Sacramento - January 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- In just the first three weeks of January, CAL FIRE has already responded to a significant increase in wildfires this winter due to the extremely dry conditions. As a result, CAL FIRE officials are reminding residents to ensure they are maintaining 100 feet of Defensible Space; a reminder that comes several months earlier than normal

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- In accordance with the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, HUD published a Notice in the Jan. 24, 2014, Federal Register identifying Federal buildings and other real property HUD has reviewed for suitability for use to assist the homeless. The properties were reviewed using information provided to HUD by Federal landholding agencies or by GSA regarding their inventories of excess or surplus property. The list includes buildings and properties in Illinois.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Boston Community Capital's (BCC) SUN Initiative has prevented the eviction of over 450 families facing foreclosure across Massachusetts and Maryland. BCC also advocates for policies that benefit low-income homeowners who are impacted by predatory lending and foreclosure

MADISON, - January 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) --Governor Scott Walker today called a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature for the purpose of providing over $500 million in property and income tax cuts for the hard-working taxpayers and significant investment in worker training programs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Director Dan Ashe today announced $16.5 million in grants to support 21 critical coastal wetland projects in 12 states and Puerto Rico under the National Coastal Grants Wetlands Conservation Grants Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) wants to ensure that Servicemembers, Veterans and their families are aware of the benefits they deserve.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) --– Existing-home sales edged up in December, sales for all of 2013 were the highest since 2006, and median prices maintained strong growth, according to the National Association of Realtors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Vincent C. Gray will maintain the expansion of services for homeless residents based on National Weather Service projections of frigid air and wind-chill temperatures in the District through January 24. The expanded services include emergency shelters at designated recreation centers and warming buses located throughout the city.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Vincent C. Gray will maintain the expansion of services for homeless residents based on National Weather Service projections of frigid air and wind-chill temperatures in the District through January 25, 2014. The expanded services include emergency shelters at designated recreation centers and warming buses located throughout the city.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) will host a forum on the 2014 outlook for the U.S. economy and housing market on Thursday, January 30, at 10:00AM.

BOCA RATON, FL - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) elected Daryl J. Carter, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avanath Capital Management, LLC, to serve a two-year term as the Council’s Chairman. The event took place at the NMHC Annual Meeting on January 22 in Boca Raton, FL.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) today announced the first-ever rebranding in the organization’s 36-year history. The Council debuted a new logo and visual identity, a small, but important change to its name and a new tagline that captures the leadership and exclusivity that characterize the organization

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The housing market was at the heart of the 2008 recession, and now a new era is being ushered in to remediate the risks. In the recovery period, there has been a focus on protecting homebuyers as well as minimizing the existence of risky loans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Thanks to the Structured Finance Industry Group for giving me this opportunity to discuss the Administration's housing priorities for short-term action and comprehensive housing finance reform.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- John Mills and Terrance Allen, both of Malone, N.Y., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Albany, N.Y., to conspiracy to violate the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and substantive CERCLA counts in relation to the illegal removal, handling, and disposal of asbestos from properties owned and operated by John Mills, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Thank you for inviting me to come speak with you once again. When I was here in 2012, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had just opened its doors. Today, I come to you after more than two years of concrete accomplishments. We have helped solve tens of thousands of individual consumer problems. We are returning over three billion dollars to consumers so far, and we have gone after those who try to take advantage of them. And we have put in place new rules that bring historic changes to make the multi-trillion dollar mortgage market work better for consumers and help see to it that the terrible collapse we went through just five years ago will never happen again.

SAN DIEGO, - January 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- DataQuick®, a provider of advanced real estate information solutions powered by data, analytics and decisioning, is helping lenders across the country adjust to a recently implemented Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) regulation that limits mortgage professionals’ use of automated valuation models (AVMs).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 21, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced nearly $5 million dollars in grants to five universities to evaluate innovative green infrastructure practices in urban areas, using Philadelphia, Pa. as the pilot area. These grants stem from a cooperative partnership between EPA and Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters program that represents a broad, long-term investment in implementing green infrastructure stormwater management practices.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 21, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Many firms plan to start hiring again and most contractors predict demand will either grow or remain stable in virtually every market segment this year according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The survey, conducted as part of Optimism Returns: The 2014 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, provides a generally upbeat outlook for the year even as firms worry about growing worker shortages, rising costs and the impact of new regulations and federal budget cutting.

LONDON - January 21, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The competition for prime assets in Europe’s major real estate markets is leading investors to turn to recovering markets such as Ireland and Spain, regional cities and secondary property in search of returns, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Europe 2014, a forecast published jointly by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC

State Rep. Cam Cavitt today announced a new legislative plan to add additional layers of flexibility for governance rules that apply to local parks and recreation boards. The legislation would allow counties with populations under 100,000 to reduce the size of their parks and recreation boards from 10 members to 7, saving potentially thousands of dollars in overhead costs each year.

Purchasing a property is one of the most significant investments you will make in your life, and it comes with a mix of excitement and stress. While the prospect of owning a new home is thrilling, the process itself can be complex, involving numerous legal, financial, and regulatory considerations.

Bathroom renovations are one of the most popular home improvement projects in Australia. They promise to enhance the appearance of your home, improve functionality, and in many cases, increase property value. Yet, many homeowners ask the same question before committing to a remodel: are bathroom renovations really worth the investment?

The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and a coalition of 33 civil rights organizations are urging the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to reaffirm important civil rights protections as it shapes the nation’s approach to artificial intelligence

On Wednesday, November 19, New Hanover County’s Blue Clay Business Park officially welcomed its first occupants to the complex. Coastal Millwork Supply Co. and its sister company, Risley Padula Construction Inc., held an open house at the companies’ newly finished 68,000-square-foot facility.

U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined a group of Republican colleagues inintroducing legislation to eliminate expensive Biden-era Green New Deal housing mandates. The HOUSE Act would repeal the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Final Determination on energy efficiency standards for new construction of HUD-and-USDA-financed housing.

The National Apartment Association (NAA) Board of Directors approved the establishment of a charter for the New York Apartment Association (NYAA). A local leader for housing solutions in the nation’s largest city and across the fourth largest state, NYAA joins NAA’s nationwide federation of 140 affiliate partners that represent more than 13 million apartment homes globally.

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, announced that the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA), Legislative Branch, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Bills passed into law include $207.5 million Heinrich secured for New Mexico, including Congressionally Directed Spending for 19 local projects.

The Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC), in collaboration with over 25 partners, has successfully completed a five-year Mid-Atlantic Electrification Project (MAEP) awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The multi-million initiative aimed to establish a comprehensive regional electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is alerting consumers about the dangers of television (TV) tip-over hazards. Millions of New Yorkers will watch the Super Bowl this Sunday either on TVs at home or at parties with friends. DCP is taking this TV-focused occasion to remind consumers of critical TV safety tips.

Fast-growing Florida has been a favorite of real estate investors for many years. With so much interest having been focused on the state, though, investors need to take care to seek the best available opportunities.

Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito today announced that the Senator Walter J. Mahoney State Office Building located at 65 Court Street in Buffalo will be sold at auction in 2020. A work group formed earlier this year made up of City, County, and State officials working with professional real estate consultants CBRE, determined that in the current competitive and robust Buffalo real estate market

The Bureau of Land Management today announced that Karen Mouritsen has been named the new California State Director—a key leadership position based in Sacramento. As State Director, Mouritsen will direct a team that manages lands encompassing 15% of the Golden State’s total land mass

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced the opening of the new JLC Recovery and Wellness Center in New York City. JLC is operated by Exponents Inc. and provides free help and support services for people affected by addiction and for their families.

In spite of a robust U.S. economy, a strong employment rate, and steadily increasing 401(k) plan earnings, Black homeownership rates continue to drop. Drawing from the 2019 release of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asked the Department of the Interior about its commitment to the Yakima River Basin during a hearing on the president’s FY 2017 budget request. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor agreed with Sen. Cantwell that the Yakima River Basin plan “is a model for the rest of the nation in water management.”

“Consumers Energy is thankful to be a part of holiday celebrations across the state as warm Thanksgiving memories are being made, and we are committed to providing many more generations of Michigan families with reliable, affordable energy in all seasons,” said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy’s vice president and chief customer officer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Six federal financial regulatory agencies today issued a final rule that creates exemptions from certain appraisal requirements for a subset of higher-priced mortgage loans. The exemptions are intended to save borrowers time and money while still ensuring that the loans are financially sound

Atlanta, Georgia - November 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“Department”) entered into a Consent Order with Equity Loans, LLC, License Number 23300, located at 1150 Hammond Dr., Building E, Suite 650, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, to resolve allegations pertaining to violations of the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act