Monthly Archives: May 2010

Washington, D.C - May 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- NeighborWorks organizations around the U.S. are holding more than 150 events during national NeighborWorks Week (June 5-12, 2010) to inform tens of thousands of homeowners on how to avoid and report mortgage modification scams.

EUGENE, OR - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The innovative Internet Data Exchange (IDX) technology is now being employed on Washington, D.C. area Realtor Andrew Lax's website. With IDX, Inc.'s revolutionary IDX technology, Lax and the whole Weichert Realtors team can now benefit from a helpful and easy-to-use real estate website. Never before has the online home search been easier for both professionals and home seekers alike thanks in large part to the customizable IDX solution that brings Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) listings directly to the search pages of Lax's website.

EUGENE, OR - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The innovative Internet Data Exchange (IDX) technology is now being employed on Washington, D.C. area Realtor Andrew Lax's website. With IDX, Inc.'s revolutionary IDX technology, Lax and the whole Weichert Realtors team can now benefit from a helpful and easy-to-use real estate website. Never before has the online home search been easier for both professionals and home seekers alike thanks in large part to the customizable IDX solution that brings Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) listings directly to the search pages of Lax's website.

EUGENE, OR - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The newly added IDX Broker software has revolutionized Tyler Ertel's real estate website by combining his listings with properties listed on the Northern Kentucky MLS (NKAR). Ertel is a member of The Jim Huff Realty group, which has chosen to create an easy-to-use website where potential buyers can be matched with their perfect property. This change has simplified not only the way Ertel conducts business, but also the way his clients find the property that is right for them.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 21, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 11.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 10.3 percent compared with the previous wee

New York, NY - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Multiple factors including poor data, incomplete performance metrics, and, short-term focus and unrealistic optimism among senior business managers contributed to the collapse in the US housing and mortgage markets, according to a study released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)

McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) announced today that it plans to issue a new two-year USD Reference Notes® security, CUSIP number 3137EACK3, due on July 27, 2012. The issue will be priced on Thursday, May 27, 2010, and will settle on Friday May 28, 2010, at benchmark size

Washington, DC - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services on The Preservation, Enhancement and Transformation of Rental Assistance Act (PETRA).The multi-year initiative proposed in President Obama's FY2011 Budget seeks to preserve HUD-funded public and assisted housing, enhance housing choice for residents and streamline the department's rental assistance programs

WASHINGTON, DC - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In 2007, nearly 13 million low-income persons paid more than half their monthly income for rent, lived in severely substandard housing, or both. In a report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that these "worst case housing needs" grew significantly between 2001 and 2007.

Washington, DC - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vacancy rates continue to rise in most commercial sectors and are not expected to level out in most markets until the end of this year or early 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau today released new home sales data for April 2010. Sales of new single-family houses rose 14.8 percent in April to 504,000 units, well above the expectations of 425,000 units and a 3.4 percent monthly increase. New home sales have risen 47.8 percent above their level in April a year ago

WASHINGTON, DC - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced a $750,000 grant competition aimed at supporting Department of Labor grantees that provide employment services to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes surged 14.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 504,000 units in April as consumers rushed to beat the deadline for expiring home buyer tax credits, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. This was the strongest level of new-home buying activity since May of 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - May 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A one-megawatt solar power project owned and operated by a Duke Energy commercial business unit is now producing clean, renewable electricity for North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1), which serves the city of Shelby, N.C.

New York, NY - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in consultation with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, today issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase and development of the Mart 125 site in Harlem.

Las Vegas, NV - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Coldwell Banker Wardley Las Vegas Real Estate, specializing in Las Vegas Short Sales, is negotiating a deal with a lender to accept a “short” amount on Las Vegas Real Estate, saving the sellers from being another Las Vegas Foreclosure statistic.

BEDFORD, N.H. - May 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Some low-income families and individuals can now learn about managing their finances through a new pilot program to be offered by New Hampshire Housing, made possible by a three-year $400,000 grant from the U.S. Treasury.

Atlanta, GA - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtor Lisa Sutton recently madethe switch to Prudential Georgia Realty.She is based out of Prudential Georgia Realty’s new Buckhead office,located on 3221 Peachtree Road, just south of the Peachtree and Piedmont Road intersection.

Destin, FL - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Apparently feeling the bottom of the housing market may be getting closer, nearly 2 out of 3 people surveyed say they plan on buying a home or other real estate in the next two years, according to a new Housing Predictor survey

Condominiums in West Harlem Feature Modern Design and Spacious Layouts. NEW YORK, NY - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Halstead Property Development Marketing today announced a price reduction at The Ellison, a newly constructed residential development in the heart of West Harlem.

EUGENE, OR - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Springfield, Missouri's Realty Choice Realtor David Sekunda has chosen to create a unique and effective real estate website with the help of IDX, Inc. and their innovative IDX Broker software. The customizable IDX solution displays Springfield Multi-List MLS's (SMLMLS) raw listing data directly on Sekunda's website, integrating local area listings with the properties Sekunda himself represents.

EUGENE, OR - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- With new accounts being added daily, IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Ronald Refec and Realty Smart, LLC to the growing number of real estate agents and brokers who are revolutionizing their professional websites by making searching for a home online simpler and easier. The new customizable IDX solution blends data from the Georgia MLS (GAMLS) and Refec's own listings to supply his clients with the most up-to-date and thorough Atlanta area listings database online

EUGENE, OR - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kirsten Crawford of Crawford Realty, LLC has partnered with IDX, Inc. to update her real estate website with the highly customizable IDX Broker software. Now, residents of Dixon, Illinois can find their perfect property through the union of Crawford's website and the Sauk Valley MLS (SVMLS), which displays every listing in the area conveniently on Crawford's page. IDX Broker software is changing the way Crawford runs her business by giving her more options for managing her real estate listings.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink today asked Governor Crist to sign into law the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which would give local governments the option of providing loans for property owners to make energy-efficiency enhancements to their homes and engage in renewable energy projects.

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home sales decreased 8.1 percent in April in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home rose 21 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today

EAGLE, ID - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- It’s a story heard more and more often in these economic times. Responsible homeowners who would never have dreamed that they wouldn’t be able to make their mortgage payments are now receiving foreclosure notices due to the tough economy. Bill Laubner of Eagle, Idaho was one such homeowner. Although he was responsible about his home purchase – putting 25% of his home’s value toward a down payment, reduction of income and the severe devaluation of his home took its toll and made it difficult to maintain his mortgage payments. Although Laubner attempted to work with his lender, he didn’t qualify for their programs

BOSTON, MA - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing recently honored Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank for being the Agency’s top-producing lender in Barnstable County in 2009.

BOSTON, MA - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- At its annual awards ceremony honoring lenders for their commitment to affordable home mortgage lending, MassHousing recognized Sovereign Bank as the Agency’s top originator of MassHousing Home Improvement loans in 2009

KANSAS CITY, MO - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two more defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to mortgage fraud schemes, including a $12.6 million conspiracy that involved 25 upscale residential properties in Lee’s Summit, Missouri and Raymore, Missouri and a property-flipping scheme in Kansas City, Missouri.

Washington, DC - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Realtors® recently announced an expansion of its FedEx Advantage® savings program for Realtors® to include FedEx Office services. Through the REALTOR Benefits® Program, NAR members can now register for two FedEx discount programs aimed at helping Realtors® as well as their clients