Monthly Archives: November 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 12, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 14.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. The results do not include an adjustment for Veterans Day. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 15.0 percent compared with the previous week.

Chicago, IL - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A broad and diverse coalition of over 30 organizations active in countries around the world announced a Call for Partners today for an international alliance advocating for sustainable building practices as a key strategy for combating climate change

Chicago, IL - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), developers of the LEED green building program today announced LEED Automation, a new program in collaboration with leading technology companies that is designed to streamline and create capacity for the LEED building certification process. LEED Automation enables LEED Online, the online tool projects use to submit documentation and certify LEED projects, to interact with third party technology platforms.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts declined 11.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 519,000 units in October, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. The decline was primarily registered in the more volatile multifamily sector, where starts retreated 43.5 percent to an 83,000-unit rate, while single-family starts posted a more modest 1.1 percent decline to 436,000 units."Home builders continue to be very cautious about starting new projects at this time," said Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "That said, in markets where consumer demand for new homes is reviving, builders are finding it almost impossible to obtain construction financing, and this frustrating situation is producing an unnecessary drag on both new home production and economic growth."

Washington D.C. - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) proudly recognized outstanding chapters and exceptional volunteer leaders with the annual Awards of Excellence. Awarded in Chicago at USGBC’s Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the awards are presented to chapters and individuals that excel in providing local green building outreach and education, and in fostering best practices among the green building community. The chapter award categories are Community Building and Education, and award categories for chapter leaders include: Green Building Community Champion; Premier Volunteer Programmer; Outstanding Emerging Professional; and Outstanding Green Advocate. Since the inception of the program, the awards have been supported by USGBC national member Milliken & Company.

Washington, DC - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The latest independent audit of the Federal Housing Administration shows the agency’s financial condition has improved from last year, when it announced its capital reserve fund had fallen below the 2 percent level mandated by Congress. The annual audit shows that the capital ratio for the single-family portfolio rose from 0.42 percent to 0.79 percent over the past year.

Washington, DC - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Although the recent trend of rising long-term borrowing rates may mean higher mortgages for consumers in the coming months, the greater obstacles to housing market recovery are job creation and availability of credit, according to a National Association of REALTORS® analysis.

Chicago, IL - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Bank of America announced the ten recipients of the Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, the program awards financial and educational resources to help neighborhood projects that have affordable green housing components in their plans pursue LEED for Neighborhood Development. LEED for Neighborhood Development is a green rating system from USGBC that certifies whole neighborhoods, portions of neighborhoods or multiple neighborhoods. The selected development projects were announced at the Affordable Housing Summit at USGBC’s Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

WASHINGTON, DC - November 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) held an oversight hearing investigating problems in the mortgage servicing industry. The Committee heard testimony from state officials, industry executives, and experts in law and consumer protection, and explored how mortgage servicing practices may have prevented modifications and even resulted in unjustifiable foreclosures.

WASHINGTON, DC - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager today invited non-profit groups and public entities to apply for loans to rehabilitate multi-family housing in rural areas.

NEW YORK, NY - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services today announced that it has been appointed by True North Management Group LLC to provide real estate fund administration services for its True North High Yield Investment Fund II which closed in April 2010 with $330 million of equity commitments and is expected to finish with $500-$600 million of equity commitments.

New York, NY - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG) announced today that leases covering 141,887 square feet with new or expanding tenants have been signed within the past 30 days

LITTLE ROCK, AR - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Dustin McDaniel today announced that he has joined a multistate review into possibly improper practices within the mortgage service industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Conducted quarterly since 1972, MBA's National Delinquency Survey covers more than 40 million loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties, representing more than 80 percent of all first-lien residential mortgage loans outstanding in the United States.

November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage Cadence, LLC, a leading provider of Enterprise Lending Solutions (ELS), Loss Mitigation Technology and Document Services for the financial services industry, announces the direct integration with EarlyCheck in support of Fannie Mae’s Loan Quality Initiative (LQI). EarlyCheck provides users with access to Fannie Mae’s data checks at any point in the lender’s business process. Validating critical data prior to delivering a loan to Fannie Mae provides increased certainty for the lender and ultimately reduces funding and pooling delays after submission

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - November 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A $55,000 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from Bank of the Ozarks and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) will assist the Fayetteville Housing Authority with much needed repairs to apartments for very low-income residents.