RealEstateRama

WASHINGTON, DC - May 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- America’s infrastructure investments – levels of which have long trailed behind those of Asia and Europe – will be further stifled this year by pressures to cut federal spending and reduce the deficit, compelling cities to be evermore creative and resourceful in securing partnerships to start or continue infrastructure projects, according to Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority.

Greenbelt, MD - May 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Bozzuto Group today announced that it has earned LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for two residential developments in its portfolio. The Fitzgerald, a mixed-use community in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon district, has received LEED Silver Certification and Riverwalk at Millennium, an apartment community in suburban Philadelphia, has received LEED Certification.

NEW YORK, NY - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- ING Clarion Partners, a leading real estate investment management organization, has acquired 44 Berry Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn for $27 million, it was announced today. The property, a 54,000 square foot, six-story, 42-loft unit apartment building includes six retail businesses on the ground floor and is fully leased.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fannie Mae's latest national housing survey finds that Americans expressed more cautious optimism during the first quarter of 2011 than in the fourth quarter of 2010, but they continue to lack confidence in the overall strength of the housing market and economic recovery. The First-Quarter 2011 Fannie Mae National Housing Survey polled homeowners and renters between January 2011 and March 2011. Findings were compared to similar surveys conducted throughout 2010 and December 2003.

Miami, FL - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federated Companies, a leading national real estate investment and development firm, is pleased to announce that it has completed the sales of its' remaining retail asset located at 115 Washington Street in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Built in 2007, this free-standing retail building is 15,950 square feet and is fully occupied by Goodwill Industries. It was sold to a private seller for $2.625 million.

New York, NY - May 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG) today announced Jeff Sutton and it have formed a joint venture that has entered into an agreement to acquire the Times Square property located at 1552 Broadway from The Riese Organization, which will continue to operate the TGI Friday's restaurant at the property at least until the summer of 2012. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2011.

CHICAGO, IL - May 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to the REAL Trends Top 500 Report recognizing the top real estate companies in the country, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® once again was named the highest-producing network in terms of total sales for 2010 among this elite top 500 group of companies.

San Francisco, CA - May 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Zephyr Real Estate, with its award-winning website, continues to excel in the social media arena as well as in customer service and accessibility. One of the website’s powerful features is its collection of narrated videos highlighting many of San Francisco’s neighborhoods. To further augment those videos, Zephyr now has channels on YouTube, Metacafe and DailyMotion, showcasing several of those neighborhoods.

Phoenix, Ariz. (May 9, 2011) – On June 16, Valley Partnership, an advocacy for responsible real estate development, brings together Valley real estate professionals for a case study look at the Arizona market. Jim Belfiore, Belfiore Real Estate Consulting will provide an informative data overview to kick off the event.

Chicago, IL - May 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fourteen structural steel building projects have earned national recognition in the 2011 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS2). Conducted annually by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the IDEAS2 awards recognize outstanding achievements in engineering and architecture on steel-framed building projects throughout the U.S. The award is the highest honor bestowed on building projects by the structural steel industry in the U.S.The winning projects will be recognized on May 11 during AISC’s 2011 NASCC: The Steel Conference in Pittsburgh. A panel of design and construction industry professionals identified National and Merit winners in three categories, based on constructed value: projects less than $15 million; projects $15 million to $75 million; and projects greater than $75 million. In addition, the panel awarded a Presidential Award of Excellence to one project for structural engineering accomplishment.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the April edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard – a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. Officials caution that the latest housing figures underscore fragility in the housing market and highlight the importance of the Administration’s foreclosure-prevention programs, which continue to help tens of thousands of struggling homeowners each month and play a critical role in setting standards for the mortgage industry.

Des Plaines, IL - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Spring is in the air, and homeowners are starting to plan their dream home remodeling projects. To commemorate May as National Home Improvement Month, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) offers homeowners a few words of advice for getting the most value out of your remodeling investment.

Chicago, IL - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cushman & Wakefield of Illinois, Inc. (C&W) announces the largest industrial portfolio sale in the Midwest since the economic downturn began in 2008. The portfolio, which includes seven buildings in northwest Chicago and one in the Milwaukee, WI, area, totals more than two million square feet. Jim Carpenter, Senior Director, and Ken Szady, Executive Director, from C&W’s Capital Markets Group, represented the seller, a joint venture between Interstate Partners and Towne Investments, in the marketing and sale of the portfolio. In addition, Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman, the firm’s debt and equity finance division, secured permanent financing of the portfolio for the buyer, Stockbridge Real Estate Funds.

VAN NUYS, CA - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly 100 homeowners attended a foreclosure prevention seminar in Van Nuys on Saturday, April 30, which was sponsored by the Southland Regional Association of Realtors, Los Angeles Neighborhood Housing Services, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco). Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-27) was a special guest at the event.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fannie Mae today announced the opening of the Philadelphia Mortgage Help Center to provide free education and counseling services to struggling Philadelphia area homeowners. The Philadelphia, the latest of nine Mortgage Help Centers to open across the country, is part of Fannie Mae's nationwide initiative to educate families about the options and tools available to help them stay in their homes.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) today announced its top multifamily loan originators for 2010. Through Fannie Mae's Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS TM) program, these top ten lender partners produced the highest multifamily loan volumes by contributing at least $870 million each.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home improvement store shoppers are more satisfied with store facilities, merchandise and pricing in 2011, compared with 2010, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study^SM released today.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- HOPE NOW, the voluntary, private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers and non-profit counselors, released its March 2011 loan modification data, which shows that an estimated 210,000 homeowners received permanent, proprietary loan modifications from mortgage servicers for the first quarter of 2011. This estimate does not include loan modifications through Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), and industry totals will be updated once official government reports are published.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Shelby, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I am honored that President Obama has nominated me for this position, and I am deeply grateful to Secretary Geithner for his confidence in me.

LAGUNA HILLS, CA - May 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Muller Company, a full service real estate company specializing in management, investment and development of commercial real estate in the western United States, announced today that the leasing team at the Taj Mahal Medical Center located in Laguna Hills, Calif. has signed its first medical lease since the start of construction and the official rebranding of the project in March, 2011