Monthly Archives: November 2010

GARLAND, TX - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Professional Bank are pleased to announce they have awarded a $14,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland (HFHGG) to assist with the construction of two single family homes in Dallas County

BOISE, ID - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- During a REALTOR® Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, November 3, Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) will honor 14 Canyon County REALTORS® and real estate companies who helped homebuyers utilize its IdaMortgage Home Loan program this past year. These REALTORS® represented 131 buyers who purchased their homes with IdaMortgage home loans in the last two years—for a collective total of more than $13.06 million in loan reservations

Tampa, FL - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has submitted comments on the Voluntary Private Sector Accreditation and Certification Preparedness Program, known as PS-Prep, drafted by the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA).

New Orleans, LA - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As technology and social media tools evolve, so does the National Association of Realtors®’ e-PRO® certification program. A new e-PRO® curriculum was unveiled today during the 2010 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, as Realtors® attending the conference took the first new courses.

Houston, TX - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Principal Management Group of Houston, an Associa company, is pleased to announce the addition of seven new properties to its client portfolio.

ORANGE, TX - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Orange Savings Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) are pleased to announce the opening of Putnam Place, which was awarded a $116,404 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from the banks in 2007. The AHP grant assisted Orange, Texas, nonprofit Roselawn Manor, Inc. with the construction of the facility. Representatives from Orange Savings Bank and FHLB Dallas gathered for a ribbon cutting at Putnam Place on Tuesday, November 2

McLean, VA - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate rose slightly for the third consecutive week. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rate eased back down a little while the 5-year and 1-year ARMs set another low.

Torrance, CA - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Charles Dunn Company is pleased to announce that Jason LeMone has joined the company’s San Francisco office as regional vice president of the Northern California Real Estate Management Services Division.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Third quarter 2010 commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations were 32 percent higher than during the same period last year and 15 percent higher than during the second quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Bankers Originations.

EUGENE, OR - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- San Antonio MLS (SABOR) listings just became simpler to search through and find online, thanks to the joint venture between real estate agent Chase Smiley and IDX, Inc. Now, IDX Broker software ext...

EUGENE, OR - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. welcomes Stephen Johnson, the newest addition to the network of real estate professionals changing the way potential buyers search for homes online. Johnson has adopted his own customized IDX solution for his professional website, giving him the ability to link his search page directly to the Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) database of property listings. Thousands of homes now appear on his website, making finding the perfect home online in Chicago, Illinois monumentally easier.

New Orleans, - November 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Owning a home is part of the American dream, and that dream came true today for the Hayes family of New Orleans, thanks to the National Association of Realtors® and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity.

November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- TIAA-CREF and Good Energies, a global clean energy/clean tech investment firm, today announced a partnership between the firms to make venture capital investments together in the areas of energy efficiency and green building technology. The first of these investments is a $4.5 million private equity investment by TIAA-CREF in Ice Energy, which produces cost efficient, energy saving cooling systems

November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is upgrading the requirement for new federal building construction from LEED Silver to LEED Gold certification. The new requirement will also apply to substantial renovation projects. GSA announced on October 28 that the higher rating would be reflected in GSA's Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service by the end of calendar year 2010. GSA uses the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or "LEED", Green Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate and measure achievements in sustainable design. For projects funded prior to FY 2010 that are now being designed, GSA is requiring that LEED Gold prerequisites and other specific requirements be incorporated into ongoing designs whenever possible after considering budget and schedule constraints

November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Army issued two new policy memorandums on October 27, one to improve its high-performance green buildings standards and another to require light bulbs such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that are more efficient than standard bulbs. Both measures are designed to increase energy security, energy efficiency, and sustainability for the Army. The first memo, "Memorandum for Sustainable Design and Development Policy Update," changes the way the Army will approach efficient design of its facilities for more responsible planning and consumption. Preliminary analysis by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates energy savings over current design of 45% or greater

Tampa, FL - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As Midwest residents recover from last week’s severe wind, rain and snow storms, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) urges home and business owners to incorporate disaster-resistant techniques into their repair and rebuilding efforts.

ORLANDO, FL - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Across Florida, voters went to the polls on Election Day and decisively rejected Amendment 4, the anti-growth measure that would have required voter approval for all changes to local comprehensive land use plans.

November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC), which administers the Missouri Housing Trust Fund (MHTF), has received applications from agencies in the latest funding round in excess of $16 million. The agencies have requested MHTF monies for a variety of housing needs, including assistance to homeless shelters, providing rent subsidies and funds for emergency home repairs, and the construction and rehabilitation of low-income rental housing. $3.7 million in funding is available for allocation.

Washington, D.C. - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- On behalf of its 80,000 members nationwide, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) today began sending letters to each member of the new 112th Congress, congratulating them on their election and promising to work with both political parties to foster policies that encourage job creation in the hard-hit design and construction industry.

Durham, NC - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Green Home Builders of the Triangle (GHBT), which was established in 2006 to promote building homes that consume less energy and other resources, facilitate better indoor air quality, and require less maintenance, recently adopted a national home certification program based on the ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard. By transitioning from its locally-based certification program to the National Green Building Certification Program, a third-party program powered by the NAHB Research Center, GHBT will be bolstering the value of its offerings to members and the credibility of its green home certifications to homebuyers

EUGENE, OR - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Frank DeGraaf, a real estate agent with an expert-like knowledge of downtown St. Louis, has adopted the IDX, Inc. dynamic product of IDX Broker software. By syncing Mid American Regional Info Systems (MARIS) listings with the website DeGraaf hosts, potential buyers interested in St. Louis properties can participate in the revolutionary online search now available through the website of DeGraaf. With a custom IDX solution, DeGraaf and his website are now the perfect places to begin searching for a home

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 29, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 5.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 5.3 percent compared with the previous week.The Refinance Index decreased 6.4 percent from the previous week. This is the third straight week the Refinance Index has decreased. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 1.4 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 0.2 percent compared with the previous week and was 28.0 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- John A. Courson, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), today announced the appointment of Richard (Rick) J. Hill as Associate Vice President of Industry Technology. In this role, Rick is responsible for MBA's industry technology efforts, including supporting MBA’s oversight of its subsidiary, the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization Inc. (MISMO®), as well as the technology content of MBA conferences. Hill also will work directly with MBA’s commercial and residential technology committees and the research and government affairs staff on technology and data quality issues impacting the real estate finance industry.

EUGENE, OR - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX Broker software has now revolutionized the online home search, thanks to the website of Allison Menke. IDX, Inc. has improved the functionality of her site by enabling a customized IDX solution to sync her website with the Mid-Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS). As a result, home seekers around Sarasota, Florida can now search through thousands of properties at a time, from the convenience of the website Menke hosts. By enlisting a personalized IDX solution for her website, Menke has only reinforced her dedication to serving her clients and their every real estate need

McLean, VA - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC) today reported a net loss of $2.5 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, compared to a net loss of $4.7 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. After the dividend payment of $1.6 billion on its senior preferred stock to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Freddie Mac reported a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $4.1 billion, or $1.25 per diluted common share, for the third quarter of 2010, compared to a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $6.0 billion, or $1.85 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2010.

Oakland, CA - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a contract for phase two of the American Samoan permanent housing construction program to complete the replacement of the final 33 homes destroyed in last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami

La Quinta, CA - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is pleased to announce Tom Holmes as a new addition to the company’s La Quinta office. A state certified residential appraiser, Holmes brings a wealth of real estate and life experience to the desert community.

West Hartford, CT - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) Free Webinar For New CT REIA Members. November 8, 2010 - 7:30 to 8:00 PM (EST)

Destin, FL - November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing Predictor, the online source for real estate forecasts has released its national forecast for 2011 on the U.S. housing market. Many areas are forecast to experience slow home sales during part of the year, but better home values are projected to develop in some regions of the U.S., according to the new Housing Predictor national forecast for the year.

November 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR) announce the election of Donald DeBastiani as the chairman of the Multi-State Mortgage Committee (MMC). Charlie Fields has been elected as the vice chairman of the MMC