Monthly Archives: August 2010

Washington, D.C. - August 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that Oregon will receive nearly $50 million in additional funding to assist homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments due to the loss of a job.

NEWARK, NJ - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Eliyahu Weinstein, aka “Eli Weinstein,” was arrested at his home this morning by federal agents on charges that he ran an investment fraud scheme causing losses of at least $200 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

MADISON, WI - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Brian K. Bowling, 44, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb to 51 months in prison, with a five-year term of supervised release.

Washington, DC. - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- “For eight years, I have been actively pursuing legislation on behalf of America’s unemployed to help stave off foreclosure. Now, thanks to the Administration, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and Committee members Representatives Maxine Waters and Paul Kanjorski more of the nation’s unemployed will be getting help.

Washington, DC - August 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Realtors® and the National Housing Conference partnered to host a regional forum in Austin, Texas, today to discuss workforce housing issues and help create more affordable housing opportunities for public and private sector workers in the south central region

Washington, DC - August 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeowners are more active in their communities, benefit from improved education opportunities, and report higher levels of self-esteem and happiness when compared to renters, according to leading research. A new report from the National Association of Realtors®, Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing, explores the impact of stable housing and the positive social outcomes resulting from homeownership.

Columbus, OH - August 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Obama Administration today announced that the Ohio Housing Finance Agency will receive an additional $148 million through the U.S. Treasury's Hardest-Hit Fund to help Ohio homeowners prevent foreclosure.

Beverly Hills, CA. - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Greg Moesser of Rodeo Realty, Beverly Hills, CA was awarded the esteemed Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation and joins a worldwide network of elite global real estate practitioners with expertise in working with international clients. The CIPS Designation has been awarded to fewer than 2% of the National Association of REALTORS, the official real estate trade association of the United States. Members of the CIPS Network are crucial players in today’s global real estate market. The CIPS designation recognizes members who have achieved the necessary training and experience to work successfully with international clients and properties. To earn the CIPS designation, REALTORS complete rigorous coursework devoted to learning cultural differences and international business practices.

CHICAGO, IL - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The state of Illinois, Chicago Public Schools and Harris N.A. have made the list of the nation’s top 50 green power partners using the most renewable electricity, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

EUGENE, OR - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce that David Reading of Ventura Premier Realty has chosen to upgrade his professional real estate website by utilizing a customized IDX solution to transform his online business. Ventura County Regional Data Share (VCRDS) listings are now seamlessly integrated onto his website thanks to IDX Broker, which extracts raw listing data and displays it effortlessly on his search pages. The powerful tools synced online help Reading and his clients to have a better overall experience throughout the online property search.

EUGENE, OR - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Leigh Roberts of Leigh Glendenning Real Estate has chosen to revolutionize her real estate website by upgrading to the premier IDX Broker software. Now, it is easier than ever before to search for properties around Frisco, Texas from the convenience of her website. North Texas Real Estate Info Systems (NTREIS) listings are seamlessly displayed on the search page in an effort to give home seekers and the clients of Roberts the most comprehensive search available online

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) subsidiary California MLS, Inc., doing business as calREDD®, and the Multi-Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (MRMLS), last week signed an agreement to merge the efforts of calREDD® and MRMLS. calREDD® is the C.A.R. initiative to create one Multiple Listing Service (MLS) accessible to real estate agents throughout the state. The new yet-to-be-named entity will serve more than 33,000 real estate professionals and 25 REALTOR® associations throughout California.

August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Eligible Montgomery County residents are encouraged to apply for the Maryland Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit program, which limits the amount of property taxes a homeowner must pay based on income. An additional County supplement and a senior tax credit will automatically apply to eligible County residents. For a senior tax credit, residents must be age 70 or older. No additional application is required for either the County supplement or the senior tax credit. The deadline for the state application submission has been extended to November 1, 2010

BLUE ISLAND, IL - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As the state’s housing finance agency under Governor Pat Quinn, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) today celebrated the grand opening of 90 new affordable homes for seniors in south suburban Blue Island. Senior Suites of Fay’s Point features sustainable building materials and a geothermal heating and cooling system, highlighting the state’s dedication to encouraging green development

CHICAGO, IL - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today issued a statement praising the Obama Administration’s announcement of additional support to “Hardest Hit” states with high unemployment to assist in foreclosure prevention. The U.S. Department of the Treasury will make $2 billion of additional assistance available to unemployed homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments. Illinois is eligible to receive more than $166 million in federal funding to help unemployed homeowners having trouble making mortgage payments

LANSING, MI - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm today announced the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) will receive $128.4 million in additional support from the Obama Administration to help homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments due to unemployment.

LANSING, MI - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) is joining with community partners across metro Detroit when the Fifth Third Bank Homeownership Mobile (aka the "eBus") rolls into Livonia Thursday, August 12 as part of a kick-off to highlight the state's $154.5 million Hardest Hit Fund home foreclosure prevention initiative

Burlington, MA - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- When economic conditions created an “upside down” housing market in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Karten Group at Realty Executives of Nevada saw this as an opportunity to leverage their commitment to quality and client service to focus their business on short-sale housing transactions.

Las Vegas, NV - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lori Ballen Wekerle of Coldwell Banker Wardley Las Vegas Real Estate creates Dynamic Team of Las Vegas Short Sale Specialists who offer a comprehensive Las Vegas Short Sale System for Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas Short Sales

Las Vegas, NV - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lori Ballen Wekerle of Coldwell Banker Wardley Las Vegas Real Estate creates Dynamic Team of Las Vegas Short Sale Specialists who offer a comprehensive Las Vegas Short Sale System for Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas Short Sales

Las Vegas, NV - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lori Ballen Wekerle of Coldwell Banker Wardley Las Vegas Real Estate creates Dynamic Team of Las Vegas Short Sale Specialists who offer a comprehensive Las Vegas Short Sale System for Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas Short Sales

Taos, NM, - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Carpet RSS (www.carpetrss.com) announces the launch of a new website dedicated to serving the news and information needs of the cleaning and restoration industry in the United States and worldwide

New York, N.Y. - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Turner Construction Company, the nation’s leading general builder, has been awarded a $69 million contract by North Bethesda Center Office One, LLC to provide pre-construction and general contracting services for a 14-story office building in North Bethesda, Md. to accommodate 1,300 Federal Government employees

IRVINE, CA - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- RealtyTrac, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ for July 2010, which shows that foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 325,229 properties in July, a nearly 4 percent increase from the previous month but a nearly 10 percent decrease from July 2009. One in every 397 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month.

ParaRentar.com launches first mobile apartment listing site geared towards Hispanic audience. NORFOLK, Va.-(August 12, 2010) - For Rent Media SolutionsTM, a leading name in the multi-housing industry and a division of Dominion Enterprises, announces the launch of the ParaRentar.com mobile site. As a product of For Rent Media Solutions, ParaRentar.com is a fully-translated Spanish apartment search site.

Washington, DC - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency is proposing a guidance for public comment that would restrict Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks from investing in mortgages with private transfer fee covenants. The guidance would extend to mortgages and securities purchased by the Federal Home Loan Banks or acquired as collateral for advances, and to mortgages and securities purchased or guaranteed by the Enterprises.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the Obama Administration announced additional details about its August 17 Conference on the Future of Housing Finance, including a list of panelists and the conference agenda. This event will provide a forum for public input as the Administration continues its work developing a comprehensive housing finance reform proposal for delivery to Congress by January 2011.

Washington, D.C. - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today NeighborWorks America announced that more than 1,000,000 homeowners facing foreclosure have received much-needed counseling thanks to the Congressionally-funded National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) Program.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 12, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the mature-housing market retreated during this year's second quarter, according to 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. This past quarter's index values dropped for all areas surveyed, compared to the previous year's second quarter."The same factors that affect activity in the overall housing market – including hesitant home buyers, tight consumer credit, and continuing competition from foreclosed and distressed properties – are having an impact on the 55+ segment of the market, which remains stalled in most regions," says NAHB's Chief Economist, David Crowe. "In spite of the recent flurry of home-buying activity tied to the home buyer tax credit, many older homeowners continue to have difficulty selling their existing homes, causing them to postpone plans to look for a home that offers reduced maintenance or is otherwise more appropriately designed to accommodate their current lifestyles."

EUGENE, OR - August 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce the latest addition to the growing trend of real estate professionals updating their websites, Byron Robinson of Realty Dream Makers. This Houston based Realtor has once again demonstrated his dedication to finding his clients the perfect home, with his adoption of IDX Broker software. Now, Houston MLS (HARMLS) listings are displayed directly on his website, making it one of the most efficient for finding a property around Houston. Thousands of homes are now available with the click of a mouse for potential buyers, all from the convenience of his website