COLUMBIA, Md. – February 4, 2010 – Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise) and CAS Financial Advisory Services (CAS FAS) today announced the joint development of a green audit protocol for existing affordable multifamily buildings. The Enterprise Retrofit Audit Protocol establishes a baseline for metrics and disclosures in the analysis of green improvements, enabling better decisions to be made with regard to selecting which energy- and water-saving measures to deploy in a retrofit and when to deploy them. more »

Danville, CA - February 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — In an effort to drastically change the residential real estate franchise industry, a bold new company says that it has hit the ground running. Area Pro Realty aims at being “recession-proof” and allows brokers to flourish during a down market. more »

Destin, FL - February 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. government should stop bailouts and develop a “New Deal” era jobs program to get people back to work, according to a new Housing Predictor opinion poll. The survey was conducted over a three week period ending Sunday, during which time President Barack Obama announced his new jobs program proposal. more »

ATLANTA GA - February 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Chances are you are going to get a refund when you file your 2009 income tax return. While the opportunity to borrow against your anticipated refund may be tempting, Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta cautions against taking a loan against any refund or rebate you expect to receive. more »

WASHINGTON, DC - February 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will visit Seattle on Thursday, February 4, to address the 9th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. They will be joined by Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus. more »

Announcement comes during trip to Portland and Seattle

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — During a sustainability forum at Portland State University and a speech to the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Seattle, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced the launch of HUD’s new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC). The office will be overseen by HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims who won national recognition for turning King County, Washington into a model for sustainable communities. OSHC is designed to help build stronger, more sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation and building a clean energy economy. Funded by Congress for the first time in HUD’s 2010 Budget, OSHC is a key component of the Obama Administration’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities. more »

37 Years of Accomplishments with Significant Achievement in 2009

Denver, CO – Feb. 4, 2010) – RE/MAX International, Inc., celebrated Founders Day on Jan. 30th - the day in 1973 that Dave and Gail Liniger co-founded the now international franchise real estate network - with marked appreciation for the road traveled in 2009. While the U.S. housing market struggled most of last year, RE/MAX sold 630 new franchises and launched in seven new countries, expanding its global footprint to more than 75 countries. more »

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate announced an extension to the Disaster Housing Assistance Program-Ike (DHAP-Ike), giving approximately 11,000 families who were displaced by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav more time to transition to longer term housing solutions. more »

Washington, DC - February 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — This week the Obama Administration released its FY 2011 budget proposal, which combines economic discipline with vital support for affordable housing in communities nationwide. Specifically, priorities outlined in the proposal support the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) key goals, including strengthening the housing market, meeting affordable rental housing needs, improving quality of life, building vibrant and stable communities through the Choice Neighborhood’s Initiative, and transforming the way HUD does business. The proposal provides HUD with a total budget of $48.5 billion for existing core programs and new initiatives – meeting the agency’s initial $41.6 billion request and including a projected $6.9 billion from Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Ginnie Mae related revenue. more »

With the January 2010 sales accounted for, National quarterly gains are achieved for the eighth straight month, pushing the yearly home price increase to 2.3%; while three of the four U.S. regions maintain positive quarter-over-quarter price returns.

TRUCKEE, CA - February 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Clear Capital (www.clearcapital.com), a premium provider of data and solutions for real estate asset valuation, investment and risk assessment, today released its Home Data Index™ (HDI) Market Report. Patent pending rolling quarter technology significantly reduces the multi-month lag time associated with other indices to help investors, loan servicers and individual buyers and sellers make more informed, timely and profitable decisions. more »