Monthly Archives: January 2011

Washington, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) is pleased to announce the commencement of the federal registration of mortgage loan originators with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS or the System) in accordance with the Final Rules published by the federal banking agencies and the Farm Credit Administration.

Fort Mill, S.C. - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lennar Homes has committed to purchasing 40 homesites in Springfield from Crescent Resources, LLC, prompting Crescent to start development of a new section within the community. Lennar Homes has developed a new collection of home plans specifically designed to complement Springfield and will open a model home/design center in late-summer.

McLean, VA - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) released the results of its fourth quarter 2010 cash-out refinance analysis.

Washington, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The federal bank, thrift and credit union regulatory agencies, along with the Farm Credit Administration, announce that the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry will begin accepting federal registrations today. Under the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (S.A.F.E. Act) and the agencies' final rules, residential mortgage loan originators employed by banks, savings associations, credit unions, or Farm Credit System institutions must register with the registry, obtain a unique identifier from the registry, and maintain their registrations.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $707,096 National Emergency Grant increment to continue to provide services to about 600 workers affected by the closure of the Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary companies

WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to continue stabilizing home values and improve conditions in communities experiencing high foreclosure activity, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner David H. Stevens today extended FHA's temporary waiver of the agency's 'anti-flipping rule.' The extension announced today is intended to accelerate the resale of foreclosed upon homes in neighborhoods struggling to overcome possible property abandonment and blight.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yesterday, Thursday, January 27, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Scott Gould, and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Barbara Poppe joined volunteers around the nation as they participated in a national count of homeless persons and families as part of HUD’s national Let’s Make Everybody Count! campaign.WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yesterday, Thursday, January 27, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Scott Gould, and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Director Barbara Poppe joined volunteers around the nation as they participated in a national count of homeless persons and families as part of HUD’s national Let’s Make Everybody Count! campaign.

TOPEKA, KS - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kansas Development Finance Agency (KDFA) President Tim Shallenburger has named Garden City native Dennis L. Mesa as Executive Director of Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC). KHRC, a subsidiary corporation of KDFA, is a self-supporting, public corporation which serves as the primary administrator of federal housing programs on behalf of the State of Kansas.

Needham, MA - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Real estate blog designer HubConnected LLC is proud to announce that the team of Debbie Spencer and Sheen Santos, Real Estate Agents with Higgins Group Realtors., have launched a brand new hyper-local real estate blog http://www.liveinbedfordma.com. The blog is dedicated to life in the Massachusetts town of Bedford, MA. In addition to discussing the real estate market, the blog will feature wide-ranging articles about the towns, events occurring in Massachusetts, family activities, and tips on local shopping, restaurants, schools and neighborhoods.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Eliminating the deductions for mortgage interest and real estate taxes would raise taxes disproportionately for middle-class households and make the tax system less progressive, according to a new study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).The study also concludes that the benefits of these deductions are collected primarily by middle-class taxpayers, with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000, and that greater benefits are earned by larger households and families, such as those with children

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hundreds of thousands of Americans of all ages and backgrounds joined in volunteer service projects across the country on the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama joined cabinet secretaries, governors, mayors, nonprofit and business leaders, students, families, and others in honoring Dr. King's legacy through service projects addressing a multitude of pressing social issues from poverty and illiteracy to hunger to homelessness.Americans made it a “a day on, not a day off” by weatherizing homes, delivering meals, refurbishing schools, collecting food and clothing, reading to children, providing employment counseling, and more. Many will use the day as the beginning of ongoing commitment to serve throughout the year.

DENVER, CO - January 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- RE/MAX Commercial® is once again joining the ranks of other high-profile commercial franchises with the second most Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) candidates and designees in the industry, a significant achievement given today’s commercial real estate landscape.

Washington, DC - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.58 percent based on loans closed in November. This is an increase of 0.16 percent from the previous month.

DETROIT, MI - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Madison Theatre Building LLC, a new partnership formed by Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc., announced it has completed the purchase of the historic Madison Building, located at 1555 Broadway Street in downtown Detroit. The building was originally designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed in 1917 as part of the Madison Theater complex.

Sanford, ME - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Reliant Mortgage Company of Sanford, ME has announced that it has been named the #1 Mortgage Company of the Greater Sanford/Springvale area for 2011.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today conducted its annual State of the Real Estate Finance Industry Media Conference Call. The call featured MBA representatives discussing the state of the industry, MBA's legislative and regulatory agenda for 2011 (including Dodd-Frank Act Implementation, GSE/secondary market reform, tax reform and residential loan servicing) and MBA's new three-year macro-economic and mortgage finance/housing forecasts.The speakers included: Michael Berman, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, John Courson, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, Jay Brinkmann, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, Gail Cardwell, Senior Vice President of Commercial and Multifamily, Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs, and Steve O'Connor, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Industry Relations.

McLean, VA - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) which shows long- and short-term rates rising this week

NEW YORK, N.Y. - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates showed little movement again this week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate nosing higher to 4.97 percent according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.44 discount and origination points.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- After a bruising fast-paced winter thunderstorm yesterday left more than 10 inches of snow in certain parts of the Washington, DC area, many residents saw damaged trees, dangling wires, and power outages across the region. As most people have realized, snow and ice can prove dangerous, and can cause severe damage to properties and vehicles.

Inland Empire - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the second largest real estate services organization globally, has completed the sale of a 89,248-square-foot multi-family property located at 301 E. Cypress Ave, Redlands, CA to Sequoia Equities, a Walnut Creek-based real estate investment firm. The property sold for $625,000 above list price, at $11.625 million and $141,768 per unit.