Yearly Archives: 2011

Takoma Park, MD - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Montgomery Housing Partnership, Inc. (MHP), a private nonprofit housing developer, today announced the year-end acquisition of the Parkview Towers apartments at 7667 Maple Avenue. MHP purchased the 11-story building for $6.895 million from a private owner on December 23, 2010. The broker of record on the transaction was Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services.

ATLANTA, GA - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As 2010 gave way to 2011, The Southeastern Home Team became the Southeastern Realty Group, Georgia's newest full-service real estate brokerage. With the brokerage comes a renewed commitment to providing a real estate experience that goes well beyond the expectations of buyers, sellers and agents.

Torrance, CA - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Gumbiner Savett Managing Director Michael Savoy, CPA, has been appointed to the California Board of Accountancy (CBA), the entity that regulates the state’s accounting profession for the public interest. Savoy’s appointment was one of Governor Schwarzenegger’s final acts before his term ended Jan. 2.

FAIRFAX, VA - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Credit Union Mortgage Association (CUMA) today announced an innovative residential mortgage product that allows the consumer to initiate the change in their interest rate mortgage

Chicago, IL - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The newest user review and social networking website donotrent.com went live late November 2010. The review platform is based on tenant experiences, past or present, renting apartments, on or off campus student housing, rental homes, vacation rentals and more. The site allows users to search and post reviews in every city in the United States. Users can also post pictures of the apartment and rate it using a unique 5-star rating system that ranges from “Not That Bad” to “Absolute Nightmare.” Although the name, donotrent.com, implies and actually encourages negative reviews, users can also post positive reviews.

Las Vegas, NV - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nevada Real Estate Agents will soon notice major changes to the short sale approval letter issued by Bank of America. Bank of America has changed the verbiage of their standard short sale approval letter, deleting verbiage referring to the bank’s right to pursue a defiency judgement against a homeowner.

Washington, D.C. - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Winter’s chill pervades much of the nation, and escalating gas prices are putting their own chill down the spines of U.S. consumers. But until the spring thaw arrives, simple energy-efficiency steps at home and on the road – potentially supplemented by federal income tax credits for specific energy-efficiency home improvements – can take the sting out of high energy bills, says the Alliance to Save Energy

EUGENE, OR - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Searching the Santa Fe MLS (SFARMLS) just got easier for home seekers, thanks to the partnership between IDX, Inc. and real estate agent Teddie Sue Mooday. Potential buyers can now experience an online home search unlike any other with the IDX solution now employed by Mooday. By utilizing the unique search features on search page Mooday hosts, home seekers can engage in a thorough and comprehensive online property search. Never before has a simpler or easier to use real estate website been available to Los Alamos, New Mexico buyers.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) will deliver industry-leading educational sessions at the 2011 NAHB International Builders' Show January 12–15 in Orlando. CEDIA will offer three of its most popular courses for design and build industry professionals and will exhibit in booth #W5047.Visitors to the CEDIA booth can learn about working with a professional electronic systems contractor (ESC) to execute home technology projects. CEDIA representatives will also share information about the Home Technology Alliance, of which CEDIA is a founding partner. In addition, visitors to CEDIA’s booth can enter to win tickets to the 2011 Indianapolis 500

Boston, MA - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The national vacancy and availability rates in the U.S. office and industrial markets, continued to decline in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2010, according to the latest analysis from CBRE Econometric Advisors (CBRE-EA). In Q4, the national office vacancy rate fell by 20 basis points (bps) to16.4%, the second consecutive quarterly decline. The national industrial availability1 rate decreased by 30 basis points in Q4 to 14.3%, marking the second consecutive decrease in availability and providing further proof that the industrial sector continues to heal.

EUGENE, OR - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The iPhone enabled IDX Broker software is now also available on the website of Sylvia Sotomayor, thanks to her collaboration with IDX, Inc. Now simpler than ever before, IDX Broker extracts raw listing data from the East Bay Regional Data/MAX MLS (MAX/EBRD) and displays it seamlessly on the website Sotomayor hosts. The once complicated online property search is now simpler than ever, when potential buyers utilize the incredible IDX enabled website Sotomayor manages

EMERYVILLE, CA - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The number of home listings within 26 major U.S. metropolitan areas slipped 5.27 percent in December 2010, compared to a month prior, according to a monthly report of homes listed for sale on Multiple Listing Services (MLS) in the markets surveyed by national real estate brokerage, ZipRealty (www.ziprealty.com; NASDAQ: ZIPR).

Washington, D.C. - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is conducting a pilot project in collaboration with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) to help reverse mortgage borrowers who are struggling to pay property taxes and homeowners insurance

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) WHAT: The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Annual State of the Real Estate Finance Industry Media Conference Call.Among the issues MBA representatives will discuss are the state of the industry, MBA's legislative and regulatory agenda for 2011 (including Dodd-Frank Act Implementation, GSE/secondary market reform, tax reform and residential loan servicing) and MBA's new three-year macro-economic and mortgage finance/housing forecasts.

McLean, VA - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) recently funded its first mortgage using the new mezzanine finance arrangement. Freddie Mac purchased a $47 million first mortgage from M&T Capital Realty Corp. for a property in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. The borrower, Metropolitan Apartments at Camp Springs L.L.C., secured a mezzanine loan for $6.75 million from Berkshire Properties

Washington, DC - January 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Real Estate Today, the national talk radio show produced by the National Association of Realtors®, celebrates its 100th show this weekend. Now the fastest growing real estate show in the country, Real Estate Today can be heard on more than 120 stations across the U.S, including in every top-10 market.

January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Loudoun County received a $2 million grant to purchase foreclosed properties in designated areas of Sugarland Run and Sterling Park. The county renovated the properties to sell to owner occupants who meet the NSP guidelines and are at or below 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Seven properties have already been sold and only one property remains available for sale.

January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Every home in Minnesota should be tested every 2-5 years for radon gas, say state health officials. Testing a home is so important that, as a way to prevent exposure to radon, which can cause lung cancer, health officials are offering a limited number of low-cost test kits to Minnesota homeowners.

BOSTON, MA - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Boston real estate management company, its agent and property owner have been sued for violating state anti-discrimination law, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced. The Attorney General’s Office filed a housing discrimination complaint on January 3, 2011, against Mediate Management Company (“Mediate”), its agent Deborah Kooring, and Fenway Buttrick, LLC, in Suffolk Superior Court alleging that the defendants refused to renew the lease of a family because they reside with a young child whose presence required the defendants to comply with state lead paint laws.

KETCHUM, ID - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vitus Development, together with the Ketchum Community Development Corporation (KCDC), announces the completion of Northwood Place, a 32-unit development providing affordable housing in Ketchum. All units at Northwood Place -12 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, and six three-bedroom units - are rent and income restricted for households with incomes equal to or less than 60% of area median income. Additional sustainable features incorporated into the five separate garden style, wood-frame buildings will help ensure resident’s energy costs remain manageable.

SPRINGFIELD, IL - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- While it may be impossible to prevent natural hazards, such as floods, droughts and wind storms, there are actions communities and their citizens can take to reduce or eliminate loss of life and property. Throughout January, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) will focus on hazard mitigation as part of its 2011 Preparedness Campaign

Washington, D.C. - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated Pima County on receiving a new $158,601 grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Rental Assistance to Non-Elderly Persons With Disabilities program. The funds will help qualifying families access affordable housing through public housing agencies

January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Business and business property owners are invited to a forum to help define their vision for a geographic region defined as the Shea Character Area plan. The forum will be from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the Boys and Girls Club, 10515 E. Lakeview Drive.

PORTLAND, OR - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pulte Homes is opening its first community in the Portland market, offering homebuyers a prime location, distinctive homes and great value. The public is invited to tour the new model homes at the grand opening of Summer Creek by Pulte Homes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International today announced the 29 buildings that make up the latest class of buildings to earn the BOMA 360 Performance Program designation. The BOMA 360 Performance Program is a groundbreaking program designed to recognize commercial properties that demonstrate best practices in building operations and management

McLean, VA - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®(PMMS®). The survey results showed lower mortgage rates for both long- and short-term rates

WASHINGTON, DC - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today a joint partnership between the two agencies to help nearly 1,000 non-elderly Americans with disabilities leave nursing homes or other healthcare facilities to live independently. This is the first time two federal agencies are offering a combination of rental assistance, health care and other supportive services targeted to this population.

EUGENE, OR - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Robert English and IDX, Inc. have teamed up to simplify the real estate website English hosts, with the dynamic IDX Broker software. By creating an easy-to-use search page, English can give his clients and other Arlington, Texas home seekers the thorough online property search experience they deserve. Syncing North Texas Real Estate Info Systems (NTREIS) listings with the search results page English supports, means thousands of detailed NTREIS listings are instantly available to potential buyers. The once complicated and stressful online home search is now simple and effective, thanks to the IDX enabled website of English

WASHINGTON, DC - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) today launched WaysHome, a free, interactive multi-media tool designed to educate homeowners about their options to avoid foreclosure, empower them to make informed decisions and motivate them to take action and seek help in 2011. As part of Fannie Mae's "Know Your Options" initiative to help struggling homeowners, the WaysHome video uses innovative technology to allow homeowners to put themselves in real-life situations, make informed choices and immediately see the outcomes of those actions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 created new declining cities, and posed further difficulties for cities already in decline. Some cities may not re-attain home price peaks for many years, and could see some neighborhoods cease to be viable economically, according to a study released today from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)