Monthly Archives: October 2010

IRVINE, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Benchmark Contractors, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Morley Builders, has completed the third and largest phase of UC Irvine’s East Campus Student Housing Project. Adding 1,198 undergraduate students (Camino del Sol Housing), 562 graduate students (Puerta del Sol Housing) and 1,800 parking spaces, these additional facilities will allow UCI to house 45 percent of its student body on campus, more than any other UC institution

COLUMBUS, OH - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) yesterday announced that it received three awards for outstanding programs of distinction by its colleagues at the 2010 National Council of State Housing Agencies' (NCSHA) annual conference in Boston.

New York, NY – October 21, 2010 – Home sales across 25 of the largest metropolitan areas in the country declined roughly 10 percent in August compared to July, according to the August 2010 RPX Monthly Housing Market Report released today by Radar Logic Incorporated. This was the largest decline in sales activity from July to August observed in Radar Logic’s data set, which dates back to January 2000. The rapid declines in home sales during August are a continuation of the record declines from June to July, and reflect a continued weakening in demand for home purchases.

October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- PREET BHARARA the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MARK ALAN SHAPIRO, the founder of the Cobalt Companies was sentenced today to 85 years in prison on charges stemming from a fraud that raised more than $23 million from over 250 investors in private placement real estate offerings. SHAPIRO was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge KIMBA M. WOOD, who presided over the three-week jury trial at which SHAPIRO, along with codefendants IRVING STITSKY and WILLIAM B. FOSTER, was found guilty.

Washington, DC - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today announced that he is preparing legislation to force lenders to halt foreclosures of owner-occupied residential homes until lenders have certified that they have complied with their contractual obligations to try to reduce eligible borrowers’ monthly payments, using one of several government-sponsored foreclosure prevention programs.

EUGENE, OR - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce Brett Freedman of New England Home Realty as the latest real estate professional to enable a dynamic IDX solution onto his website. Thousands of Massachusetts MLS Property Information Network (MLSPIN) listings are now effortlessly integrated onto the search capability IDX Broker has synced with the website of Freedman. Home seekers can experience a Worcester, Massachusetts property search comparable to none with the IDX enabled website Freedman hosts.

EUGENE, OR - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- North Texas Real Estate Info Systems (NTREIS) listings are now seamlessly displayed for Dallas, Texas home seekers, on the website of Mark Sanchez. IDX, Inc. and Sanchez have joined forces to simplify the online property search, by syncing a customizable IDX solution directly to the search page of Sanchez. Now, thousands of detailed property listings are available around the clock for potential buyers to search through and examine. Never before has such a revolutionary real estate technology been so accessible to area home seekers.

EUGENE, OR - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Stephanie Bardet and IDX, Inc. have teamed up to deliver Miami, Florida home seekers with a thorough online property search and real estate website. IDX Broker software now seamlessly integrates Southeast Florida MLS (SEFL) home listings directly onto the website of Bardet, giving potential home buyers a comprehensive database of properties to search through. By eliminating the hassle that was once associated with searching for homes online, Bardet has revolutionized the online property search experience for home seekers around Florida.

EMERYVILLE, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Some homes across the country at various price points are selling above asking price, according to the Q3 2010 Home Hunter Report released today by ZipRealty (NASDAQ: ZIPR)

CHICAGO, IL - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- For most people, home furnaces have sat idle during the summer. As temperatures go down, it’s important to understand the possible dangers that lurk when restarting a dormant furnace, warns the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM).

Washington, DC - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) is urging Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reinforce their commitment to safeguarding the legal rights of borrowers in view of recent allegations of defective and flawed foreclosure documentation at several of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders. Senator Snowe’s comments were made following today’s announcement by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government sponsored enterprises placed into conservatorship of the FHFA in 2008 and currently financed by taxpayers, would need as much as an additional $215 billion over the next three years to meet their financial obligations.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Congressman Mike Thompson announced that the Rural Community Assistance Corporation will receive $2 million as part of the CDFI’s Capital Magnet Fund Program through the Treasury Department. These funds will allow the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) to support local single and multifamily affordable housing projects in rural areas.

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales posted their second consecutive monthly gain in September, but were down from the same period a year ago, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)

Fargo, AR - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today announced the Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation will receive a $52,738 Housing Preservation Grant to help ten low-income families renovate their homes in Cross, Lee, Monroe and St. Francis counties. The grant is made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Grant Program

Upper Marlboro, MD - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The NAHB Research Center announced that 12 builders and remodelers from nine states have been selected to receive the 2011 EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA), the nation's preeminent energy efficiency award honoring those who voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into all aspects of new home construction and existing home renovation. During the award ceremony in January, one award recipient from among the finalists will ultimately be named Builder of the Year, and one will be named Remodeler of the Year for the Existing Homes category.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it has charged Sharlene and Jerald Kuiper, managers of a three-bedroom duplex apartment in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, and the owner of the apartment, Kuiper Family Trust, with violating the Fair Housing Act by refusing to show an available apartment to a family with children. HUD’s charge alleges that the Kuipers falsely asserted that the unit was unavailable for viewing when it was, offered to show units only after families without children rejected them, and made discriminatory statements demonstrating a preference for renters without children.

Washington, D.C. - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute (CLI) is celebrating its third annual national conference in Louisville, Kentucky, from October 21 to 24 at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The CLI is the cornerstone of the NeighborWorks Network commitment to emerging community leaders. This year’s conference will be the largest among all past events.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will host its Semi-Annual Construction Forecast Conference on Wednesday, Oct. 27, in a two-hour webinar from 2:00-4:00 p.m. featuring three renowned industry experts.

Washington, D.C. - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Continuing efforts to improve the quality of life for Oregon veterans, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) announced that the State Veterans Home in The Dalles will receive a $1.9 million Federal grant to construct an addition to the facility. The veterans home currently operates without a common room that can accommodate all of the residents, and the federal grant will be put toward constructing a facility to accommodate large gatherings of residents and their family members.

Washington, D.C. - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and LenderLive Network, Inc. today announced the launch of ICBA Mortgage Solutions, an innovative, multi-functional suite of mortgage services designed to help ICBA member community banks continue to originate, process, close, fund and sell residential loans.

COLUMBUS, OH - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to reports that Bank of America plans to restart foreclosures on borrowers in 23 states where issues of possibly fraudulent documentation have been raised, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray today offered the following statement:

Louisville, MS - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Residents of Winston and the surrounding counties who are interested in purchasing a home are invited to attend a free homebuyer fair on Monday, October 25, 2010, at the Winston County Extension Office, 460 Vance Street in Louisville, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. hosted by The Mississippi Home Corporation, the Winston County Self-Help Cooperative (WCSHC), the NAACP Winston County Branch, Regions Bank, and Bancorp South. The homebuyer fair will be open to the public and provide attendees the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of homeownership and the home buying process.

BOSTON, MA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing was honored with a Leader in Diversity Award today by the Boston Business Journal for the Agency’s dedication and success in promoting the use of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs)

San Jose, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- PropertyMinder, Inc. and SmartZip Analytics, Inc. have entered a technology partnership which will integrate SmartZip Score investment ratings on listings on PropertyMinder’s AccelerAgent™ website platform. SmartZip, an emerging leader in real estate analytics, has analyzed and rated over 70 million U.S. properties based on both home ownership and as rental investments. SmartZip’s analytics bring transparency to the industry and help buyers make more confident, financially sound purchase decisions. Confident buyers and more realistic sellers, in turn, enable agents to sell more homes in less time

Phoenix, AZ - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Valley Partnership, an advocacy for responsible real estate development, presents its fall seminar: Adaptive Reuse; Don’t Judge a Building by its Cover. Dene Oliver, noted industry expert and CEO of OliverMcMillan, will open the event as keynote speaker.

Westfield, NJ - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A 53-acre equestrian estate in the heart of horse country in Millstone and two building lots with more than 200 feet of road frontage in Matawan are to be sold at auction in November.

Torrance, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lee & Associates Central Coast is pleased to announce that Jason Hart will be joining the company’s San Luis Obispo Office as an associate. Hart joins the Lee team as a broker specializing in office, investment and multifamily brokerage.

Torrance, CA - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Charles Dunn Company has closed a $3.1 million sale of a 10,000-square-foot retail building at 3100 Gilbert Road in Chandler. Paul A. Kenworthy of Charles Dunn’s West Los Angeles office represented the buyer OSSA TRUST. The seller was Glenwood Development.

Scottsdale, AZ - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Arizona green building innovator Cullum Homes today announced the launch of new home sales for Village at Paradise Reserve - a unique luxury home community of new homes selling at $1.5-$2.5 million that incorporates some of the most cutting edge sustainability, energy conservation and environmental stewardship innovations seen in the nation

Washington, DC - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD) today announced that the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission, in partnership with the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation and Economic Development Corporation, has been awarded $800,000 under the HUD Community Challenge Planning Grant Program. Funds will be used to plan for the expansion of the corridor around Prince George’s County’s four southern Metro Green Line stations. The goal is to attract new federal and spin-off office tenants and mixed-income housing, facilitated by an efficient and effective multimodal transportation system.