December 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Metro Kansas City single-family construction permits rose 8 percent in November to their highest level since November 2008, according to statistics compiled by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (HBA). The organization tracked a seasonally adjusted total of 214 single-family homes permitted in November, up from a revised total of 199 units started in October

SPRINGFIELD, IL - December 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pent-up buyer demand plus low interest rates and the homebuyer tax credit incentive yielded a second month of double-digit gains for Illinois home sales in November, in stark contrast to home sales one year ago in November 2008. According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® latest report, statewide total home sales (which include single-family and condominiums) in November 2009 reached 10,361 homes sold, up 64.0 percent from November 2008 sales of 6,317, marking the third consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases in Illinois. The statewide median price in November 2009 was $155,000 down 4.3 percent from $162,000 in November 2008. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less

Program has benefited more than 3,100 first-time home buyers in California. LOS ANGELES, CA - December 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today announced it is extending its Mortgage Protection Program (MPP) for first-time home buyers through Dec. 31, 2010. To date, C.A.R. has approved benefits for 3,122 first-time home buyers at no cost to the consumer.

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI - December 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- GreenPath Debt Solutions, a nonprofit consumer credit counseling service with seven offices in the greater New York City area, recently released mortgage delinquency data regarding its clients in New York State and New York City

BISMARCK, ND - December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bank of North Dakota (BND) and the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) are jointly offering a $10 million Rural Mortgage Loan Program, effective Jan. 1, 2010.

New York, NY - December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor David A. Paterson today announced that New York State has approved the sale of $665.2 million in housing bonds to the federal government that will lower the cost of borrowing for first-time homebuyers and developers of affordable multifamily rental apartments.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging a Las Vegas real estate broker and two homeowners with violating the Fair Housing Act by denying a mother of seven the opportunity to rent a four-bedroom home because they thought she had too many children.

Central Islip, NY - December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Thursday, Rep. Steve Israel announced $200,000 in new federal funding for the Central Islip Neighborhood Stabilization Project, a program that prevents foreclosures with aggressive community outreach and rehabilitates vacant homes to sell to first-time home buyers.

MADISON, WI - December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Stephen P. Sinnott, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced the unsealing of a two-count indictment charging Gail L. Mendez, 44, of Sun Prairie, Wis., with bank fraud involving mortgage applications and making false statements in connection with a loan application.

LINCOLN, NEB. - December 16, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has awarded $29,878 in Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Funds to Building Futures IV, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)3, to build 10 new multi-family units.

Harrisburg, PA - December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pennsylvania is bolstering its position as a leader in solar energy with new investments of more than $10 million in 12 new projects, Governor Edward G. Rendell said following the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s approval of the projects.

Foreclosure protection offered to displaced families. WASHINGTON, DC - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to counties in Alaska and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following last month's severe storms, flooding, mudslides, and rockslides.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- An initiative proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon and State Treasurer Clint Zweifel to provide property tax relief to Missouri homebuyers was approved today by a 7-to-1 vote of the Missouri Housing Development Commission. This initiative is expected to provide property tax relief for 9,000 to 11,000 Missouri families.

December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is now accepting contract bids on behalf of the City of Boston for $21.5 million worth of road repair and resurfacing projects in Boston. The funding, awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will support five separate construction contracts covering a total of 18.6 miles of roadway in various neighborhoods of the City. Allston-Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, South Boston, West Roxbury, and Downtown will all benefit from projects made possible by this funding.

Washington, DC - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senator Evan Bayh and Congressman André Carson today issued the following joint statement after their meeting with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan regarding the Phoenix Apartments, a Section 8-subsidized apartment complex located in Indianapolis

BOISE, ID - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Wells Fargo Foundation recently contributed $6,000 to the Finally Home!® Homebuyer Education Program administered by the Idaho Partners for Home Buyer Education, Inc. (IPHBE, Inc.). In total, Wells Fargo has contributed $100,000 to the program, $5,000 of which was dedicated to translation of the course textbook into Spanish.

BOISE, ID - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Qualified homebuyers can now take advantage of the recent extension and expanded provisions of the federal homebuyer tax credit of $8,000 for first-time homebuyers and $6,500 for homebuyers who have lived in their home for the past five years. To be eligible for this tax credit, homebuyers must sign a contract for a new home by April 30, 2010 and close on the home by June 30, 2010.

EUSTIS, FL - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Department of Community Services is pleased to announce, with its partner Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter, the first Lake County family to receive funding through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) is moved into their new home on Starbird Street in Eustis

TALLAHASSEE, FL - December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink today highlighted two initiatives she started to bring real, tangible help to Florida homeowners facing foreclosure, and heard from local leaders and community groups who are on the frontlines of tackling the state’s housing crisis.

December 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) --Gov. Bill Ritter today joined the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and dozens of community members to break ground on a 98-unit apartment building for the chronically homeless and low-income. Future tenants who are currently homeless will help construct the building in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Tax Credit Exchange Program Awards $4.3 Million for Housing Complex in Disaster-Impacted Community. Chanute, KS – Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has awarded nearly $4.3 million in Recovery Act funds to help finance the construction of 42 energy-efficient, affordable apartments in Chanute. The disaster-affected community had nearly 75 homes and a sizable number of local businesses damaged by flooding in 2007.

December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today the filing of criminal charges against four west suburban men in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme.

Washington, DC - December 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today introduced a measure to spur the development of renewable energy employment and construction, such as wind and solar farms and solar panel factories. The bill would primarily extend and expand a popular Treasury Department grant program that was established in Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in order to help diminish the impact of the economic crisis on the renewable energy sector

Albany, NY - December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will provide a $6 million grant to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

New York, NY - December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today announced that his office is closing in on more than 5,000 individuals and families who have called his Foreclosure Prevention Helpline to ask for help and guidance to avoid losing their homes.

BISMARCK, ND - December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission of North Dakota has approved a Rural Housing Investment Incentive Pilot Program to help rural communities attract developers, make housing affordable, and bridge the financial gap between construction costs and property value. The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) will administer the program.

New York, NY - December 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Broad Street Advisors of New York is pleased to announce the sale of the Home Depot Distribution Facility in Columbia, SC. The 465,600-square-foot property was purchased for approximately $25.9 million by an affiliate of New York-based American Realty Capital (ARC). The seller was a joint [...]

December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced that Boston is one of the first cities in the nation to receive a major grant of $1.9 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Reno, NV - December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- December 17, 2009 –Associated Management, Inc. (AMI), an Associa Company, is holding a food drive through December 31, 2009 in support of the Evelyn Mount Outreach Program. The Evelyn Mount Outreach Program gives food to the needy in Reno and Sparks during the holidays and the elderly all year.

RAYVILLE, LA - December 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Governor Bobby Jindal awarded four grants totaling $110,000 to Richland Parish that will go towards infrastructure improvements. Governor Jindal awarded the funds to local officials in a ceremonial check presentation during an event in Rayville.