Monthly Archives: July 2011

Houston, TX - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CenterPoint Energy, Inc.'s (NYSE:CNP) electric transmission and distribution subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel B. Poneman today released survey results from a 500 participant smart meter In-Home Display pilot program begun last fall. Based on surveys, 71 percent of customers reported that they have changed their electricity consumption behavior as a result of the energy use data they accessed on their in-home displays.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- This past Friday in federal court, an Edina mortgage broker was charged for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved 57 properties. Derrick Ivan Lance, age 40, of Edina, was charged via an information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Former NFL football players are working side-by-side with local home builders and contractors this week to renovate a section of St. Ann's Infant & Maternity Home in Hyattsville, Md. The Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF) of the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association (MNCBIA) is coordinating the community service project, which is converting an older, institutional-like section of the children's residential wing into a warm, comfortable living space."Every child and every family should have a safe, comfortable place that feels like home, whether it is temporary like here at St. Ann's, or a permanent home to call their own," said Calvin Snowden, president of the Washington, D.C. NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) former players' chapter. "It is incredibly rewarding to be able to give back to the Washington, D.C., community through a project like this."

Atlanta, GA - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On July 21, 2011, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“Department”) entered into a Consent Order with Cornerstone Mortgage Company dba Brayden Capital Home Loans (“Cornerstone Mortga...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes declined 1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 312,000 units in June, according to figures released today by the U.S. Commerce Department today."Today's report shows that new-home sales remain in a holding pattern at relatively low levels," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "This reflects what we are hearing from builders in the field, who continue to see uncertainty in the marketplace and are reacting accordingly by keeping inventories at a record low. With inventories at razor-thin margins, any uptick in demand will generate increased building activity in the months ahead."

Westborough, MA - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Villages at Brookside, located at 52 Brookside Road, sponsored two CEU classes taught by Anita Hill Training & Seminars and accredited by the Higgins Group License School on July 19th to support the continuing education of local real estate agents.

Brookfield, WI - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Inlanta Mortgage is pleased to announce the addition of Peter Salamone to its corporate staff. As Business Development Manager, Salamone will focus on recruiting Branch Partners to expand Inlanta’s Partner Branch network and increase corporate sales.

EUGENE, OR - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. pleased to announce the addition of Coy Alexander and Kern Foreclosures to the growing number of real estate professionals adopting the modern and efficient IDX Broker software to update their realty websites. With Alexander's partnership with the Bakersfield MLS (BKMLS), thousands of property listings are now available on her website for all of her clients and home seekers to see and search through. Never before has finding the right home online been easier, now that Alexander has changed her real estate website to better suit home seekers in Kern County and the surrounding areas.

NEWARK, DE - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- DYK Automotive, LLC has signed a lease for 60,000 square feet at Pencader Business Park, 650 Pencader Drive, Newark, Del. The automotive aftermarket supplier will utilize the site as its Northeast distri...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Trade Commission testified today on consumer protection issues relating to the rent-to-own industry. The testimony described the agency’s role in enforcing laws relating to financial issues, provided background on the rent-to-own industry, and described key findings of a 2000 report published by the FTC’s Bureau of Economics on the rent-to-own industry.

Westborough, MA - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gordon's Woods Condominium's located at 990 VFW Parkway in West Roxbury reports an increase in demand for new construction within Boston Proper. In the past ten days, the complex reports five pending sales.

NEWARK, N.J. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The law firm of Baldassare & Mara, LLC has leased 2,360 square feet at 570 Broad Street in Newark, representing the first commitment at the 15-story tower since The Berger Organization purchased a controlling interest in 570 Broad Street LLC, a partnership, earlier this year. The practice will relocate to the property from Chatham, N.J.

MILFORD, CT - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Longtime Milford residents can recall the days when Walnut Beach, known for its dance halls and amusement parks, was the perfect date night destination. Today, the amusement parks are gone, but the neighborhood is enjoying a renaissance as an artists’ community as well as a beach destination. Fifty-one new condominiums there are being marketed by the New Homes Division of William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance. Beach Shore Village, which sits directly across the street from Walnut Beach, affords its residents sunrise views over Long Island Sound and the ultimate beach lifestyle.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the award of nearly $60 million in homeless prevention grants that will serve approximately 22,000 homeless and at-risk Veteran families as part of the new Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. This initial $60 million award will serve Veteran families at 85 non-profit community agencies in 40 states and the District of Columbia under VA’s new homeless prevention initiative.

Clifton, NJ - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A nine-year veteran of real estate investing, Ankit Duggal, Founder of RER, LLC, has bought, fixed, and sold his fair share of real estate. But Ankit’s rarity lies in a vision that stretches much further than flipping houses— the young entrepreneur has set out to revitalize distressed neighborhoods into valuable communities, one home at a time

EUGENE, OR - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and Barrington, Illinois Broker Corinne Guest have joined forces to present area home seekers with a comprehensive online real estate website. IDX Broker software has integrated a search page that extracts raw listing data directly from the Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) database and seamlessly presents it onto Guest's website. She can now supply her clients with thousands of Chicago area homes instantly, from the convenience and familiarity of her IDX-enabled website.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Friday, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) filed a comment letter with the Federal Reserve on the Board’s proposed rule that would implement amendments to the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) under the Dodd-Frank Act to establish Ability to Repay/Qualified Mortgage requirements.In the letter, MBA’s President and CEO David H. Stevens reiterates MBA’s support for the establishment of an ability to repay requirement for mortgage loans and emphasizes the importance of a final rule that provides unambiguous definitions and means of compliance. According to MBA, clear “bright line” requirements will ensure the availability of sustainable mortgage credit to the widest array of qualified borrowers at affordable costs.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a comment letter Friday, the American Bankers Association offered an alternative solution to strengthen the "qualified mortgage" option's safe-harbor protections in the Federal Reserve's proposed rule that would require creditors to determine a consumer's ability to repay a mortgage before making the loan.

West Hartford, CT - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CT REIA and Alan Cowgill presents: Unlimited Supply of Money For Residential and Commercial Properties

NEW YORK, NY - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Halstead Property Development Marketing and West 147th Street Associates LLC, an affiliate of L+M Development Partners, Inc., today announced that 80% of the units are closed or under contract at PS90, a premier residential development in Harlem.

Torrance, CA - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lee & Associates, one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the country, has named Billy Snowden the newest associate of the Atlanta office. In his new position, Snowden’s area of focus includes tenant and landlord representation throughout Atlanta and the Southeast. He specializes in the implementation of real estate strategies to create cost effective savings and in turn, increase the bottom line.

New York, NY - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Keller Williams NYC (www.kwnyc.com), the Manhattan franchise of leading real estate firm Keller Williams Realty Inc., recently appointed Natalia Sosnina as a licensed sales agent, specializing in the high-end market.

HOUSTON, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vincent Wallace Aldridge, a former fee attorney for First Southwestern Title Company, has been sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering arising from a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders of more than $3.7 million in loans in connection with home purchases in the Houston area, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Clark.

DALLAS, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned a four-count indictment this week charging three individuals, Vathany Teng, Lina Ma and Jerry Goh each with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two substantive counts of bank fraud in relation to a loan fraud scheme they allegedly ran in the Dallas area from August 2007 to April 2008. In addition, defendant Jerry Goh, a lawyer, is also charged with one count of witness tampering. All three defendants are expected to surrender to federal authorities and appear tomorrow, July 22, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

DALLAS, TX - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A federal grand jury in Dallas has returned a four-count indictment this week charging three individuals, Vathany Teng, Lina Ma and Jerry Goh each with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two substantive counts of bank fraud in relation to a loan fraud scheme they allegedly ran in the Dallas area from August 2007 to April 2008. In addition, defendant Jerry Goh, a lawyer, is also charged with one count of witness tampering. All three defendants are expected to surrender to federal authorities and appear tomorrow, July 22, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.

TAVARES, FL - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Parks & Trails Division is set to open three public land properties beginning July 26 for passive recreation. The properties include Ellis Acres Reserve, located off County Road 42 in Paisley; The Pasture Reserve, located off Lake Erie Road in South Lake; and Lake May Reserve located off County Road 44A in Eustis.

EUGENE, OR - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and Charles Baltimore have revolutionized the online real estate search for West Palm Beach, Florida prospective buyers. As a member of the Palm Beach Regional MLS (RMLSFL), Baltimore has long had access to thousands of local property listings. Now, his clients can search with the same levels of accessibility once reserved only for real estate agents and broker, thanks to the innovative IDX Broker software Baltimore has enabled for his website. Finding a Florida waterfront area home online has never been easier for clients of The Baltimore Group.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law applauds today's launch of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). To mark this momentous date in the fight for consumer protections, the Lawyers' Committee released an issue brief on the severe impact of the ongoing foreclosure rescue scam crisis on older Americans. Scammers are preying on distressed homeowners by offering much-needed foreclosure counseling or loan modification assistance for a fee, yet failing to deliver any results-or refunds-in the end.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction employment declined in 26 states and D.C. between June 2010 and 2011 and dropped in 22 states and D.C. between May and June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of state employment data released by the Labor Department. The construction industry continues to suffer from a difficult combination of weak private sector demand and declining public sector investments in construction.

San Diego, CA - July 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage La Mesa’s Lisa Cupp will lend her San Diego real estate industry knowledge to an upcoming episode of HGTV’s House Hunters, July 25 at 8: 00 p.m. In the upcoming episode, REALTOR® Cupp assists Tya Haylock, the new wife of deployed Navy Quartermaster 1st Class Sherman Haylock, in an effort to purchase the couple’s first home