WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The following is a statement by National Association of Realtors® President Steve Brown:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of new single-family houses in December 2013 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 414,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 7.0 percent (±17.5%)* below the revised November rate of 445,000, but is 4.5 percent (±19.8%)* above the December 2012 estimate of 396,000

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that $600 million has been made available to community agencies to assist very-low income veterans and families facing homelessness. These funds are offered through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, a homeless-prevention and rapid re-housing program.

IRVINE, CALIF. - January 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Award-winning national firm KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture + Planning, is pleased to announce that Bellasol (known as "The Zero Home") in Herriman, Utah, received the Platinum award for Single-Family Production - 2,001 SF - 3,100 SF in the 2014 Professional Builder Design Awards competition. Last year, Garbett Homes and KTGY won the Platinum award for The Solaris Collection at Daybreak in South Jordan, Utah, in Professional Builder Design Awards' Single-Family Production - 2,000 SF or below category

WASHINGTON - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the ConsensusDocs Coalition is publishing a new Construction Management Agency standard agreement. The ConsensusDocs 830 Agreement Between Owner and Construction Manager (CM Provides General Conditions) and related exhibits will replace the current ConsensusDocs 801 Construction Management Agreement.

CHICAGO - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new report from Woodstock Institute estimates that there are more than 11,700 zombie properties in Cook County, including more than 5,800 in the City of Chicago. A property becomes a zombie when a mortgage servicer files for foreclosure and then does not complete the process and take ownership of the property or resolve the foreclosure by other means. For its report, Woodstock defines a zombie property as a foreclosure that has not been resolved for more than three years. Because neither the borrower nor servicer has clear control of the property, neither has a strong incentive to assume responsibility for the property. Zombie properties, therefore, are likely to be poorly maintained or blighted, which threatens the stability of surrounding communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the Remodeling Market Index (RMI) held steady at 57 in the fourth quarter of 2013. This is the same level as the third quarter of 2013 and the highest reading since the first quarter of 2004

IRVINE, CA - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, one of the most dominant retail investment groups in the United States and a market leader in the sale of retail properties, announced today the company closed out the month of December 2013, with the sale of 10 retail properties totaling nearly $61 million. Hanley Investment Group achieved many milestones throughout 2013, and completed the year with the sale of 1,431,320 square feet of retail space for total consideration of more than $315 million.

SAN DIEGO, - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- DataQuick®, a provider of advanced real estate information solutions powered by data, analytics and decisioning, reports that both home sales and home price numbers slowed in many areas across the country in December. After months of increased home price growth across all 42 reporting markets in DataQuick’s monthly Property Intelligence Report (PIR), prices leveled off in many areas last month and even declined in four reporting counties—Cuyahoga, Ohio, Queens and Suffolk, N.Y., and Fairfield, Conn.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Once suffering from blight and high concentrations of poverty, one of Anchorage, Alaska’s oldest neighborhoods is now a thriving mixed-use commercial corridor, providing residents with affordable housing and jobs while stimulating the surrounding local economy. Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the American Planning Association (APA) announced the Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) will receive the

Los Angeles, CA - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Eight American communities will receive free sustainable neighborhood design consultation in 2014 from Global Green USA with the help of a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program. Over the next ten months, four sustainability experts will conduct three-day visits to communities and provide comprehensive recommendations for infrastructure and policy changes aimed at helping the communities build a future that is more resource-efficient, livable, healthy, and environmentally responsible

Reston, Virginia - January 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Below is a monthly summary of major legal decisions involving either the use of the MERS® System or Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) and its role in the mortgage process. Please contact the MERS Newsroom

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.

52 New Dems led by Housing, Infrastructure, & Transportation Working Group Chair Norma Torres (CA-35) and Housing Task Force Chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13) penned a letter to President Trump urging the Administration to take immediate steps to help make housing more affordable and accessible for more Americans.

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.

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