Monthly Archives: October 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau today released new home sales data for September 2010. Sales of new, single-family homes increased 6.6 percent, exceeding private-sector expectations of a 4.2 percent increase. Sales have increased 8.9 percent from the historic low posted in May

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 6.6 percent in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 307,000 units, their best pace since June, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department today."The fact that new-home sales are finally moving in the right direction – albeit slowly – is definitely good news following an exceptionally quiet summer at builders' sales offices and model homes," said Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "The road to recovery will be a long one, however, and a key hurdle that must be surpassed is the lack of available credit for new-home construction so that builders can meet improving demand for new homes moving forward."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A live performance featuring a Broadway star at Allegro in the District of Columbia, dramatic interior merchandising at Icon in the Gulch in Tennessee, a gallery-style leasing center at 70 Greene in New Jersey and a website with floor-by-floor virtual tour capabilities from Park Place in D.C. are among the 2010 NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards marketing winners.The Pillars of the Industry Awards program, launched by the National Association of Home Builders in 1991, highlights superior achievement in apartment and condominium development, design, marketing and management, and is recognized as the industry's most prestigious honor.

Torrance, CA - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Justin Palermo of Keystone Pacific Property Management, a California-based community association management company, has earned the Certified Community Association Manager (CCAM®) designation through the California Association of Community Managers

Reston, VA - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage Fraud Examiners, the investigative firm who warned the public about the “criminal loan modification trap” and “useless” software audits, is now warning the public of this latest scam—“The Administrative Process”

Reston, VA - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage Fraud Examiners, the investigative firm who warned the public about loan modification scams, the "criminal loan modification trap" and the Mortgage Elimination scam is now warning the public of this latest scam.

October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Chairman Kaufman, Members of the Panel, thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding Treasury's efforts under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to address the housing crisis

EUGENE, OR - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California Real Estate Technology Services (CARETS) listings are now easier to search for than ever before, on the new joint venture between IDX, Inc. and real estate agent Colin Krawitz. Krawitz can now seamlessly display thousands of detailed CARETS listings conveniently on his website. IDX Broker software extracts raw listings data directly from CARETS to ensure up-to-the-minute real estate news and listings. Finding a home in Orange County, California has never been easier or more effective than now, on the professional real estate website of Krawitz.

Washington, D.C. - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As NeighborWorks America marks the first anniversary of the launch of the Loan Modification Scam Alert campaign, this Halloween season NeighborWorks would also like to remind homeowners to beware of the “tricks” that loan modification scam artists are using to fleece homeowners in danger of foreclosure out of cash, equity, and even the deeds to their homes.

EUGENE, OR - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce the latest real estate professional upgrading their website to simplify the online home search: Tulsa, Oklahoma real estate agent Lori Cain. Her dedication to profe...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home owners have two more months to take advantage of tax credits that can help them save energy and reduce their utility bills with more energy-efficient windows and doors, insulation, and heating and cooling equipment, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)."Our members are ready to help consumers make the best choices for their homes, but home owners should act soon if they want to qualify for up to $1,500 in tax credits when they complete their 2010 income tax returns," said NAHB Remodelers Chair Donna Shirey, a remodeler and builder in Issaquah, Wash.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the Urban Institute released a study, funded by NCB Capital Impact, which demonstrates that housing programs that keep homes affordable over the long term also lessen the likelihood of foreclosures and build wealth for homebuyers. While foreclosures are skyrocketing—the number of home foreclosures in September set a new record—the study found that consumers who obtained homes through long-term affordability programs defaulted at half the national average.

October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new report on the Vermont’s non-profit affordable housing providers says the state should consider consolidating them and introducing performance measures to increase efficiency and accountability

New York, NY - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG), New York City's largest owner of commercial office properties, owning more than 20 million square feet of office space in Manhattan, and The Moinian Group, headed by developer Joseph Moinian, today announced they have reached an agreement to recapitalize Three Columbus Circle - a midtown Manhattan office tower currently in the final stages of a major redevelopment. The recapitalization includes a standby mortgage commitment and a potential future investment by SL Green that will make funds available for the completion of the redevelopment and lease-up of the property

New York, NY - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn joined with leaders from City agencies Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), as well as representatives from developer Artimus Construction and Citi Community Capital in celebrating the groundbreaking of Elliott Chelsea on West 25th Street and 9th Avenue in Manhattan. The 22-story new construction development will provide 168 units for low-to- middle-income families. The $65 million development is located on land provided by NYCHA and is part of a larger plan to develop more affordable housing on NYCHA properties in Chelsea. The sale of this site will bring in an estimated $4 million in revenue to the Housing Authority, a critical component in preserving public housing in a time of diminishing Federal spending

WASHINGTON, DC - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to nine counties in Wisconsin and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding last month

October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Stories about a “freeze” or “moratorium” on mortgage foreclosures are in the headlines, so it’s no surprise if you’ve heard that some mortgage lenders are stopping foreclosures while their paperwork is investigated to be sure it’s in order. But no matter what you hear on the news, a notice from your bank, mortgage servicer, or the sheriff requires your immediate attention.

BEDFORD, N.H. - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- New Hampshire Housing presented Laconia Area Community Land Trust (LACLT) with the “Bringing You Home” award during the agency’s annual statewide housing conference on Monday, Oct. 25, 2010. LACLT was recognized specifically for its Boynton Road housing development in Meredith, NH.

October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Statistics show that Americans spend 90 percent of our time in buildings, which is why we’re seeing a surge in the growth of green buildings, especially schools. U.S. school systems have 55 million students and 5 million faculty members. That’s 20 percent of the population spending 6 hours or more each day in a school building.

MEDFORD TWP., N.J. - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representatives from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) today joined local officials to celebrate the completion of 36-unit affordable senior apartments. Medford Senior Housing is a housing development located at 8 Jones Road in Medford Township. The HMFA, an affiliate of the Department of Community Affairs, provided the mortgage and tax credit funding for the project.

October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gloria Nilson, Realtors®, Real Living and RLS, Realtors®, Real Living recently launched RISMedia's Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN) consumer mobile services, enabling all Gloria Nilson and RLS real estate agents to advertise and publicize their clients' property listings through the RREIN Mobile SMS/Text Messaging Platform, powered by Mobile Real Estate ID™ (MREID).

Jackson, MI - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE-EGP) announced today David H. Hoster II, President and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to participate on a panel at NAIOP's Development 2010: The Annual Meeting for Commercial Real Estate. Mr. Hoster's panel is scheduled for Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 4:15 p.m., EDT.

October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino and members of his Foreclosure Intervention Team today visited a city-owned foreclosed home in Dorchester where a group of local teens, dubbed the “Mayor’s Clean Team,” who are helping the City maintain foreclosed properties, were cleaning the property of debris and trash, landscaping the grounds, and performing minor repairs to the house’ exterior. The single-family property at 40 Mountain Avenue is being readied for sale through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to a developer to be rehabbed and sold to a homebuyer

CHICAGO, IL - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today commended Illinois’ housing leaders at the 2010 Governor’s Conference on Affordable Housing for their efforts in charting a course to further Illinois’ economic recovery. Governor Quinn highlighted the state’s dedication to affordable housing, including community stabilization, supportive housing to end homelessness, affordable homeownership programs and green building.

BOISE, ID - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Idaho Housing and Finance Association today announced a 30-year fixed interest rate of 3.75%, the lowest rate in IHFA’s history. This low rate provides opportunity for qualified homebuyers who can choose from FHA, VA, and RD loan products that best meet their needs. Potential homeowners can visit www.IdaMortgage.com, our homeownership resource center, to check their eligibility for a loan.

ORLANDO, FL - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of existing condominiums in Florida rose 10 percent in September, with a total of 5,675 condos sold statewide compared to 5,140 units sold in September 2009, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors

October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, today announced that it had agreed with the Board of Directors of the FHLBank of Seattle to the issuance of a Consent Order.

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Downey man has agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges, admitting that he ran two fraudulent operations—a Ponzi scheme that took in $30 million from more than 300 victims and a mortgage fraud scheme that preyed on homeowners by stealing the equity from their homes and secretly taking title to their properties

SACRAMENTO, CA - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Total housing production in California posted a decrease for the first time in five months in September, the California Building Industry Association announced today. According to statistics compiled by the Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB), permits were pulled for 2,562 total housing units in September, down 16 percent from the same month a year ago and down 31 percent from August. Permits for single-family homes totaled 1,604, down 30 percent from September 2009 and down 14 percent from the previous month, while multifamily permits totaled 958, up 27 percent from a year ago but down 48 percent from August.

Atlanta, GA - October 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today awarded Habitat for Humanity with its annual Investing in Communities Award during MBA's 97th Annual Convention & Expo in Atlanta.