Monthly Archives: July 2010

Des Moines, IA - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved $200,500 in grants to fives organizations to advance affordable housing opportunities in Ames, Indianola, Ogden, Williamsburg and Woodbine. The funding is made available through the State Housing Trust Fund’s Project-Based program. The program provides financing for the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing units

Washington, D.C. - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) for receiving a $446,000 competitively awarded grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide rental and other assistance to chronically homeless youth in Tucson. The grant, awarded under HUD’s Continuum of Care group of programs, is part of approximately $190 million awarded this week by the department to support 550 local projects that will offer housing and other support to nearly 20,000 homeless individuals and families

Washington, D.C. - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) for receiving a $446,000 competitively awarded grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide rental and other assistance to chronically homeless youth in Tucson. The grant, awarded under HUD’s Continuum of Care group of programs, is part of approximately $190 million awarded this week by the department to support 550 local projects that will offer housing and other support to nearly 20,000 homeless individuals and families

LITTLE ROCK, AR - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Jane W. Duke, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that a real estate developer, Roger Stephen Clary of Little Rock, was charged by the Grand Jury for the Eastern District of Arkansas with four counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. Each count carries a statutory penalty of no more than 30 years’ incarceration and/or a fine of $1,000,000

July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Leonard Boswell will join Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims and Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie in highlighting how $4.3 million in Recovery Act Tax Credit Assistance Program funds are building 300 units of quality, affordable housing at the Homes of Oakridge housing development.

SAN JOSE, CA - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Santana Row, a property of Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), today announced three new merchants: the first Northern California location of Yard House, an upscale sports bar and restaurant, and the first South Bay locations of 100% Pure Cosmetics, purveyor of all-natural, fruit-based cosmetics and skincare products, and San Francisco-based jewelry and accessory boutique Jest Jewels.

Washington, DC - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation have announced the Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program. The program awards financial and educational resources to help remove barriers towards the pursuit of LEED for Neighborhood Development projects which include affordable green housing components in their neighborhood plans. The grant program is open to developers and related public agencies that choose to pursue LEED for Neighborhood Development certification and demonstrate a commitment toward strengthening existing communities by providing affordable green housing to citizens with a range of income levels.

LOS GATOS, CA - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sereno Group Real Estate has been ranked as the top work place in the greater Bay Area by the Bay Area News Group in their prestigious TOP WORKPLACES 2010 list, an annual profile of the top 60 places to work in the Bay Area’s five counties.“We are extremely honored to be included on the list of top workplaces, let alone to be ranked as the number one company,” said Chris Trapani, President and CEO of Sereno Group, “We were all so pleased and humbled when we received the news. It is a tremendous testament to everyone who works at the Sereno Group and contributes to our ongoing journey. It’s even more gratifying to note that this nomination was initiated and driven by our sales force and support staff and was not the result of a corporate initiative.”

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home prices in Lake Tahoe are beginning to level off and the high-end market is looking lively, according to a mid-year analysis by Chase International.The average home price was up two percent ($899,515) while the median dropped only one percent ($530,681). The slight changes mark the first time the Lake Tahoe real estate market hasn’t experienced a significant drop in home prices since the end of 2007. The report compares sales and figures from January 1 through June 30, 2009 to the first two quarters of 2010.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Reno-Sparks saw a 16 percent increase in homes sold in the first half of 2010 and experienced an eight percent decrease in average and median prices, according to Chase International’s mid-year report. Carson Valley experienced a 21 percent increase in homes sold.“A lot of first-time home-buyers took advantage of the federal tax credit,” said Sue Lowe, corporate vice president of Chase International. “There’s been a lot of movement in the last six months and while prices are still down, inventory is going down, so we’re hoping to see things flatten out soon.”

July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Quicken Loans Inc., today announced a growing business in his family of companies, In-House Realty LLC, will move from its suburban Livonia office to Detroit. In-House Realty will occupy space in the Compuware Building beginning this August, along with Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender, and Fathead Inc., the leading brand in sports and entertainment graphic wall products, both of whom previously announced their move to downtown Detroit.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Claimants of insurance companies that provide highly satisfying property claims experiences are considerably more likely to renew with their insurer and recommend their insurer to others, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Home Claims Satisfaction Study^SM released today

McLean, VA - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.57 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending July 8, 2010, down from last week when it averaged 4.58 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.20 percent. This rate is yet another all-time low in Freddie Mac’s 39-year survey

BEAVER, W. VA. - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rebuilding specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will offer safe cleanup and rebuilding advice in Wyoming, McDowell and Logan counties this week

Washington, DC - July 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- International home buyers are increasingly attracted to property in the U.S., according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2010 Profile of International Home Buying Activity. Several factors, including the strength of the dollar, the value and desirability of U.S. real estate, and the emerging economic recovery, continue to drive international interest in owning a home in this country.

COLUMBUS, OH - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Treasurer Kevin L. Boyce is announcing the re-launch of the HomeSaver program to help Montgomery County homeowners with at-risk mortgages who may be facing foreclosure.

Buffalo, NY - July 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York announced today the award of a $104,500 grant to People United for Sustainable Housing

DEVILS LAKE, ND - July 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake Region Corporation, a nonprofit Devils Lake organization dedicated to providing residential services for people with disabilities, recently received funding for some essential repairs through the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency’s Rural Rehabilitation Loan Program.

Atlanta,GA - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Prudential Georgia Realty is pleased to announceRealtors Francine Bethune and Kris Kolarich, who work together specializing inthe Atlanta foreclosure market, have joined its sales team. They are based outof Prudential Georgia Realty’s Midtown office, located on Peachtree Street a few blocks from the High Museum.

MILFORD, CT - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Total Mortgage Services, LLC, a leading mortgage lender and broker, announced today it is expanding its reverse mortgage lending operation, Total Mortgage Reverse Mortgage Program, to help more senior homeowners in need of accessing the equity available in their homes during this challenging economic environment. In conjunction with this expansion, Total Mortgage has hired Donna Marino as Reverse Mortgage Specialist to lead the dedicated reverse mortgage product business.

New York, NY - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a ribbon cutting ceremony today in Harlem, city officials gathered together to celebrate the completion of Beacon Towers and Beacon Mews, two residential developments that reflect the need and success of affordable housing developments in New York City. Developed under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP), Beacon Towers and Beacon Mews offer both rental and homeownership opportunities to New Yorkers with a range of incomes.

Destin, FL - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Americans are deeply divided on whether states should offer a tax credit to help the housing market recover, according to a new Housing Predictor opinion poll. The new survey found that slightly more than half of all respondents feel that states should offer a $10,000 state tax credit to home buyers to make a purchase like California is doing to help overcome the downturn in its markets.

Atlanta, GA - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Southern Living magazine has been highlighting unique off-the-beaten path southern towns for decades. For more than 20 years, Southern Living has built its Idea Houses on the lake, on the beach and in town to cover the many interests of its more than 16 million readers.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) ongoing efforts to enhance risk management practices, Commissioner David H. Stevens today announced plans to implement a series of changes to the multifamily insurance programs that will update underwriting policies, increase lender and underwriter quality, and align loan application, submission and approval standards. FHA’s Multifamily Program Office consulted with stakeholders to bring these changes to market.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced nearly $190 million in new grants to assist hundreds of local homeless assistance programs across the country. The funding will provide support to 550 local projects that will offer critically needed housing and support services to nearly 20,000 homeless individuals and families over the extended lifetime of these grants. For a complete listing of those local programs awarded funding

WASHINGTON, DC - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Justice Department today announced that it has reached an agreement resolving its lawsuit against the Fitchburg, Mass., Housing Authority and its executive director, Robert W. Hill. The lawsuit alleged that the Fitchburg Housing Authority and Hill violated the Fair Housing Act by adopting and implementing policies that denied tenants with disabilities other than mobility impairments the opportunity to transfer between apartments within Fitchburg’s public housing neighborhoods.

EUGENE, OR - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to welcome San Francisco real estate professional Robert Ormiston to the growing team of dedicated agents and brokers choosing to make the online property search easier and quicker for home seekers. San Francisco MLS (SFARMLS) listings are now displayed conveniently on his website, thanks to his personalized IDX Broker software, which extracts SFARMLS raw listing data and posts it online.

EUGENE, OR - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- San Diego Regional MLS (Sandicor) agent Shun Wakita, of Wakita & Associates, has joined with IDX, Inc. to revolutionize the website of his real estate company by making it easier, faster and more informative than ever before. The custom IDX solution extracts raw listings data from Sandicor and displays it directly on his website. Never before has searching for a home online in Bonita, California and surrounding areas been easier than now

July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision on the Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) program.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representatives Jim Himes (CT-4) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) announced today that the WorkPlace, Inc. will receive a $300,000 grant to help give formerly incarcerated veterans a second chance to successfully transition in the civilian world. The program will specifically assist these at-risk veterans in their efforts to secure employment and avoid homelessness.