Yearly Archives: 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- I am extremely pleased that the United States Senate has joined the House in passing legislation to name the Operations Building at Social Security headquarters in Baltimore as the “Robert M. Ball Federal Building.” Bob Ball was the longest-serving Commissioner of Social Security, and his dedication to the agency and its programs lasted until his death in 2008

VIENNA, VA - December 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today proposed a requirement that non-bank residential mortgage lenders and originators, like other types of financial institutions, establish anti-money laundering (AML) programs and comply with suspicious activity report (SAR) regulations

WASHINGTON, DC - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- All across the country, there are environmentally challenged areas called ‘brownfields,’ contaminated properties that often require substantial cleanup before they can be reused for another purposes. In the latest issue of Cityscape, an independent journal published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, several scholars are calling for new policies and approaches that could significantly accelerate stalled brownfield redevelopment.

CINCINNATI, OH - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced two settlements against landlords for failing to inform tenants that their homes may contain potentially dangerous lead. The agreements require the landlords to replace windows and cleanup lead-based paint hazards in 31 residential properties containing a total of 294 units (see attached list). In addition to the $480,000 worth of lead abatement work being performed, the landlords also agree to pay civil penalties totalling $12,500.

Los Angeles, CA - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Los Angeles County NeighborWorks® Center for Foreclosure Solutions (CFS) coalition has been helping families facing foreclosure since the beginning of the mortgage crisis. As families head into the holidays, the significance of having a home is more important than other times in the year. As foreclosure activity and joblessness remain historically high, helping families to stay in their home or prepare to purchase a home is critical this holiday season

WASHINGTON, DC - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Apartment firms benefited from lower insurance costs in 2010, according to the National Multi Housing Council’s annual

Torrance, CA - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the second largest real estate services organization globally, has recruited Jeff Smart, Josh May, Blake Tippett and Kyle Degener to its Torrance, Calif. office. Specializing in the representation of industrial landlords and tenants throughout the South Bay and Mid-Counties markets, the team will add additional strengths to Colliers’ industrial platform in Greater Los Angeles

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has launched a newly-designed consumer-oriented website, www.SaveMyMortgageInterestDeduction.com, to provide up-to-date information on the threat to the mortgage interest deduction.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Beazer Homes USA Inc., a national residential homebuilder, has agreed today to pay a $925,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at its construction sites in 21 states, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- DOE announced on November 30 that 24 projects are receiving a total of $21 million in technical assistance to reduce the energy used in their commercial buildings. This initiative, supported with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will connect commercial building owners and operators with multidisciplinary teams including researchers at DOE's national laboratories and private sector building experts. The teams will design, construct, measure, and test low-energy building plans, and will help accelerate the deployment of cost-effective energy-saving measures in U.S. commercial buildings.

PELLA, IA - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Sun., Dec. 5, episode of ABC television network's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (EMHE) will include energy-efficient Pella windows and doors windows donated by Pella Corporation. The episode will air at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on ABC-TV

AUSTIN, TX - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Spending time with a cranky uncle or an overbearing mother-in-law during the holidays has long been a source of discomfort for hosts and guests alike, but a new survey from HomeAway®, Inc. – the world’s leading online vacation rental marketplace – finds some relatives can overstay their welcome in less than a day.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michael D. Berman, CMB, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, today issued the following statement reacting to the proposal from the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

McLean, VA - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which found that the both fixed- and shorter-term mortgage rates rose this week. This was the third week in a row where fixed-rate mortgage rates were up

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Chairman Conyers, Ranking Member Smith, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding issues surrounding mortgage servicing. This testimony will cover two key areas: first, the steps we are taking to ensure that servicers participating in the Making Home Affordable (MHA) program are adhering to program guidelines in light of the recent foreclosure issues, and second, the accomplishments of MHA to date and its impact on mortgage servicing.

Washington, DC - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales jumped in October, showing a positive uptrend since bottoming in June, according to the National Association of REALTORS

WASHINGTON, DC - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that homelessness for 750,000 Americans was prevented or ended, thanks to HUD’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The program provided $1.5 billion to local communities to keep families in their homes or help them find other affordable housing after a sudden financial crisis, which might have otherwise led to homelessness.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that $25 million in grants is available to help rural and tribal communities struggling to address distressed housing conditions and concentrated poverty. In a speech to the Housing Assistance Council in Washington, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said HUD’s new

Seattle, WA - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Chicago billionaire paid $31.5 million for a home in Aspen, the most paid for a residential property in the luxury resort community this year. The buyer's broker, Steven Shane of SDS Real Estate, declined to disclose the name of his client. The seven-bedroom, nine-bath 12,432 square foot home sits on 44 acres at 2435 W. Buttermilk Road.

Washington, DC - December 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Delinquency rates for different commercial/multifamily mortgage investor groups were mixed in the third quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report. The delinquency rate for loans held in CMBS is the highest since the series began in 1997. Delinquency rates for other groups remain below levels seen in the early 1990's, some by large margins.