Monthly Archives: May 2010

ANDOVER, MA - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) officials have heard it all when it comes to homeowners who tell them why they aren’t going to apply for a low-interest disaster loan.

WALTHAM, MA - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) today announced that for the first time since MAR started collecting survey data in January 2008, the REALTOR® Market Index is on the positive side of the 100-point scale for April. For the third straight month REALTORS® are optimistic on price as the REALTOR® Price Index also continues to be in positive territory.

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Californians have an opportunity to share what living here means to them as part of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ “Your Piece of California. Your Peace of Mind.” 2010 Consumer Advertising Campaign.

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Real Estate Business Services® (REBS®) today announced that the Oroville Association of REALTORS® has signed an agreement to provide Clarus MarketMetrics® as a member benefit to its more than 100 REALTOR® members. The Oroville Association of REALTORS® joins the Chico, Lake County, and Merced County associations of REALTORS®, all part of the calREDD® MLS system, in offering this member benefit.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to Imperial County in California and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following last month's earthquake.

Washington, DC - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) Valerie Santos, Department of Housing and Community Development (DCHD) Director Leila Edmonds, and DC Housing Authority Interim Director Adrianne Todman joined the Ward 8 community to break ground on the first of four phases in the Sheridan Station residential development project at the intersection of Sheridan and Bowen Roads, SE

Washington, DC - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Dennis Kucinich today held a roundtable discussion between state and local officials, housing advocates and representatives of the Treasury Department. Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Herb Allison came to Northeast Ohio at the request of Kucinich in order to understand how federal efforts to help prevent foreclosure can be improved to meet Ohio’s needs. The meeting enabled more than 50 state and local officials to weigh in on the implementation guidelines that Treasury is currently writing.

Washington, DC - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A growing number of metropolitan areas are experiencing price gains from a year ago, while most states have seen healthy gains in home sales from the first quarter of 2009, according to the latest survey by the National Association of Realtors

BEAVER, W. Va. - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- After a major disaster, state and local governments look for ways to protect lives and property in case another event occurs. This is called “hazard mitigation.”

May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders’ National Sales and Marketing Council (NSMC) and the Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) have officially changed the name of their MIRM designation to “Master in Residential Marketing” after the NAHB Executive Board passed the motion at the 2010 Spring Board of Directors’ Meeting in Washington last month.

Atlanta, GA - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Atlanta real estate agent Mark Spain and his team, who annually rank as oneof the top 20 RE/MAX teams in the world for closings, wanted to do somethingmore to help metro Atlanta homeowners, especially those in danger of losingtheir homes. In the last year, the Mark Spain Team has taken numerous steps to informthemselves so they could, in turn, educate and help homeowners

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jake Weathers, 34, Elk Grove, Glenn Watkins, 40, Elk Grove, Kevin Watkins, 25, Elk Grove, Frederick Davis, 40, Elk Grove, and Paul Yearby Jr., 29, of Fair Oaks, with 11 counts of mail fraud relating to their alleged operation of a mortgage fraud scheme that involved the defendants changing their names to Muslim names in order to obtain new credit and to conceal poor credit histories and other liabilities in their birth names.

Old Navy to open in Willow Grove, PA. Willow Grove, PA - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of its ongoing representation of Gap, Inc. in the Greater Philadelphia Region, Metro Commercial Real Estate, Inc. has negotiated a 17,757 square foot lease for Old Navy in Willow Grove, PA

MILFORD, CT - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Total Mortgage Services, LLC, a leading mortgage lender and broker announced that it received its state of Pennsylvania Mortgage Lender License from the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and can now originate residential mortgage loans throughout Pennsylvania.

Meriden, CT - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama). Deal or No Deals Workshop (Free, Members Only event). Wed, May 26. 6:30 - 9:00pm. Comfort Inn. 900 East Main St. Meriden, CT. 06450

Washington, DC - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Realtors® is bringing together legislators, public policy makers and industry leaders this week to develop strategies and solutions for addressing ongoing challenges in the real estate market as the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo begins.

May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The city of Phoenix Development Services Department celebrates Building Safety Month throughout May, highlighting the importance of building codes for safety and the men and women that ensure code compliance of all construction in the city.

MIAMI, FL - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Interagency Mortgage Task Force today hosted a community forum in Miami to discuss the housing crisis. The event was designed to present a comprehensive approach for dealing with housing-related issues and provide information and assistance to consumers. Participating agencies included state agencies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the floodwaters receding from last weekend’s storms, many Kentuckians are cleaning and restoring their homes and properties. The Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection has specific guidelines for proper disposal of debris in the aftermath of severe flooding.

PEARL, MS - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Imagine that you are going to bed on a Friday night not knowing that the next afternoon, your life and home as you know it, will never be the same again. This is a frightening thought for many, but unfortunately, it became a reality for hundreds of families who survived the April 24 storms that ripped through rural Mississippi. Ten people were killed and hundreds of families were displaced due to the storm that produced several powerful tornadoes.

EUGENE, OR - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. announces its partnership with Eric Reese of Coldwell Banker Bain, to bring a simpler online home search to residents of Woodinville, Washington. The Northwest's growing population is aiding in the booming real estate market. Now, Reese can make his real estate website grow right along with the market, thanks to IDX Broker software. The customizable IDX solution combines Reese's own listings with the Northwest MLS (NWMLS) listings to deliver a variety of properties to visitors of Reese's website. Never before has such a unique property search been available to home seekers online

EUGENE, OR - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fort Myers Realtor Carlos Frizone has partnered with IDX, Inc. to revolutionize his real estate website, through the use of IDX Broker software. Florida realty has long been a popular business, but now with the help of Internet Data Exchange technology home seekers in the Fort Myers area can search for their dream home or next investment from the comfort and convenience of their own personal computer. Frizone's real estate website connects him directly with his clients and allows potential home buyers to connect with the property listings of the Fort Myers MLS (FortMyers).

EUGENE, OR - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- After years in the real estate market, Jim McGrath of Ryan Scott Realty is joining with IDX, Inc. to customize his professional website. The Internet Data Exchange (IDX) technology now offers Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area residents a comprehensive search engine, which allows for a simple and effective online home search. The IDX Broker software, created specifically for real estate websites like McGrath's, gives him the unique opportunity to expand his business and clientèle online, without ever lifting a finger

EUGENE, OR - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. happily welcomes the addition of IDX Broker to Mary LeBlanc Realty's very own Mary LeBlanc of Torrington, Connecticut's website. LeBlanc, with the use of this modernized and enhanced IDX service, is now able to easily and quickly provide property listing information to prospective home buyers, without the previously required time and investment. This custom IDX solution takes care of pulling the raw listing data from her local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), the Connecticut Statewide MLS (CTStatewide), and prominently displays the listing information in a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate format on LeBlanc's site, for home seekers to pursue.

EUGENE, OR - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Real Living Northwest's agent, Cheryl Steffen, to the growing number of real estate professionals changing they way they sell houses online. Through the IDX Broker software now available on Steffen's website, home seekers on islands surrounding Seattle, Washington can now easily find the perfect property. As a member of Northwest MLS (NWMLS), Steffen has access to thousands of properties. These listings can now be displayed with the click of a mouse on Steffen's website, giving potential home buyers more control over their property search

WASHINGTON, DC - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- HOPE NOW, the private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers and non-profit counselors announced today that its first quarter 2010 data shows a surge in solutions for troubled homeowners, including completed loan modifications, trial modifications and other workout plans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- If you are facing default on your mortgage or foreclosure on your home, watch out for the latest scam: phony “forensic mortgage loan audits.” Con artists claim that for an upfront fee, their audits can help you hold onto your home. Don’t believe them.

Washington, DC - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced legislation that is the second piece of a two-pronged approach to assure continuity and stability in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the nation’s housing markets while also focusing on the comprehensive reform and long-term reauthorization of the NFIP.

WASHINGTON D.C. - May 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The historically slow recovery of the economy and lack of substantial job growth could cause negative, lasting effects on the current young generation and force many retirement age individuals to remain in the workforce, according to a study released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The impact of a higher unemployment rate for Americans aged 16 – 24 could have a lasting effect on lifetime earnings and attitudes toward risk and social policies. In addition, those nearing retirement are delaying retirement and reentering the labor force in an effort to rebuild some of the retirement wealth that was wiped out by the recession

Washington, D.C. - May 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) announced that part of a national grant for $10 Million was recently awarded to develop eleven units of affordable housing in San Juan, Texas.