Monthly Archives: August 2011

August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The amount contractors pay for construction materials and charge for completed projects both increased in July, as firms were finally able to charge more for work, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said, however, that it was too early to tell whether contractors will continue to be able to raise prices in the face of declining public sector investments in construction.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an historic collaborative effort to assure the success of previous federal investments, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today competitively awarded $5.65 million to eight organizations to help existing federal grantees work together to solve common problems.

BALTIMORE, MD - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler's Consumer Protection Division today issued a final order requiring a home builder and its principal to refund payments of $111,637.74 collected from multiple consumers to construct a home in Baltimore County. The builder must also pay penalties of $9,000 and investigation costs of $4,026.69.

Atlanta, GA - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On August 16, 2011, an Order to Cease and Desist issued by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“Department”) to Mortgage Foreclosure Experts, LLC dba www.mortgageforeclosureexperts.o...

Washington, DC - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representatives Jim Himes (CT-04) and Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03) announced today that The Workplace, Inc., Southwestern Connecticut’s Regional Workforce Development Board, will be receiving a one year grant of $299,670 to provide local, homeless veterans with job training aimed at helping them succeed in civilian careers. The grant has the potential for up to three additional years based on funding availability.

August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) announced that the Housing Services Department received six Awards of Merit. Housing Services submitted Awards of Merit applications to NAHRO for noteworthy programs that can be replicated by other Housing Authorities throughout the country. The Awards of Merit were awarded to the following programs:

Orlando, FL - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Orlando mortgage lender FBC Mortgage, LLC was a proud winner in the Orlando Business Journal’s 2011 Best Places to Work on Friday, August 12, 2011. FBC was named a winner in the medium company category (firms with 51 – 150 employees located in the Central Florida area) at the OBJ’s event at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. FBC Mortgage was one of 152 companies nominated in the 2011 Best Places To Work competition.

Atlanta, GA - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- GoFightForeclosure.com the Go Fight Foreclosure System today announced a warning signal to homeowners that they must contest to stop foreclosure. Citing homeowners fighting foreclosures are now endangered species after a ruling from a judge in New Jersey approving that four major banks can resume uncontested foreclosures

Sylmar, CA - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home affordability is higher now than in the past. The down side is that during the last two years, families in Los Angeles County lost their home to foreclosure every 15 to 18 minutes. Southern California residents can take the first step in the home buying process or saving the home they already own from foreclosure, by attending a FREE Housing Workshop on Saturday, September 10, 2011

Miami, FL - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cervera Real Estate hosted its quarterly top producer awards celebration dinner to recognize their associates for outstanding sales performance in the real estate industry. The event was held at the Brickell Bridge Bistro and Bar located on 500 Brickell Avenue on July 12, 2011. The awards recognize real estate agents for their top sales performance from various branch offices in South Florida.

Stamford, CT - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CBRE (NYSE:CBG) offices in Florida and Connecticut recently arranged the $20 million acquisition financing for the Stamford, Connecticut apartment community, the blvd. Financing for the 94-unit property was obtained through People's United Bank for The Wolff Company, a Scottsdale, Arizona firm

Chicago, IL - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Legum and Norman (L&N), Mid-West, an Associa company, is pleased to announce the addition of a new property to its client portfolio. L&N, Mid-West will now provide full management services, including financial services, property management, communications, record-keeping and administrative management to Plaza Vista Condominium Association.

Alpharetta, GA - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeside Properties, Inc., an Associa company, is proud to announce Senior Portfolio Managers Christy Barber and Jenni Clemons recently received their Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designations through Community Associations Institute (CAI)

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.'s Metropolitan Area Capital Markets Group (CMG) has arranged the sale of 2 Journal Square Plaza, a landmark nine-story, 325,000-square-foot class A office building in Jersey City, N.J., representing seller Hartz Mountain Industries. The buyer in the $78 million transaction was Gaia Real Estate Investments in partnership with Phoenix Insurance and Menora Mivtachim Insurance, both based in Israel.

MIAMI, FL - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cervera Real Estate, a leading realtor of South Florida luxury condominium residences for more than 40 years, has added five new locations across the region to its current network of five Miami-Dade offices. The new offices include two in the city of Miami and one addition each in South Beach, Hallandale (Broward County) and West Palm Beach (Palm Beach County). According to the company, the expansion is part of a multimillion dollar investment that strategically broadens its reach and services in the tri-county area, as well as doubles its sales team to more than 250 agents.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Serious delinquency rates for mortgages continue to stabilize across the largest 100 U.S. metropolitan areas, though they remain at historically high levels according to the latest data from Foreclosure-Response.org. Serious delinquency, defined as the share of loans in foreclosure plus the share of loans delinquent 90 or more days, fell 10% from the peak in December 2009 through March 2011. The 90+-day delinquency component of the figure fell from 5.5% of the mortgage market to 3.9% over the same period. However, the share of homes in foreclosure continues to rise, increasing 12% in that period.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications increased 4.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending August 12, 2011.

Torrance, CA - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lee & Associates, one of the largest commercial real estate brokerage firms in the country, has named Tim Moore and Glenn Stokoe senior vice presidents of its Carlsbad office. This move lends further proof that Lee is not only maintaining its profitability and continuing its nationwide expansion plans but also remains focused on its regional strength in its commercial markets

New York, NY - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Keller Williams NYC (www.kwnyc.com), the Manhattan franchise of leading real estate firm Keller Williams Realty Inc., has announced the appointment of GieFaan Kim as associate broker for the Bracha Group

New York, NY - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Faris Lee Investments, the nation’s largest retail-specialized investment sales and advisory firm, along with Faris Lee Capital, has completed the $18 million recapitalization of a 200,000-square-foot retail center in Normal, IL on behalf of the owner, The Dial Companies, a large Midwest developer. Built in 2007, the center’s anchor tenants include Schnucks Grocery and a 14-screen Starplex Theater. The center is currently 70 percent occupied and has 12 outparcels available for future sale, lease or development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Environmental Protection Agency's decision today to reconsider the imposition of a nationwide cap on how much sediment can be part of the stormwater draining from a construction site is a nod to the importance of sound science – and a big victory for home buyers, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

BARNEGAT, N.J. - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Walters Group, a leading residential and commercial real estate developer, has announced that it has promoted Rylie Ragan Smith of Manasquan to community manager of Stafford Preserve, a new luxury rental community slated for occupancy in the spring of 2012. The project is located just off Exit 63 of the Garden State Parkway, on Stafford Park Blvd. in Manahawkin.

New York, NY - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Keller Williams NYC (www.kwnyc.com), the Manhattan franchise of leading real estate company Keller Williams Realty Inc., today announced it has grown to 100 agents since active hiring began in April.

SACRAMENTO, CA - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A real estate investor pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Sacramento to conspiring to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions held in San Joaquin County, Sharis A. Pozen, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, and Benjamin B. Wagner, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, announced.

EUGENE, OR - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce Tampa Bay, Florida real estate consultant Jeff Launiere has adopted a customizable IDX solution for his professional website. He now hosts a dynamic IDX-synced search page, which displays Mid-Florida MLS (MFRMLS) listings efficiently and effectively on his website. As a member of the MFRMLS, Launiere has long had access to thousands of detailed Florida property listings. Now, thanks to his IDX solution, Launiere's clients can experience the same level of accessibility directly on the his professional website, a privilege once reserved solely for real estate agents and brokers.

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today launched a new consumer advertising campaign that employs testimonials from consumers in order to promote the value of working with a REALTOR®. The campaign’s new theme -- “California REALTORS®. Champions of Home.” -- also will raise awareness of the REALTOR® brand and reinforce the professionalism of REALTORS® who belong to C.A.R.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the arrest of an Oviedo business owner for overbilling State Farm Insurance Company for fraudulent sinkhole claim repairs. Michael Hodge, owner of A&M Contracting Company, is charged with multiple counts of racketeering and insurance fraud involving billings of materials he never used to repair properties in Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that HUD will provide assistance to families affected by this spring’s catastrophic tornadoes in Joplin, MO, and central Alabama, by entering into an unprecedented purchase agreement to sell real estate owned properties (REO) to public housing authorities in the affected areas

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts edged down 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 604,000 units in July, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. The slight decline comes on the heels of significant gains in housing production in June, and was attributable to a moderate drop-off on the single-family side while production of multifamily units continued upward.

Alexandria, VA - August 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) is opening both its Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher program waiting lists. These rental assistance programs, funded by the U.S...