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HONOLULU - March 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vicksburg’s U.S. Route 60 at Vicksburg Road Roundabout was one of the most successful construction partnerships of 2011, the Associated General Contractors of America announced today. As a result, the project’s contractor, Glendale-based Combs Construction Company, Inc., was one of only three projects to receive the association’s Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The tally of housing markets showing measurable improvement reached 99 in March, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released today. Currently 33 states (including the District of Columbia) are represented by at least one market on the list.

Denver, CO - March 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the first time in 18 months, home prices in February rose higher. With a median price of $171,881, prices in the 53 cities surveyed by the RE/MAX National Housing Report rose by 1.1% over February 2011. Home sales were even higher, up 8.7% from one year ago. With a positive sales trend of 8 straight months above the previous year, it’s looking like 2012 will witness a very strong home-selling season

HONOLULU - March 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bethesda-based Clark Construction Group was honored today for performing some of the construction industry’s best charitable work in 2011 for its efforts in helping communities impacted by the extensive construction work required through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. As a result, the construction firm was one of 13 organizations nationwide to win the AGC in the Community Award from the charitable arm of the Associated General Contractors of America, AGC Charities, Inc.

Asheville, NC - March 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- To the long list of reasons of why your family should consider owning a fractional private residence club instead of a traditional vacation home, add, “better for the environment.” Before dismissing this assertion as green-marketing fluff, consider the following

WASHINGTON, DC - March 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the availability of up to $25 million to help convert multifamily apartment complexes into assisted living facilities or service-enriched housing for low-income senior citizens. The funding offered through HUD’s Assisted Living Conversion Program will provide grants for the physical conversion of eligible multifamily assisted housing projects (or portions of projects) to assisted living facilities or service-enriched housing. Read the funding notice published today.

CHICAGO, IL - March 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Northern Illinois can expect fewer empty storefronts in 2012. Renters will have fewer vacant apartments from which to choose and should expect to pay more to rent the units that are on the market. But we should not expect many new office buildings or strip malls to rise in the area this year, according to a survey of commercial brokers affiliated with the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network.

ANCHORAGE, AK - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) is seeking public comments regarding its current system that awards points for preferences to individuals who are on waiting lists to receive housing assista...

LANSING, MI - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced that he has issued a second criminal investigative subpoena against national mortgage servicing support provider DocX as his office continues to ...

WASHINGTON, DC - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $201 million to support 731 new local homeless programs across the country. This funding provides critically needed emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent support for individuals and families and is a significant part of the Obama Administration’s strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Apartment Association (NAA) and National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) announced the apartment industry’s 2012 policy agenda today as part of the NAA Capitol Conference’s lobby day tomorrow. Top priorities for Capitol Hill in the year ahead include housing finance reform, comprehensive tax overhaul and cost-effective regulations.

Chicago, IL - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The MacArthur Foundation announced five grants totaling $2.7 million for research to explore the role housing plays in the long-term health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Recipients will mine and connect existing data sets and resources – such as those from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development, and school statistics – in new ways to reveal insights into the effectiveness of housing policies and related public programs.

Miami, FL - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federated Companies, a leading national real estate investment and development firm, is pleased to announce that it has completed the sale of Bayside Village, a student housing complex located at 132 Marginal Way in Portland, Maine to Blue Vista Capital Management for $18.2mm. The five-story building, completed in 2009, consists of 402 beds and includes 3,300 square feet of retail space, and a 117 parking space garage. The property is located in an infill location less than a mile from the University of Southern Maine; across the street from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Planet Fitness; and provides easy access to downtown Portland, the Historic Old Port, and I-295.

Des Moines, IA - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved a combined total of more than $105,000 in grants to provide affordable homeownership and rental opportunities to families in Bur...

LAS VEGAS, NV - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- A two-day homeownership event held over the weekend in Las Vegas drew 3,500 Nevada families seeking mortgage assistance. HOPE NOW, Governor Brian Sandoval and more than twenty local organizations hos...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction employment rose in 28 states and the District of Columbia between January 2011 and January 2012, while 20 states lost construction jobs and two held steady—the best net positive showing for state construction employment since 2007, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Thirty-five states and D.C. added construction jobs between December 2011 and January, while 13 states had decreases for the month and two states had no change.

Washington, DC - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Aging baby boomers and their echo boomer children will significantly impact trends in the nation’s housing market over the next 20 years. In a new report released by the Bipartisan Policy Center, “Demographic Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Housing Markets,” researchers at the National Association of Realtors®, The Urban Institute, and the University of Southern California analyze key demographic trends and their likely influence on housing and homeownership in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will host a webinar this Wednesday on universal design, including demographics of the market and popular products and designs. Builders and remodelers are incorporating more universal design practices to make homes more user-friendly for home owners.

Asheville, NC - March 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- When George Washington Vanderbilt visited Asheville, North Carolina, in 1888 he fell in love with the area’s fresh air, great weather, vibrant culture and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Vanderbilt, heir to a family fortune, returned to Asheville the following year to begin building his summer estate modeled after a 16th-century French châteaux. He created his “little mountain escape” so he could pursue his passion for art, literature, and horticulture. Today, Vanderbilt’s home, known as Biltmore Estate, is the largest privately owned “vacation home” in the U.S. At an incredible 175,000 square feet it is larger than most hotels.

NEW YORK, NY - March 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Multifamily transactions in New York City increased six percent in January 2012 compared to December 2011, but month-over-month dollar volume fell due to the absence of deals by institutional investor...