Monthly Archives: February 2011

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that $28 million in tax credits were granted to the Cincinnati Development Fund (CDF) and $18,000,000 in tax credits were granted to the Cincinnati New Markets Fund. The tax credits were provided by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. NMTC allocations will allow for economic and community development that fosters job growth in the Greater Cincinnati Area.

February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing Landscape 2011, the National Housing Conference’s annual study of housing affordability trends, examines the number of households nationwide that experience severe housing cost burden; that is, spending more than 50 percent of household income on housing costs. Ohio experienced a one percent increase in 2009 over 2008 in the number of households experiencing severe housing cost burden

NEW YORK, N.Y. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates retreated further this week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropping back to 5.09 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.45 discount and origination points

BOSTON, MA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A receiver has been appointed to operate and manage the Pocasset Mobile Home Park under an order obtained by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office. The manufactured housing community located in Bourne has experienced ongoing sewage overflows from its septic system in the last year.

February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kim Armanini of Apollo Home Mortgage and Carole Morgan of StageRight Home Staging were named Affiliate of the Year. The Association cites their outstanding contribution to their industry by participating in local Association and community activities

Torrance, CA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mark Ventre and David Eitches of Charles Dunn Company’s West Los Angeles office have closed the sale of a 16-unit multifamily property located at 2352 Glendale Blvd. in Los Angeles, Calif. The transaction is valued at $2.332 million

February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to encourage first-time homebuyers into the market, Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Department has $1 million in funding available to help qualifying households purchase their first home. The funds are available through the County’s First Time Homebuyer (FHTB) Program from State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program Funds. The Program helps low to moderate-income homebuyers with closing costs and down payment assistance. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Downtown Los Angeles, CA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Weingart Center today announced the award of a grant to create business ventures that will provide employment opportunities for the homeless. The sub-grant was awarded by REDF, a California-based organization focused on starting and growing employment-focused social enterprises that provide employment opportunities for individuals facing multiple barriers to employment. REDF received a federal Social Innovation Fund award administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service and by matching private support. Weingart is one of six California nonprofits selected for inclusion in the new initiative

February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- USAA Real Estate Company is pleased to announce that the Federal Bureau of Investigation Regional Facility located in Chicago, Illinois recently has been awarded The Outstanding Building of the Year Award (TOBY) in the highly competitive Chicago market.

ORLANDO, FL - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida’s existing home and existing condo sales rose in January, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Existing home sales increased 14 percent last month with a total of 12,151 homes sold statewide compared to 10,702 homes sold in January 2010, according to Florida Realtors. January’s statewide sales of existing condos rose 36 percent compared to the previous year’s sales figure.Seventeen of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing home sales in January; 16 MSAs had higher condo sales.

TUCSON, AZ - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ office is hosting two events today and tomorrow to provide solar energy information to Tucson-area homeowners and small business owners.

Washington, D.C. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Scott Brown (R-MA), Mark Begich (D-AK), James Inhofe (R-OK), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Robert Casey (D-PA), and John Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced bipartisan leg...

McLean, VA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which shows a drop in long-term fixed rates this week.

Washington, D.C. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the former treasurer of the one-time largest non-depository mortgage lender in the country with aiding and abetting a $1.5 billion securities fraud scheme and an attempt to scam the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes declined 12.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted, annual rate of 284,000 units in January, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. The decline largely offsets a big gain in sales activity that was recorded in the previous month due partly to an expiring tax break in California."While poor weather conditions likely played a part in keeping potential buyers on the sidelines this January, we do expect consumer demand to improve somewhat along with job-market gains heading into the spring buying season," noted Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev.

EUGENE, OR - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Tehane Wurdeman, real estate professional with Century 21 All Islands, has teamed with IDX, Inc. to create an easy-to-use real estate search page for all potential Oahu, Hawaii buyers. The versatile tools and search features Wurdeman now displays on her website make the online property search monumentally easier for home seekers and real estate professionals alike. Hawaii Central MLS (HiCentralMLS) are synced to her search page, giving her website a competitive advantage in the market.

Washington, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --Although home values have continued to fall over the past few years, housing affordability has significantly decreased for working owners and renters, according to an annual report released by the Center for Housing Policy, the research affiliate of the National Housing Conference. The report, titled Housing Landscape 2011, provides an in-depth look at housing affordability trends for working households between 2008 and 2009 focusing on the effects of employment, income and housing costs

New York, NY - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As their contract’s expiration approaches, Bronx building workers voted Wednesday to authorize a strike, if necessary, to protect good jobs throughout the borough. Failure to reach a new contract agreement by the March 15th deadline could lead to a strike of more than 3,000 Bronx apartment building workers at over 1,000 residential buildings

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday issued a final rule and requested public comment on a second rule under Regulation Z to revise the escrow account requirements for certain home mortgage loans. The revisions to the regulation, which implements the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), are being made pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

WEST ORANGE, N.J. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vizcaya, one of New Jersey’s premier residential communities, has introduced a home design that adds a new level of luxury to the exclusive community: The Maisonette. Formerly known as a “Villa”, the Maisonette offers a spacious two-floor layout unlike any other home in the community. Millennium Homes, the division of BNE Real Estate Group that developed Vizcaya, decided to change the name to more accurately reflect the character of the upscale, brownstone-style home

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. house prices fell in the fourth quarter of 2010 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) seasonally adjusted purchase-only house price index (HPI). The HPI, calculated using home sales price information from Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-acquired mortgages, was 0.8 percent lower on a seasonally adjusted basis in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter of 2010. The unadjusted national decline was 2.2 percent. Over the past year, seasonally adjusted prices fell 3.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2010

EUGENE, OR - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. has updated the latest real estate website to adopt a customizable IDX solution. Carol Ann Paulton now hosts a dynamic online property search function simply and conveniently on her Realty Exchange website. As a member of the Flagler County MLS (FLGMLS), Paulton has long had access to thousands of listings, and now with IDX Broker, her clients and other Florida home seekers can experience the same level of freedom and accessibility to these detailed listings, directly on the search page Paulton supports.

Washington, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.71 percent based on loans closed in January. This is an increase of 0.13 percent from the previous month.

EUGENE, OR - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Dallas area properties just became easier to search for, thanks to the partnership of IDX, Inc. and Broker/Owner Joe Peterson of The Property Shop. North Texas Real Estate Info Systems (NTREIS) are now fully integrated onto the search page Peterson hosts, giving Texas home seekers an easy-to-use real estate resource to utilize in their online property search. With his custom IDX solution, Peterson now hosts one of the most dynamic and informative real estate websites and searches for Dallas area buyers.

LOPATCONG, N.J. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Larken Associates will host a Homebuying Seminar this Thursday (March 3rd) for those hoping to learn just how easy and affordable it is to purchase at its two residential communities in the suburban Warren County Township of Lopatcong

McLean, VA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) announced today that it will not issue a Reference Notes® security on February 24, 2011. The company’s 2011 Reference Notes calendar designates dates that it may use to announce the issuance of Reference Notes securities.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Akinola George, 40, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bank fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank/mail fraud in a scheme that led to $2.4 million in losses.

Torrance, CA - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michel Hibbert, senior managing director of Charles Dunn Company’s West Los Angeles office, has closed on the sale of a 14,820-squarefoot Walgreens at 123 E. Belleview Ave., in Englewood, Colo. T...

New York, NY - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) announced the launch today of NYC Green House, a broad-based knowledge source and online resource guide for multifamily property owners who want to save money by going green

Alpharetta, GA - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeside Properties, Inc., an Associa company, recently expanded its already diverse company profile by adding six new community associations to its client portfolio.