Monthly Archives: May 2010

May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A variety of issues and programs for Montgomery County seniors are featured in the May edition of “Seniors Today,” now airing on County Cable Montgomery.

May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger will join Maryland leaders to break ground for a new Trauma and Critical Care Tower at the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The new $160 million, nine-floor tower will substantially boost capacity in the emergency department and intensive care unit. The 140,000 square foot building will house 10 new state-of-the-art operating rooms and 64 new and replacement critical care beds

DES MOINES, IA - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Chet Culver today announced $29 million in housing fund awards to 47 recipients through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME). Also announced were an additional nine awards that received funding as a part of the $516.7 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Funds announced in October 2009. The Iowa Department of Economic Development received the CDBG allocations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits benefit Iowans in communities large and small DES MOINES, IA - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nine projects in eastern, western and central Iowa will receive approximately $5 million in federal housing tax credits to build or rehabilitate 312 units of affordable housing, Governor Chet Culver announced today.

IDHS Promotes Ways to Protect Home and Loved Ones INDIANAPOLIS, IN - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Building Safety Month in May is a nationally recognized, annual occurrence intended to raise public awareness of building safety, and promote the use, enforcement and importance of building safety and fire prevention codes. In support of these efforts, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels proclaimed May 2010 Building Safety Preparedness Month in Indiana. The Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office, a division of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), reminds homeowners of building safety and energy conservation tips.

Washington, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Bill Foster (IL-14) introduced H.R. 5278, legislation to designate a Dixon post office as the Ronald W. Reagan Post Office

PALM HARBOR, FL - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), representing Florida’s 9th Congressional District including portions of Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, will be hosting a home foreclosure assistance workshop on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

Washington, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) announced today the award of a $720,000 grant to the Housing Authority of the City of New Haven to help public housing residents become more financially self-sufficient. The funds are part of almost $28 million awarded nationwide by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) program.

Washington, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01) and Vic Snyder (AR-02) today announced that the Jonesboro Urban Renewal and Housing Authority and the Little Rock Housing Authority will receive $152,630 and $141,000, respectively, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to keep or hire service coordinators.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 11 counties in Kentucky and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following the ongoing severe storms, flooding, mudslides and tornadoes.

San Francisco, CA - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Redfin today released new data on the San Francisco Bay Area market showing that the median price of a Bay Area single-family home increased 5.5% from March to April. In Marin County, prices for single-family homes jumped 10% in one month, aided by lower interest rates for jumbo loans. Santa Clara County house prices increased 7% month over month and 33% year over year, driven by a shrinking supply of bank-owned properties. House prices in Alameda, San Francisco and San Mateo counties grew by between 1% and 2% month over month

IRVINE, CA - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- RealtyTrac® (realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ for April 2010, which shows that foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 333,837 properties in April, a 9 percent decrease from the previous month and a 2 percent decrease from April 2009. One in every 387 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan unveiled the agency's Strategic Plan, which will serve as the agency's roadmap toward accomplishing its mission to "create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and affordable homes for all."

Washington, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Several thousand Realtors® ascended Capitol Hill today to persuade their members of Congress to protect affordable and safe financing for American families and to reform government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Washington, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Realtors® has selected 14 winning ideas from its “Game Changers Challenge” to create innovative programs that help Realtor® associations and their members respond to and excel in today’s challenging real estate market.

New York, NY - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Advertising Council, in partnership with NeighborWorksAmerica, announced today the launch of new national public service advertisements (PSA) designed to educate homeowners about where they can turn for help if they are at risk of foreclosure. The campaign encourages distressed homeowners to call the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline, a free resource that helps homeowners facing foreclosure move closer to finding a resolution.

Thousand Oaks, CA, - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In 2007, Investors Hospitality Management (“IHM”) introduced the hospitality industry’s first sustainable 3rd party management and ownership services company. Online technology has revolutionized the business climate. IHM provides complimentary analysis of current online strategy and creates a detailed action plan specific to each prospective hotel. DiGuiseppe states, “There’s an ever growing market for e-marketing. It’s no longer a viewership of 18-25 year olds. The 3 million new viewers represent the 36-57 population range.”

Worcester, MA - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As the real estate industry changes, the needs of the professionals in the industry change with it. The techniques and coaching programs that worked as a little as one year ago do not get the same results today. That’s why Real Estate Inner Circle™, the nation’s fastest growing real estate coaching company, created the Real Estate Inner Circle University™. “REIC-U” is Real Estate Inner Circle’s dedicated teaching and training division. It features affordable online courses that meet the sales, marketing, and training challenges real estate professionals face every day.

AUSTIN, TX - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Austin-based Mangum Custom Builders has launched a sister company, Mangum Modular Homes Inc., which will help Texans easily and quickly establish their homesteads without sacrificing quality or style

Destin, FL - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A large majority say the expiration of the federal home buyers tax credit is likely to damage the housing market, according to a new opinion poll by Housing Predictor.

Grants support affordable housing in Akron, Cedar Rapids, Holstein and Woodbine. DES MOINES, IA - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Culver/Judge administration’s I-JOBS initiative continues to make an impact across Iowa, as Governor Chet Culver announced today that $2.6 million in I-JOBS affordable housing assistance funds have been allocated to five projects. The awards mark the final allocations of the $20 million available through the I-JOBS Affordable Housing Program, administered by the Iowa Finance Authority.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, an amendment put forth by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar to the Wall Street reform bill passed the Senate by a vote of 63-36.

Funding will benefit sober housing programs in Roxbury, New Bedford and Tewksbury BOSTON, MA - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has awarded $180,000 in funding to help create new units of affordable sober housing for women in Roxbury and New Bedford and housing stabilization services for women in Tewksbury

More than $1.3 million in temporary housing assistance provided for Mississippians CLINTON, MS - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) --To meet the needs of survivors of the April 23-24 storms and tornadoes, the housing programs of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency are now well underway.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $27,947,749 in grants to public housing and non-profit agencies across the U.S. that will help public housing residents find employment that lead them toward economic independence. The funding will also link the elderly with supportive services that will allow them to age-in-place. Click here for local funding information.

McLean, VA - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) announced today that in the first quarter of 2010, refinancing borrowers overwhelmingly chose fixed-rate loans, regardless of whether their original loan was an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) or a fixed-rate, according to Freddie Mac's quarterly Product Transition Report. While 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are still the most preferred product chosen for the new loan, 15-year fixed-rate mortgages gained favor among refinancers who previously held 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, balloon mortgages and ARMs. Overall, fixed-rate loans accounted for more than 95 percent of refinance loans during the quarter.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Assistant Secretary Cathy Zoi of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy joined leaders from 15 countries and the European Commission today at the first Policy Committee meeting of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) to promote global collaboration on energy-saving programs and policies. U.S. participation in this partnership, launched at the Group of 8 (G8) Energy Ministers Meeting in Rome in May 2009, continues the Obama Administration’s efforts to forge partnerships among governments to address climate change, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and grow the global clean energy economy.

BISMARCK, ND - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Typically North Dakota Housing Finance Agency employee involvement in projects underwritten by the Helping Housing Across North Dakota program includes reviewing expenses and processing payments.

Washington, DC - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In their efforts to reshape the real estate industry, Realtors® understand the importance of cultivating tomorrow’s leaders. During the Equal Opportunity-Cultural Diversity Forum at the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo yesterday, Realtors® and industry representatives worked to find ways to identify and reach out to future leaders, and successfully overcome challenges in leadership development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the mature-housing market remained weak, according to 2010 first-quarter data from the National Association of Home Builders’ 55+ Housing Market Index (55+ HMI) – a quarterly survey of the association’s builder members engaged in the production of mature-market housing.