Monthly Archives: May 2010

Cromwell , CT - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Connecticut Real Estate Investors Association, or CT REIA, is announcing an all day seminar with Than Merrill and Patrick Precourt. The event will take place on Saturday May 22nd, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, at the Courtyard by Marriott on 4 Sabethe Drive in Cromwell, CT. This event is $29 for CT REIA members, and $39 for non-members.

Atlanta, GA - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Georgianative Julia Blake, an Atlanta Realtor with nine years experience, recentlymade the switch to Prudential GeorgiaRealty. She is based out of Prudential Georgia Realty’s Midtown office, located on Peachtree Street a few blocks from the High Museum

BOISE, ID - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently contributed $5,000 to the Finally Home!® Homebuyer Education Program administered by Idaho Partners for Homebuyer Education, Inc. (IPHBE, Inc.). Bank of America has contributed nearly $30,000 since the program’s inception in 1999.

Loans will preserve a total of 931 affordable apartments in Reading, Wellesley, Falmouth, Needham, Abington, Sturbridge, Winchester, Norton, Sudbury and Maynard. BOSTON, MA - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing announced $110.6 million in loan commitments today for the acquisition and preservation of affordable housing for seniors and families in 10 communities

KANSAS CITY, MO - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Kit Bond today joined U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, members of the Palestine Economic Development Corporation, members of the Kansas City City Council, and other community leaders to break ground for the next phase of the Palestine Commons Senior Housing Complex

WALLINGFORD, CO - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As a result of March’s severe storms and flooding, help is available to support the state of Connecticut and its homeowners and low-income renters, according to U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released April data for the Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) showing that permanent modifications for almost 300,000 homeowners – an increase of 68,000 or almost 13 percent over March. New in this month’s report is information about servicer-specific conversion rates to permanent modifications and servicer performance in giving homeowners timely decisions. The data show that there is wide variation among servicers in these areas, further demonstrating the need for transparency regarding servicer performance

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose for a second consecutive month in May to its highest level in more than two years, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. The HMI gained three points to 22 in May, its highest point since August of 2007

New York, NY - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Halstead Property Development Marketing and Ekstein Development announced today that sales have resumed for +aRt, a new premium condominium development located in the heart of West Chelsea’s art district at 540 West 28th Street.

EUGENE, OR - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Florida Realtor Randy Robinson and Highlight Realty to the growing number of agents and brokers choosing to create customized real estate websites with the IDX Broker software. The tools used to integrate Palm Beach Regional MLS (RMLSFL) listings and Robinson's website revolutionize the online home search for potential buyers by giving them more options and freedom throughout the process. The custom IDX solution on Robinson's website extracts raw listing data from the RMLSFL and displays it on his website providing home seekers the most comprehensive list of properties available

Tucson, AZ - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva will host a May 21 workshop on taking advantage of grants available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

ATLANTA, GA - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to prevent countless mortgage loan originators from losing their jobs, State Sen. Donzella James (D-College Park) will host a press conference on Tuesday, May 18 to announce her efforts to secure an extension of the certification deadline that is threatening to put Georgians out of work. In January, loan originators were given only two months to comply with new federal certification requirements, and James is encouraging the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance to grant an extension until the end of this year.

STATEHOUSE, IN - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- State Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Lafayette) says by completing and mailing back one simple form included in local property tax statements, eligible property owners will receive valuable tax credits while helping county governments better monitor homestead filings and prevent fraud.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Improving labor market conditions and a strong increase in consumer spending led to solid economic growth according to the May 2010 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae's (FNM/NYSE) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. The economy is expected to grow at a 3.5 percent pace for the year but concerns over European sovereign debt and possible long-term effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill bring uncertainty to the overall 2010 forecast. A welcome surge in home sales points to the positive impact of the homebuyer tax credit, although the increase will likely be temporary as incentives wind down. "Strong momentum coming out of the first quarter puts us in the direction of a self-sustaining economic recovery," said Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan. "Consumer spending grew at the fastest pace in three years and the job market posted gains across the board. Home sales grew in March, and will likely increase further in coming months, presumably from buyers rushing to sign contracts before the tax credit deadline at the end of April. We continue to project a pullback in home sales starting in July as the tax credit will likely pull sales forward into the second quarter," said Duncan. "The pace of employment growth and confidence in the labor market will be key factors for a pick up in home sales by the end of the year."

May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Quicken Loans, the nation’s fourth largest retail lender, today announced the creation of Quicken Loans Mortgage Services (QLMS), a new division servicing the home financing needs of community banks and credit unions across the country

Denver, CO - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The second national survey in as many months shows RE/MAX agents and offices far outperformed all competitors, selling more homes, assisting more families, and leading all other real estate companies in every measurable category. In the 2010 REAL Trends 500 survey, RE/MAX brokerages held 122, or 24%, of the Top 500 positions, with RE/MAX agents averaging an impressive 20.65 transaction sides, 42% higher than the next closest competitor.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has earned a sixth ENERGY STAR designation for the National Housing Center, the downtown Washington, D.C., office building that serves as the association’s headquarters.

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry-level home in California stood at 66 percent in the first quarter of 2010, compared with 69 percent for the same period a year ago

Providing low-income families, the elderly and handicapped individuals with decent, safe and affordable housing WASHINGTON, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Today U.S. Congressman John Salazar announced that $240,000 in federal funding has been allocated to the Housing Authority of the City of Pueblo as a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and [...]

WASHINGTON, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Congressman John Salazar announced that Colorado Housing Inc. in Pagosa Springs has won an award of $90,000 from the Housing Assistance Council to support the building of six self-help, sweat equity homes in Dolores. The funding is part of Housing Assistance Council's HUD-funded Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), which supports land acquisition or infrastructure development by nonprofit groups such as Colorado Housing Inc. that are operating self-help housing programs.

Rural Housing Service Program Currently on Brink of Insolvency. Washington, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, announced today that key provisions of the legislation he introduced to bolster Rural Housing Service loan programs on the brink of insolvency were included in a bill approved by the Appropriations Committee. That bill now goes to the Senate floor for debate.

PEARL - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Yazoo resident is the first survivor of the April 24 tornado to purchase a Mississippi Cottage to replace his destroyed home. Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour met Eddie Ketchum at 11 a.m. today in front of his new home on Canton Drive to hand him the keys to his Mississippi Cottage.

EUGENE, OR - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. brings its time-saving technology to Blaine, Minnesota Realtor Kris Lindahl and the successful team at Edina Realty's website. The solutions offered to agents and brokers through a customizable IDX solution give them the unique opportunity to simplify their professional website, while delivering their clients with an easy-to-use and extensive database of featured properties. Lindahl's partnership with Northstar MLS (Northstar) helps to combine thousands of area listings with the homes Lindahl represents, to give home seekers an expansive list of homes to explore.

May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — WHAT: Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) 1st Quarter 2010 National Delinquency Survey (NDS) Media Conference Call. Conducted quarterly since 1972, MBA’s National Delinquency Survey covers more than 40 million loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties, representing more than 80 percent of all first-lien residential mortgage loans outstanding in the United States.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced $32.7 million in Service Coordinator grants to provide more than 19,200 low-income frail elderly and residents with disabilities in federally supported housing with assistance to identify and receive health care, meals and other critical support services.

Washington, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- More than nine out of 10 home buyers use the Internet as a search tool, and Realtors® at the Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here this week are engaged in ways to improve and enhance consumers’ online real estate experience.

Washington, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Realtors® has awarded $39,450 to 15 local and state Realtor® associations through its Diversity Initiative Grant Program.

Washington, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The country’s tight economy and challenging mortgage market are making it even more difficult for low- to moderate-income working families to purchase and keep their homes. Addressing those challenges was the focus of the “Workforce Housing Solutions”

Washington, DC - May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- While the commercial real estate market may not have fully recovered, National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun identified some developing, positive trends in the market that could eventually lead to recovery at the “Economics Issues and Commercial Business Trends Forum” yesterday.

Web site features timely, objective and local green-home information. May 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the GreenHomeGuide.com launches a local component that makes it easier for Raleigh area homeowners to connect to local green home professionals. Presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), GreenHomeGuide.com now features a local and customizable landing page connecting consumers and professionals to timely and objective green-home information from the green building experts. The Web site also addresses green home building issues and environmental concerns specific to the Raleigh area