Property, Rentals, Transactions

TALLAHASSEE, FL - October 27, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property continued its record-setting pace this weekend by netting over $1.24 million at the annual Unclaimed Property Auction held Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale. This is the most ever garnered by Florida’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property at the annual auction. CFO Sink’s push in the week leading up to the Unclaimed Property Auction also helped return to people a staggering $7.23M through over 20,000 accounts in just seven days.

San Francisco, CA - October 27, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A California homeowner filed a class-action lawsuit against Pulte Homes Corporation (NYSE: PHM) claiming the company engaged in a sophisticated and integrated fraudulent scheme to artificially prop up sales and home sale prices through convoluted control of the home sale process.

Rockville Centre, NY - October 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi was joined today by Legislator Joe Scannell, (D-Rockville Centre) to announce the transformation of 153 units of low-income housing authority property into newly renovated affordable rental housing in Rockville Centre.

Topeka, KS - October 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Helping struggling families secure affordable rental housing and move towards financial self-sufficiency, Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has awarded $1.2 million in Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to ten agencies statewide.

Topeka, KS - October 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Helping struggling families secure affordable rental housing and move towards financial self-sufficiency, Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has awarded $1.2 million in Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to ten agencies statewide.

Topeka, KS - October 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Helping struggling families secure affordable rental housing and move towards financial self-sufficiency, Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has awarded $1.2 million in Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to ten agencies statewide.

Cleveland, OH - October 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Cleveland Area Board of Realtors (CABOR) was presented with the RPAC Award by the Ohio Association of Realtors (OAR) on September 23, 2009 for meeting and exceeding their 2009 goal. The Cleveland area was among the top Ohio contributors to the RPAC, generating $37,958 between January 1, 2009 and August 17, 2009 in voluntary member funds.

BAY CITY, MI - October 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Bay City Business Center, recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-Certified State of Michigan facility, will be the site of a ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce its newly constructed wind turbine. The Michigan Department of Environment Quality (DEQ); the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG); and ProVisions, LLC will host the ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, October 27 at 401 Ketchum Street in Bay City. Free tours allowing the public to view the wind turbine will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

TAVARES, FL - October 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Board of County Commissioners is hosting three public workshops on Nov. 2, 5 & 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to give stakeholders — residents, property owners, business owners, municipalities and other local and regional entities — an opportunity to voice concerns, questions and suggestions about the proposed Lake County Comprehensive Plan, titled Planning Horizon 2030.

TAVARES, FL - October 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Board of County Commissioners is hosting three public workshops on Nov. 2, 5 & 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to give stakeholders — residents, property owners, business owners, municipalities and other local and regional entities — an opportunity to voice concerns, questions and suggestions about the proposed Lake County Comprehensive Plan, titled Planning Horizon 2030.

TAVARES, FL - October 22, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Board of County Commissioners is hosting three public workshops on Nov. 2, 5 & 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to give stakeholders — residents, property owners, business owners, municipalities and other local and regional entities — an opportunity to voice concerns, questions and suggestions about the proposed Lake County Comprehensive Plan, titled Planning Horizon 2030.

RICHMOND, VA - October 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Washington, D.C. office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T) has signed a long-term lease for 140,000 square feet of office space at the 951,616-square-foot Riverfront Plaza in downtown Richmond.

ATLANTA, TX - October 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hotel Indigo today announced the addition of two new properties in San Antonio to double the brand's presence in Texas.

ATLANTA, TX - October 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hotel Indigo today announced the addition of two new properties in San Antonio to double the brand's presence in Texas.

ATLANTA, TX - October 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hotel Indigo today announced the addition of two new properties in San Antonio to double the brand's presence in Texas.

ATLANTA, TX - October 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hotel Indigo today announced the addition of two new properties in San Antonio to double the brand's presence in Texas.

Phoenix, AZ - October 19, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- McCarty on Monroe today officially opened its doors to seniors age 62 and older. The new, modern, 69-unit apartment complex is on the property where Phoenix real estate broker Leon McCarty originally built quality and affordable housing for low-income families, particularly families of color, in 1963.

CRISFIELD, MD - October 16, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Enjoy sunsets over the Chesapeake Bay in your newly constructed waterfront vacation home in the heart of a charming coastal getaway. Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Co., a national auctioneer of elite properties, has scheduled a builder’s close-out auction on 14 units in the Harbour Light community in Crisfield on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. at the Loews Annapolis Hotel, 126 West Street, Annapolis, MD.

Tax Credit Assistance Program Tapped to Build Senior and Family Housing in Wamego, Bird City. Topeka, KS - October 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has awarded $3.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to build affordable, energy efficient rental housing in Wamego and Bird City. The stimulus funds, allocated through the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP), will create 38 rental units serving low-income families and seniors.

Norfolk, VA - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- CB Richard Ellis is pleased to announce that it has been selected by USAA Real Estate Company to lease the former USAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Operations Building, a four-story, 368,668 square foot, Class A building, located at 5800 Northampton Boulevard.

Barrington, RI - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- This afternoon, Rhode Island Housing, East Bay Community Development Corporation (East Bay CDC), the state Housing Resources Commission (HRC), and other partners celebrated the completion of 14 new homes that working families in Barrington can afford to rent.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - October 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Reports recently received by Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) show a significant increase in the number Floridians finding affordable rental housing using www.FloridaHousingSearch.org, which is the Corporation’s FREE online rental housing locator. According to the data in the report, provided by Socialserve.com®, 39 percent of the rented units on the state’s Search.org affordable rental housing locator were located by consumers using www.Floridahousingsearch.org or the Locator's call-center.

Sacramento, CA - October 12, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- MERIT, a leading provider of professional community association and rental management services, promoted Joe Price to Northern California Vice President of Community Management. Price will be responsible for leading the Northern California division while positioning for growth in the East Bay, Central Valley, Stockton and San Francisco markets.

Washington, D.C. - October 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- With Congressman John Sarbanes’ strong support, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1016, Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act and H.R. 3590, Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act. Both measures have been referred to the Senate for consideration. “This Congress is committed to putting our troops and veterans first,” said Congressman John Sarbanes. “Our service men and women have made sacrifices for our country and all Americans. They deserve our utmost gratitude but also a meaningful commitment in terms of health care and opportunities for homeownership.

Aliso Viejo, CA - October 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- MERIT, a leading provider of professional community association management services, recently hired Sherrie LeVan as residential property manager for the firms expanded rental property services. MERIT Rental Property Management, Inc. expands MERIT’s current portfolio of services to include leasing and property management for single-family, condominium and urban residences

New office was designed with sustainable green design principles. San Diego, CA - October 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- MERIT, a leading provider of professional community association and rental management services, announces the relocation of their San Diego office due to rapid growth in the region. The relocation also created the opportunity for MERIT to design the new office space with sustainable green design principles

Columbia, MD - October 8, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, Council Chair Joseph Bartenfelder, Councilman John Olszewski Sr., and representatives from Enterprise Homes, Inc. and the Mark Building Company cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the model homes at Renaissance Square, a new green housing community in Middle River. Renaissance Square will have 115 for-sale homes and townhomes and 81 apartments for seniors in the new Evergreen building. The model homes will be open for public tours beginning Friday, October 9, at 11 a.m. and thereafter from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The sales center is located at 15 St. Stephen’s Lane, off of Old Eastern Avenue, just east of Back River Neck Road

Houston, TX - October 7, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Radisson Denver North, Colorado, Texas has been sold. Lisa Hankamer of CB Richard Ellis' Hotels Group, announced that the sale of the 133-unit, interior corridor property occurred at the end of September 2009. The Hotel, which is a local landmark, has great visibility along I-25, just 10 minutes north of Downtown Denver and was sold free-and-clear of management and franchise affiliation. The new owners, Stone Castle Corporation, has over 20 year's experience operating hotels in the state of Colorado and have a proven track record for repositioning hotels within their respective market arenas. Approximately $6 million will be spent on upgrading the facility and rebranding. The group has a history operating under most of the major brands and has been quite successful in capturing a broader market base through their repositioning.

TAMPA, FL - October 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 4 – 10) is a perfect time for home and business owners to assess their properties to determine how vulnerable they may be to fire coming from both outside and inside - and then take actions to prevent losses, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) said today.

CINCINNATI, OH - October 5, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Phillips Edison & Company's Strategic Investment Fund announced today its acquisition of Bridgewater Falls, a 600,000 square foot regional shopping center located in Fairfield Township, Ohio.