Monthly Archives: September 2010

ORLANDO, FL - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida Realtor, the Business Magazine of Florida Real Estate and monthly trade publication of Florida Realtors®, recently won five awards in the 2010 Florida Magazine Association’s (FMA) Charlie Awards competition.

COLUMBUS, OH - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray has filed three new lawsuits against foreclosure rescue operations for bilking Ohioans out of tens of thousands of dollars.

September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement after the California Energy Commission approved the final four loans, totaling more than $13.4 million, for the state’s Clean Energy Business Financing Program (CEBFP) for California-based manufacturers of solar products. These four low interest loans awarded to Morgan Solar, Inc; Solar Power, Inc; Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. and the Solaria Corporation complete the state's CEBFP. Using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds, this program has provided a total of almost $29 million in federal stimulus money to eligible businesses and has retained or created about 1,588 clean energy manufacturing jobs in California

SACRAMENTO, CA - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that Wallace Chin, 72, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by six months of home detention, and one year of supervised release. Chin was also required to pay $104,997 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. He pleaded guilty on May 25, 2010 to one count of filing a false tax return.

Leesburg, VA - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- An Ashburn family and their home are being featured on newscasts and other programs on WJLA-TV (ABC 7) throughout September as part of the National Capital Home Energy Makeover Contest.

BOSTON, MA - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing announced a loan closing today of $6.3 million to preserve affordability for low-income families at the 140-apartment Joseph’s House in Fitchburg

New York, NY - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor David A. Paterson today announced 94 awards totaling more than $28 million to not-for-profit housing agencies and local governments across the State that will help to build, rehabilitate or modify 1,472 homes for low-income families, people with disabilities and frail elderly homeowners and tenants.

Las Vegas, NV - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Las Vegas City Council today approved an agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for $200,000 in funding for the Foreclosure Prevention Partnership Program.

Meriden, CT - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- CT REIA Ultimate "Fast-Track" Team Coaching Program. Learn How To Buy Multi-Family and Apartment Buildings in Connecticut

WASHINGTON, DC - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $2.4 million to three Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian colleges and universities to stimulate neighborhood revitalization, promote affordable housing and promote economic development in their communities. The funding announced today is provided through HUD’s Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities (AN/NHIAC) Program.

ATLANTA, GA - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The seemingly precipitous drop in July existing home sales, while alarming, was not unexpected, says Ron Peltier, Chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate (www.homeservices.com) and the nation’s second-largest, full-service homeownership service provider.“Our Pending Sales numbers for May and June reflected an inevitable slide after the government incentives came to an end this summer,” said Peltier in a statement to the company’s more than 15,000 sales associates. “The positive uptick in July Pending Sales gives the market hope that consumers are beginning to move past the purchasing-paralysis that set in as government incentives came to an end this summer.”

ATLANTA, GA - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The seemingly precipitous drop in July existing home sales, while alarming, was not unexpected, says Ron Peltier, Chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and the nation’s second-largest, full-service homeownership service provider.

Washington, D.C. - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The troubled housing market has homeowners concerned about affordability with an increasing preference for functionality over extravagance in special function rooms and home features. There also continues to be a strong willingness to invest in energy efficient products and systems to help reduce utility costs. These findings are from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Home Design Trends Survey for the second quarter of 2010 that focused on emerging home features: systems, technologies and function rooms in the home.“As the overall economy has slowed in recent years home offices have become the new home theaters,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Homeowners are placing a far greater priority on specialty rooms that get the most use, as well as incorporating outdoor living elements within their lifestyles.”

McLean, VA - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®). While the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate rose, the 15-year fixed-rate dipped slightly; shorter-term rates fell.

Washington, DC - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The inaugural event of National Housing Conference’s (NHC) Housing Communications Network will be held today in Washington, DC. The network of housing policymakers and communications professionals is designed to promote affordable housing as a positive force in American communities and raise it to a first-tier issue on the national agenda.

Torracne, CA - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Coldwell Banker Desert Region is pleased to announce agent Bill Knapp has earned the title of ‘Architectural Specialist.’ Knapp will preview architect-designed homes throughout the Coachella Valley, and pinpoint the stylistic preferences and aesthetic priorities for buyers. A 34-year industry veteran, Knapp continues to excel in the real estate market where he utilizes his passion for architecture and the arts and combines it with his work at Coldwell Banker

EUGENE, OR - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce West Chester, Pennsylvania real estate agent Holly Gross has joined the ever expanding group of real estate professionals utilizing a customizable IDX solution to display thousands of properties online. Home listings from the Trend MLS can now be found seamlessly integrated onto the website of Gross, giving her clients a comprehensive database of homes to search through. Now, Gross and her clients can begin the property search process quickly and efficiently, thanks to her IDX enabled website

EUGENE, OR - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Karen Keys and IDX, Inc. have joined forces to syndicate Fort Hood MLS (FHAARMLS) listings on the site of Keys, giving her clients and other Fort Hood, Texas potential buyers the most comprehensive listing database around. Her collaboration with IDX has truly revolutionized the way buyers search for properties online. Never before has it been simpler, quicker or more effective to find the perfect property online than now on the IDX enabled website Keys hosts.

EUGENE, OR - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, IDX, Inc. welcomes Justin Singletary to the growing team of real estate professionals dedicated to supplying home seekers with an efficient and comprehensive online property search. Through his addition of an IDX solution to his website, potential buyers can quickly scan Savannah Multi-List (SMLMLS) properties to find the perfect home. Singletary, his professionalism and drive have made his business a success at matching buyers with homes, but now with IDX Broker software, Singletary can spend more time forging professional and personal relationships with his clients while IDX Broker does the hard work

EUGENE, OR - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York Realtor Stephen Grifferty has adopted the dynamic IDX, Inc. IDX Broker software for his real estate website, syncing thousands of Capitol Region MLS (CRMLS) property listings with his page. The tools available on the search page of Grifferty give home seekers around Schenectady more options that ever when looking for a home online. His website should be the first stop for anyone considering purchasing a property in upstate New York.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it will modify a planned approach to its financial systems modernization effort and focus on a single core financial system

Meriden, CT - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Connecticut Real Estate Investors Association, or CTREIA, is announcing the start of its Fall 2010 session of the “fast-track” investment property coaching program. The first meeting of this 6-month program will take place on Wednesday, October 6th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Comfort Inn, 900 East Main Street, Meriden, CT. The cost of this event varies and is dependent on which type of package interested participants choose. For more information on pricing plans, please visit www.ctreia.com.

HERNDON, VA - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fifteen commercial real estate professionals have been named as recipients of the 2010 Developing Leaders Award, presented by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

McLean, VA - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today announced it is expanding the Freddie Mac First Look Initiative on September 17, 2010 so any home shopper can buy a HomeSteps® home as their primary residence during the first 15 days of the property's listing without competition from investors. HomeSteps is the real estate sales unit of Freddie Mac and markets a nationwide selection of Freddie Mac-owned homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 10, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 8.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. This week's results include an adjustment to account for the Labor Day holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 27.4 percent compared with the previous week.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Although the recovery of the U.S. housing market appears to have stalled in many areas of the country, customer satisfaction with new-home builders has improved for a third consecutive year, and new-home quality has improved for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction StudySM released today.

September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- USAA Real Estate Company and Admiral Capital Group are pleased to announce the formation of the Admiral Capital Real Estate Fund (the “Fund”), a partnership with NBA Hall of Famer, philanthropist and 1987 U.S Naval Academy graduate David Robinson. The partnership, which will pursue commercial real estate opportunities nationally, combines USAA’s extensive real estate platform, currently managing over $5 billion in real estate assets, with the reputation and social initiatives of David Robinson’s Admiral Capital Group. This partnership builds upon the existing Admiral Capital portfolio of real estate and hospitality investments which includes stakes in Centerplate, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies serving entertainment and convention venues, and two select service hotels. Admiral Capital, founded by Robinson and Daniel Bassichis, formerly of Goldman Sachs & Co., has pledged a portion of its ownership interests to support philanthropic causes through the Admiral Foundation, including funding scholarships for students at San Antonio, Texas based The Carver Academy, a school founded by David Robinson

WASHINGTON, DC - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Business Solutions, an affiliate of the American Bankers Association, has joined with Genworth Mortgage Insurance to offer free Web-based residential mortgage lending training to ABA members.

Fairfax, VA - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Advanced Title & Settlements, LLC launched “Ask The Experts For Free” radio show in August as a resource for local homeowners who are facing foreclosure. In today’s economy and real estate market, there are many homeowners who are unable to afford their mortgage

PORTLAND, OR - September 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Housing Authority of Portland is holding four community meetings in preparation for submitting an application for federal HOPE VI funds to redevelop its Hillsdale Terrace public housing community in southwest Portland.