Monthly Archives: May 2011

CHICAGO, IL - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The return of leasing activity to pre-recession levels and tangibly declining supply in the U.S. industrial market signify continued momentum toward recovery, according to Jim Dieter, SIOR, who heads the national industrial brokerage platform for commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Inc

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) named David Reznick, co-founder and chairman of the board of Reznick Group, P.C., the 2011 recipient of the Daniel M. Grady Memorial Award, in recognition of his more than 30 years of contributions and dedication to the cause of affordable housing.

Inland Empire, CA - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the second largest global real estate services organization, welcomes Mark Zorn and Tal Siglar to its Inland Empire office. They will both serve as senior vice presidents.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With some members of Congress actively pushing to abolish Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and end the federal backstop for housing, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress today that maintaining an appropriate level of government support is absolutely essential to preserve financial stability.

Miami, FL - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The world’s first JW Marriott Marquis and the Hotel Beaux Arts have opened their finely crafted doors to Miami’s booming downtown district. Each hotel offers a distinct luxury experience and features interior designs conceived and implemented by global architecture, planning and design firm RTKL.

PLEASANTON, CA - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ellie Mae®(NYSE Amex:ELLI), the provider of software and automation solutions for mortgage bankers, community banks, credit unions and other mortgage lenders, announced today that it has launched the Total Quality Loan (TQL) program, a new initiative to promote total loan quality for loans originated through Encompass360® Mortgage Management Solution. This program builds upon the company's strategy to provide a comprehensive mortgage solution that extends beyond standard loan origination functions by offering supplemental services that enhance loan quality and compliance, and help reduce many of the major risks throughout the mortgage cycle.

EDISON, N.J. - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- How does the Christie Administration envision planning for sustainable economic growth? What regulatory and policy changes are coming from DEP in the areas of water quality management, land use planning and site remediation? Are you prepared for mandatory reliance on an LSRP?

WASHINGTON, DC - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service has announced an $8.3 million grant competition to provide job training, counseling and placement services (including job readiness, and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force through its Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

NEW YORK, May 26, 2011 — For the first time in nearly two years, corporate occupiers are moving away from short-term tactical real estate plays exclusively centered on delivering sizeable cost savings in favor of a strategic, long-term approach to growth, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s First Quarter 2011 National Office Occupier Outlook. Though it is not yet widespread, an increase in office space demand was recorded in the first quarter in select market segments with particular concentrations of growth industries such as technology, energy and professional services.

AUSTIN, TX - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vacation homes aren’t just for rest and relaxation; they are also a satisfying, moneymaking venture for many owners. HomeAway, Inc. – the world’s leading online vacation rental marketplace – finds in its latest “HomeAway Vacation Rental Marketplace Report” that 81 percent of vacation home owners who rent their homes to travelers are satisfied with the overall experience.

Washington, DC - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee and a leading champion for homeowners, delivered the following remarks today during a Subcommittee on Housing, Insurance, and Community Opportunity Hearing on “Legislative Proposals to Determine the Future Role of FHA, RHS and GNMA in the Single-and Multi-Family Mortgage Markets.”

Copperopolis, CA - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- M & C Association Management Services Inc., an Associa company, recently expanded its diverse client base and will now provide management services to Sonora Vista Toulumne County Homeowners Association.

Albuquerque, NM - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Canyon Gate Real Estate Services, an Associa company, is proud to announce Vice President Kimberly Corcoran recently received her Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation through Community Associations Institute (CAI).

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Overall housing affordability in California continued to increase in the first quarter of 2011, but half of the state’s 28 metropolitan areas included in the report showed decreases, the California Building Industry Association announced today.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 25, 2011) — Mortgage applications increased 1.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 20, 2011.

May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gov. Paul LePage on Monday helped kick off a campaign to raise funds for a new $2.7 million Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a jury convicted a 44-year-old Burnsville man of conspiring with others to bilk mortgage lenders out of more than $43 million. Following a six-day trial, the jury found Troy David Chaika guilty on seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Chaika was indicted on April 12, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michael D. Berman, CMB, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, testified today before the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity at a hearing entitled "Legislative Proposals to Determine the Future Role of FHA, RHS and GNMA in the Single-and Multi-Family Mortgage Markets."

EUGENE, OR - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. announces today that Jeff Klein, of Jeff Klein Realty in Oakhurst, New Jersey, has adopted IDX Broker software for his professional website. Klein now hosts five unique search functions and thousands of area listings conveniently on his website, offering potential buyers a thorough and comprehensive database of property listings. Monmouth Ocean MLS (MOMLS) homes can now be effortlessly displayed online, making the New Jersey property search all the more simple. By utilizing the IDX enabled website Klein hosts, home seekers can experience a dynamic and innovative search function and a fruitful property search, without ever leaving the website of Klein.

EUGENE, OR - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX Broker software has been enabled on yet another real estate website. This time IDX, Inc. and Texas real estate agent Peerly Butbul have joined forces to create an innovative property search page. As a member of the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems (NTREIS), Butbul has long had access to thousands of detailed home listings. Now, her clients can experience the same levels of accessibility and freedom to search the database, a privilege once reserved only for Dallas-Fort Worth agents and brokers. The convenience and time-saving capabilities of the website of Butbul have forever revolutionized the real estate website she hosts.

Washington, DC - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Administration plays a critical role in the nation’s housing financing system, providing safe, affordable mortgage financing to consumers in all markets during all economic conditions, the National Association of Realtors® said in testimony today

WASHINGTON, DC - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded 10 public housing authorities nearly $34 million in grants today that will be used as seed money to create early childhood education and adult training facilities for public housing residents.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home builders who have embraced social media strategies for marketing their business, have seen extraordinary results. According to the second edition of Social Media for Home Builders 2.0: It's Easier Than You Think, builders have seen results ranging from a 25-300 percent increase in website traffic, to increased customer referrals through using social media. This popular resource recently released by BuilderBooks, the publishing arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) teaches builders and residential construction professionals how to use social media tools such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, to increase their visibility and improve their sales results.

Washington, D.C. - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vermont received national recognition for award-winning affordable housing programs on May 3 when the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development announced the Doorknocker Awards at the 20th anniver...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- At a time when qualified home buyers are experiencing difficulty in obtaining mortgages because of overly restrictive underwriting requirements, the federal government needs to ensure that a reliable and adequate flow of housing credit is available through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)."If we look to the dramatic increase of FHA's market share over the past few years, we can see how essential the program is for our nation's economic recovery," NAHB First Vice Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., told the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

CALABASAS, CA - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Porky Products, Inc. one of the largest independent meat and seafood distributors in the country, has signed a seven year lease for approximately 6,000 square feet of office space at 5230 Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas, CA, according to Robert D. Erickson, a Principal with Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc., who represented the tenant in the transaction.“

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --A 15-unit multifamily asset here was sold for $2,450,000, among the highest prices paid on a per square foot and on a gross rent multiplier basis in the North Hollywood submarket since 2007, according to Jeff McGuire, Senior Vice President, Special Assets and a Principal of Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc, who represented the buyer and the seller in the transaction.

HOBOKEN, N.J. - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- One of Hoboken’s newest luxury rental communities, 800 Madison Street, traded this week. Commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.’s Metropolitan Area Capital Markets Group orchestrated the property’s sale from Tarragon Corp. to CB Richard Ellis Investors.

New York, NY - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Flatbush Gardens Tenants Association filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court today against David Bistricer, a principal of Renaissance Equity Holdings LLC, which owns and operates Flatbush Gardens, the sprawling 59-building housing complex in Brooklyn. Renaissance and an affiliated LLC are also named as defendants.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of North Dakota and provide support to homeowners and low-income r...