WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), an independent national nonprofit dedicated to helping distressed homeowners navigate financial challenges and avoid mortgage foreclosure through its Homeowner’s HOPE™ Hotline at 888-995-HOPE™, today announced that Janneke Ratcliffe joined its Board of Directors

AUSTIN, TX - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 ABoR Industry Awards. These awards honor leaders in the real estate community for their outstanding contributions to the industry and their local communities. Join us in congratulating these hard working real estate professionals

Miami, FL – November 11, 2013 – CBRE has been selected by VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® to provide tenant representation services in all of its locations. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS operates 52 hospice programs in 18 states, or approximately 900,000 square feet of healthcare facilities. CBRE has provided tenant representation for VITAS since 2007. […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Wounded Army Sergeant James Miller and his family received keys to a mortgage-free home in a surprise ceremony in Victorville, Calif., today, becoming the latest servicemember to receive a home donated by Bank of America through nonprofit organizations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced the release of seven new Sustainable Projects (SP) contract documents. The release includes SP versions of the AIA’s two families of Construction Management documents, Construction Manager as Adviser (CMa) and Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc), as well as B103™–2007 SP, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for a Large or Complex Sustainable Project.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the availability of four multifamily Job Task Analyses (JTAs) for the home energy upgrade industry

SAN FRANCISCO - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Predictive analytics, or evaluating and interpreting data to predict future outcomes and trends, is helping the real estate industry better understand transaction and market data and use it to benefit the industry, agents and consumers

SAN FRANCISCO - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Issues with appraisals continue to impact real estate transactions, but better communications between real estate agents and appraisers could help to minimize problems, according to panelists at a property valuation forum here at the 2013 Realtors® Conference and Expo. Most of the attendees were both sales agents and appraisers.

SAN FRANCISCO - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rising interest and capitalization rates top the list of issues that have future implications for real estate. That’s according to an industry expert at the “Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate” session at the 2013 REALTORS® Conference and Expo.

SAN FRANCISCO - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a rare gathering of CEOs and senior executives from the biggest names in mortgage lending, Realtors® were told to expect market growth in 2014 and to prepare their buyers for transactions with heavy documentation requirements

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the October edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard – a comprehensive report on the nation's housing market. The latest data show important progress across many key indicators—as home prices, purchases of new homes, and sales of existing homes continue to show strong annual gains—although officials caution that the overall recovery remains fragile. The full Housing Scorecard is available online at www.hud.gov/scorecard.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- This week, the House and Senate enacted the $1.4 billion housing bond bill. The bill, which is now before Governor Patrick for his signature, is the largest housing bond bill ever passed and is critical to ensuring that the state has the resources over the next five years to provide additional affordable housing opportunities for families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Marc Piron, Senior Vice President with NAI Capital’s Riverside office and Lidia Talavera, Vice President with the Ontario office, represented the Seller, Jara Holdings Second, LLC, in the sale of a 35,640 sq. ft. office property located at 1094 South E Street in San Bernardino, CA to the Buyer, MTK SoCal Investments, LLC. The value of the sales transaction was $4.6 million.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a tool to help consumers find local housing counseling agencies to answer their questions or address their concerns. The Bureau is releasing the tool in advance of the January 2014 effective dates for its mortgage rules. The Bureau also published guidance for lenders on how to provide mortgage applicants with a list of local homeownership counseling organizations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki accepted a national award from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on November 6 recognizing the Commonwealth’s leadership in pursuing a strategy to increase the supply of housing needed, and in the places needed, for its workforce. This award not only recognizes the Patrick Administration’s efforts to stimulate multi-family housing but also the work of the Legislature and the Commonwealth’s quasi-public agencies which support housing: MassHousing, MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, the Community Development Economic Assistance Corporation and the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Nov. 20-21, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation and Citi Salutes, is hosting the third annual Veterans Access to Housing Summit in Chicago, IL.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Construction employment hit a 50-month high as employers added 11,000 jobs in October, the fifth consecutive month of sector job gains, and the industry unemployment rate fell to 9 percent, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that the new employment figures indicate there was little nationwide short-term impact from the federal government shutdown and cautioned that skilled worker shortages are likely to grow as the industry continues to expand.

Jacksonville, FL - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- CBRE’s Capital Markets Group arranged the sale of Plantation Commons, a 121,402-square-foot Class A retail center located at 4495 Commons Drive West, Destin, Florida. Continental Realty Corporation of Baltimore, MD acquired the property for $13.325 million, or $109.76 per square foot. The property was 70.2% occupied at the time of sale. CBRE Senior Vice President Casey Rosen and Senior Vice President Cliff Taylor represented the seller.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced a proposed consent order in its enforcement action against Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC, for allegedly steering consumers into costlier mortgages. The Bureau has asked a federal district court to approve a consent order that would provide more than $9 million in restitution for consumers and obtain $4 million in civil money penalties against Castle & Cooke and two of its officers for allegedly paying loan officers illegal bonuses.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its second installment of the LEED in Motion report series: Places and Policies. The report states that there are nearly 60,000 LEED green building projects across the globe, spanning 10.6 billion square feet. Notably, Canada, India, China, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil lead the way for countries with the highest number of projects outside the U.S.

Real estate wholesalers compete for speed. The best deals disappear fast. Wholesalers race to connect with motivated sellers before anyone else. But sellers who ignore mail or avoid attention require more than a drive-by or a stack of postcards. Wholesalers need better tools. They need better data. That’s where skip tracing makes the difference.

The establishment of a new Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which will succeed the current Affordable Homes Programme and prioritises the building of 60 per cent of homes for social rent. This programme will be the main way that the £39 billion announced for building of new social housing at the Spending Review will be delivered.

The "Roots to Reef" initiative spearheaded by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in the Hampton River reached a critical new milestone this week in its mission to bolster the city's climate resilience.

Secretary Scott Turner announced the return of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Innovative Housing Showcase from September 6 – 10 to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Previously, the Innovative Housing Showcase was scheduled to take place May 30 – June 1

Buying a home is a big step, and today’s market offers a wide mix of options. Each one brings its own quirks—some exciting, others potentially costly. Knowing what to watch for upfront can spare you from stressful surprises and help you move forward with confidence.

House Republican Chairwoman Elise Stefanik announced the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) awarded over $4.2 million in funding for projects across Upstate New York and the North Country.

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