, the project will include fourteen townhouse residences located in an adjacent three-story structure. The townhouses are three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and 2,250 square feet. Construction is slated to begin in the next few weeks with completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2012 and pre-leasing at the end of 2011.

LYNDHURST, N.J. - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- KnowledgePoint360 Group, a global leader in healthcare information and communications, has signed a long-term lease for a new, 60,000-square-foot headquarters location at Skyline Corporate Center in Lyndhurst, announced commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Inc. The company will relocate to the Class A property at 125 Chubb Ave. from Secaucus, N.J., in an expansion move this fall.

Washington, D.C. - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), recognized three recipients of the 2011 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards. The categories of the program include (1) Excellence in Affordable Housing Design (2) Creating Community Connection Award (3) Community-Informed Design Award (no recipient selected this year) (4) Housing Accessibility - Alan J. Rothman Award. These awards demonstrate that design matters, and the recipient projects offer examples of important developments in the housing industry.

St. Paul, MN / Washington DC - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fannie Mae and the Minnesota Home Ownership Center today announced a partnership to accelerate the response time for struggling Minnesota families with loans that are owned by Fannie Mae.

West Hartford, CT - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Connecticut Real Estate Investors Association, or CT REIA, is announcing its 1st annual Business and Entrepreneur Summit. This event will take place on Saturday May 21, 2011, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm at the Rocky Hill Marriott, 100 Capitol Boulevard in Rocky Hill, CT. Pricing for this event varies and is dependent on which ticket option is chosen. For ticket options, please visit bizsummit.info.

Torrance, CA - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- “Keystone Pacific is pleased to announce Renee’s well-deserved promotion,” said Denise Bergstrom, vice president of association management of Keystone Pacific Property Management. “She is very committed to the communities she manages and demonstrates the qualities necessary to take on this increased responsibility. She is a true professional in her field.”

Washington, DC - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- March saw another increase in pending home sales, with contract activity rising unevenly in six of the past nine months, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI), the remodeling market is heading into recovery with an increase to 46.5 in the first quarter of 2011 from 41.5 in the fourth quarter of 2010. This marks the highest level for the RMI since the fourth quarter of 2006. An RMI below 50, however, indicates that still more remodelers report market activity is lower (compared to the prior quarter) than report it is higher.

Chicago, IL - April 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- First quarter home sales and median home prices in the seven-county metropolitan Chicago real estate market both registered declines of 11 percent when compared to the same period in 2010, but those figures don’t tell the whole story, according to an analysis by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate estate network.

New York, NY - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced his push to aid Homes for Heroes as they seek to modify their current land lease agreement and secure a long-term land agreement that will improve their fundraising capability, allowing the group to provide new homes to even more of our disabled veterans. Currently, Homes for Heroes is in the middle of a short-term 5-year lease with the Health and Human Services Department that requires construction on homes for veterans to be completed after 3 years

Washington, DC - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Eliot Engel announced the awarding of $1,365,890 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Greyston Health Services. The grant allows GHS to continue providing permanent housing and supportive services to the homeless and marginally homeless youth with HIV/AIDS in the Yonkers

Cotulla, TX - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- USDA Rural Housing Administrator Tammye Treviño today announced support for health care, public safety and education projects to create jobs and improve the quality of rural life in 15 Texas communities. “USDA is providing funds to help communities in rural Texas create jobs, attract businesses and provide improved services to their residents,” Trevino said. “The Obama Administration is helping Texas win the future by building the infrastructure needed for quality health care services, modern library facilities and school buildings, and reliable emergency services equipment.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Repeal of Point of Sale reassessments will increase investment in South Carolina real estate upward of $2.4 billion, resulting in a direct impact on jobs and the economy, according to an economic analysis commissioned by the South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR).

CHICAGO, IL - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Illinois Department of Insurance is once again reminding homeowners and renters to prepare in advance for the possibility of floods by reviewing policy coverage and making informed decisions about whether flood insurance is needed. “This spring season has brought heavy rains and flooding, with more of both certain to come,” said Michael T. McRaith, Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance. “Flood insurance coverage is not included in standard homeowner or renter policies and do not take effect for 30 days, so our Department encourages consumers to determine the limits and benefits of an insurance policy well before damage may occur.”

TALLAHASSEE, FL - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Jeff Atwater today announced the arrest of Jose Claudio Pereira, owner of BR Mortgage Group Corporation, on charges of racketeering for his part in fraudulent mortgage transactions in Broward, St. Lucie and Brevard counties.

Charleston, WV - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02) announced today that affordable housing projects in Fairmont, Fayette County, Huntington, McDowell County, Wheeling and White Sulphur Springs have been awarded nearly $800,000 in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants.

DENVER, CO - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Niki Stearman, an experienced real estate professional, has joined Kentwood City Properties in downtown Denver as a Broker Associate. Stearman brings more than 10 years of experience to Kentwood Cit...

San Francisco, CA - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Tomorrow, the California State Senate Banking & Financial Institutions Committee will vote on SB729, the California Homeowner Protection Act. Introduced by Senator Mark Leno and Senator Darrell Steinberg, SB729 would require loan servicers to give struggling borrowers who apply for a loan modification a yes or no answer before starting the formal foreclosure process.

Anchorage, AK - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $915,440 to renew support for a statewide HIV-AIDS housing program administered by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. The t...

EUGENE, OR - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Estele Borges has become the latest announced real estate agent to adopt the IDX, Inc. premier IDX Broker software for her real estate website. She can now display thousands of Massachusetts MLS Property Information Network (MLSPIN) listings directly on her professional website. With the IDX solution she employs, Borges can present her clients with an innovative and comprehensive online real estate search. Home seekers will be able to experience the most thorough and dynamic online property search, conveniently on the website Borges hosts.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing is recognizing states and localities with innovative public policies and practices in workforce housing development through a major new award program, the Robert C. Larson Workforce Housing Public Policy Award.

EUGENE, OR - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Larry Hall of Port Aransas Real Estate has adopted an IDX solution for his professional website, syncing thousands of detailed Coastal Bend MLS (CCARMLS) listings online. IDX Broker software makes it so simple for home seekers to scan the CCARMLS listings Hall hosts, by allowing them the same access to these property listings that was once strictly reserved and available for professional agents and brokers. Potential Port Aransas, Texas buyers can now experience a dynamic and innovative online property search, directly on the IDX enabled website Hall supports.

NORFOLK, VA - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- ForRent.com, anchor website for For Rent Media Solutions and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has seen a dramatic increase in traffic just one month after introducing the exclusive new partnership with Marketplace on Facebook.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications decreased 5.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 22, 2011. There was no adjustment made for Good Friday.

Tampa Bay, FL - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two East Tampa office buildings have been purchased by a new partnership between Penn-Florida Companies and Edge Principal Advisors, LLC. The new venture took ownership of Lakeview Center, a 187,500-square-foot office campus, and Eastpointe, an 85,063-square-foot office building, on March 25, 2011. The two buildings are conveniently located immediately off of I-4 on MLK Boulevard. The partnership made the strategic purchase to aggressively re-introduce the assets into the market. Over 50% of the rentable space had been occupied by Bank of America for the past seven years and is now available

WEEHAWKEN, NJ - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On April 20, Weehawken, NJ Mayor Richard F. Turner reminded a crowd of more than 100 people who gathered at the Port Imperial waterfront why Weehawken will forever be linked to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Five of the victims from that day were Weehawken residents, but also, Weehawken was a place where people bravely banded together to help more than 60,000 victims in the face of a crisis.

Phoenix, AZ - April 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A portfolio of eleven prime former 76-Conoco Philips service stations (most vacant parcels) and one restaurant, located in Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Oakland, Carpinteria, Pomona, Stockton, Turlock, Rodeo, Corcoran, CA, are to be sold at two auction events in early June through CBRE Auction Services.