RealEstateRama

Scottsdale, AZ - August 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In July 2011, GPE Commercial Advisors reported closing five purchase transactions for $4.2M (51,850 square feet plus a 38.16 acre land sale), 12 lease transactions for $1.8M (37,136 square feet). C...

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today highlighted a free workshop on foreclosure prevention and home finance taking place in Tucson on Saturday, July 23. The event is jointly hosted by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Don’t Borrow Trouble Pima County, the City of Tucson, Fannie Mae, Pima County, and the Southwest Fair Housing Council.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - July 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mark Lucescu, President of Lucescu Realty, a market leading investment real estate services firm, announced today that the firm has recently opened a new regional office in Phoenix, AZ to better serve its clients. Lucescu Realty’s new Phoenix office is located at 2415 East Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ.

June 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- One of the Southwest’s most distinctive and popular tourist destinations is Taliesin West, home of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright Archives, Western “camp” and permanent residence for Frank Lloyd Wright, wife Olgivanna Lloyd Wright and the “Taliesin Fellowship” since 1937.

PHOENIX, AZ - May 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Funding cuts are creating layoffs, reduced services and delayed infrastructure projects for cities nationwide. At a special one-day event on Friday, May 20, 2011, public and private leaders will participate in an interactive discussion on lessons learned and innovative strategies to not just survive, but create thriving cities in a difficult economic environment.

Tucson, AZ - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva last week introduced the Right to Rent Act of 2011 (H.R. 1548), an updated version of a bill he introduced in 2009 to allow families facing foreclosure to remain in their homes as renters by paying fair market value each month. Approximately one in 175 homes in Arizona received a foreclosure filing in January, second highest in the nation behind Nevada.

Tucson, AZ - March 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratuled the City of Tucson and the Housing Authority of the City of Yuma on receiving $138,000 and $249,500 grants, respectively, from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding comes through HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher – Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program.

Washington, D.C. - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated three Southern Arizona recipients of new grants from NeighborWorks America, a nonprofit group created by Congress in 1978 as a public/private partnership to provide grants, training and technical assistance to community organizations. Comite de Bien Estar, Inc., located in San Luis, was awarded $49,350, Housing Services of Southwestern Maricopa County was awarded $23,500, and The Primavera Foundation in Tucson was awarded $79,700.

TUCSON, AZ - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ office worked with a homeowner to successfully communicate with a mortgage company to reduce home loan payments for the Tucson woman who was facing foreclosure and eviction.

Washington, D.C. - February 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Small businesses facing maturity of commercial mortgages or balloon payments before Dec. 31, 2012, may be able to refinance their mortgage debt with a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan through a new program that begins Monday, Feb. 28.The program, authorized under the Small Business Jobs Act, will be in effect through Sept. 27, 2012

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.

PHOENIX, AZ - February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Belfiore Real Estate Consulting presents AZ DealmakersTM, bringing together both industry-leading keynote speakers and a diverse panel of experts for an interactive discussion on the Arizona real estate market.

Tucson, AZ - February 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced that it will offer loans of up to $2 million to businesses and non-profit organizations to replace or repair property and equipment damaged in recent winter storms. The agency will also offer loans of up to $200,000 to homeowners to repair damaged real estate and up to $40,000 to homeowners and renters to repair or replace personal property.

Washington, D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the offer of a loan guarantee worth up to $967 million to Agua Caliente Solar to support the construction of a major new solar power plant in Yuma County. The plant will employ approximately 400 people during construction, expand the county tax and employment base when completed, and provide energy to approximately 100,000 homes through a contract with Pacific Gas & Electric Company

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.

PHOENIX, AZ - November 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Arizona Community Foundation and its partner, the Phoenix office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, today hosted a celebration of two important milestones for the ACF Affordable Housing Fund: more than $1 million raised for the fund, and more than $1 million granted to support the development of affordable housing in Arizona.

November 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- It doesn't rain much in Arizona, but when it does, rainwater harvesting experts Ann Audrey and Greg Shinn want people to use every drop. They know about the art of capturing and saving rainwater, and they want to teach others how they can do the same.<

November 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Eight homeowners and more than 120 residents of a multi-family senior complex will receive landscape and home maintenance assistance this Saturday, Nov. 20. The effort is a partnership between the city’s Code Cares program, local churches and the non-profit group Arizona City Fest

PHOENIX, AZ - November 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- New panel members have been added to the 2nd Annual Metro Phoenix Land and Housing Forecast event to be held Wednesday, December 1 at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix. Presented by Land Advisors Organization and media partner, BigBuilder magazine, net proceeds will benefit Friends of ASU Real Estate Programs. The inaugural event held in 2009 drew over 400 attendees and raised over $15,000 for local non-profit organization, Operation Homefront.

Phoenix, AZ - October 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Valley Partnership, an advocacy for responsible real estate development, presents its fall seminar: Adaptive Reuse; Don’t Judge a Building by its Cover. Dene Oliver, noted industry expert and CEO of OliverMcMillan, will open the event as keynote speaker.

Tucson, AZ - October 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today announced his call for a full audit of three major mortgage lenders in the wake of revelations about improper foreclosures nationwide based on dubious paperwork and legally suspect lender behavior. Grijalva sent a letter Oct. 15 alongside Reps. John Conyers, Marcy Kaptur and Alan Grayson to the inspector general for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) asking him to conduct an audit of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and GMAC, which together control millions of mortgages around the country.

FLAGSTAFF, AZ - October 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representative Ann Kirkpatrick announced today that her Indian Veterans Housing Opportunity Act has been signed into law. This major success on behalf of tribal communities will prevent Native American Veterans, their families and survivors from being denied low-income housing assistance through the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) due to their military service. The law takes effect immediately.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - October 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Harry E. Mitchell today commended Bank of America for halting foreclosure sales in all 50 states in order to address flaws in their foreclosure process. [Source: CNN, October 8, 2010]"I commend Bank of America for doing the responsible thing and halting their foreclosure sales around the country in order to address flaws in their foreclosure process," said Mitchell. "As we hear more about current flaws in the foreclosure process, it is even more important that banks slow down and figure out the root of the problem I urge others to swiftly follow suit so that families will not have to worry about losing their home because of a clerical error."

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - September 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell today attended SCORE's 2010 Phoenix Green Business Forum at Skysong in Scottsdale, highlighting the economic importance of local small businesses, as well as green energy industries. Approximately 100 people attended presentations from experts from Arizona's burgeoning solar and green-energy industries.

Washington, D.C. - September 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the The Dunbar Coalition, Inc. on a newly announced $250,000 grant for the creation of an African American Museum and Cultural Center at the historic Dunbar School. Funding from the Economic Development Initiative, secured by Rep. Grijalva in the FY2010 consolidated appropriations bill, was designated to construct the museum under the guidance of the Pima County Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Office.

September 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The city of Phoenix Planning and Development Services Department will offer money-saving incentives to promote “green” construction in homes and businesses beginning Oct 1. The Green Building Incentives Program is funded by a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy

Tucson, AZ - September 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Arizona received approximately $45.4 million yesterday from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which the state can use to purchase foreclosed homes at a discount and rehabilitate or redevelop them. The money was authorized by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Phoenix, AZ - September 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Phoenix property owners will soon receive this year's property tax assessments in the mail and the average Phoenix homeowner will pay a lower tax bill to the city. Phoenix's property tax rate is $1.82 per $100 of assessed value. This rate has not changed in 14 years.

Washington, D.C. - September 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated the Tonto Apache Tribe and the Ak-Chin Indian Community for receiving housing awards of $54,019 and $384,994, respectively, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grants come through the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, which awards funds to tribes through a formula based on need and prior funding levels.