Monthly Archives: March 2011

March 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- BURLINGTON—Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) has passed a major milestone: The Agency has issued more than $3 billion in bonds to finance homeownership and rental opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters.

Chicago, IL - March 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Donotrent.com is the first website to integrate real estate rental reviews and social networking features. Users can search and post reviews of apartments, rental homes, student housing, vacation rentals and more. They can share messages and posts with their friends at their favorite social sites using Facebook connect and the AddThis sharing service.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The economy continues to show increasing signs of self-sustaining momentum, however an unexpected jump in oil prices and the potential for further tightening of fiscal policy suggest less economic momentum than previously believed, according to the March 2011 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae's (FNMA/OTC) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. Projected economic growth for the year was lowered to 3.5 percent — down slightly from 3.7 percent in February 2011, but up from 2.7 percent annual growth in 2010.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, in conjunction with the Congressional Real Estate Caucus and the National Real Estate Organizations (NREO), hosted a “State of the Real Estate Industry” luncheon briefing on Capitol Hill on March 17. Senate Real Estate Caucus Co–chairs Sens. Ben Cardin (D–Md.) and Johnny Isakson (R–Ga.) kicked off the briefing, which also featured three speakers who covered the current state of both the residential and commercial markets. The residential overview was given by Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS®, while the commercial outlook was presented by James Woodwell, vice president of Commercial Real Estate Research with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), and Lisa Pendergast, managing director, CMBS Strategy & Risk with Jefferies & Company, Inc. The briefing was designed to give Senate staff a perspective of each segment’s recent history, current market conditions and what to expect for the future.

Tucson, AZ - March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lewis Management Resources, Inc., an Associa company, is excited to announce the addition of Viewpointe Townhomes to its client portfolio. Lewis will now provide full management services, including financial services, property management, communications, record-keeping and administrative management to the community.

Washington, DC - March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Steve Scalise today announced that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have issued an updated remediation protocol to assist homeowners in ridding their property of toxic Chinese drywall. The updated protocol sites an in-depth study done by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico which determined it unnecessary to replace wiring and electrical systems.

DENVER, CA - March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pamela Darby, Director of Relocation for Kentwood Real Estate, was a guest speaker during a special roundtable session at the 2011 Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE) conference he...

WASHINGTON, DC March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will begin the orderly wind down of its remaining portfolio of $142 billion in agency-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Starting this month, Treasury plans to sell up to $10 billion in agency-guaranteed MBS per month, subject to market conditions

Washington, DC - March 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- WASHINGTON (March 21, 2011) – Existing-home sales fell in February following three straight monthly increases, according to the National Association of REALTORS

Washington, DC - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Keeping manufactured housing affordable by reducing the constraints on lending and instituting a responsible regulatory environment took center stage as over 90 MHI members flocked to Capitol Hill for the annual MHI Legislative Conference.

March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- REALTORS®, Homebuilders, consumer groups urge federal regulators to avoid arbitrarily high mortgage down payments, which would hurt the economy by unfairly and unnecessarily closing the door to home ownership for many middle-class families

March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- USAA Real Estate Company has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. This signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. USAA Real Estate Company’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 18, 2010. USAA Real Estate Company is the only real estate company in America that has won nine ENERGY STAR awards.

DENVER, CO - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kentwood Real Estate, Colorado’s Premier Real Estate Company, has announced a strategic marketing partnership with Denver.com, Denver’s leading intuitively-branded home on the Web. The partnershi...

Upper Marlboro, MD - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the NAHB Research Center hosted an online presentation for building product manufacturers on which products were most (and least) frequently used in homes Green Certified to the National Green Building Standard last year. The information was gathered and analyzed by the company’s market research division.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The operator of a defunct money-making scam has agreed to settle a federal court judgment the Federal Trade Commission obtained against him in 2007 for falsely claiming his “wealth building” program would teach consumers how to make substantial income in a short time by buying and selling privately held mortgages. Under the settlement, John Stefanchik will pay the FTC $900,000 plus the proceeds from the sale of his house and substantially all of his personal property.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are issuing an updated remediation protocol for homes with problem drywall. A study conducted on behalf of CPSC by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, finds no evidence of a safety hazard to home electrical systems. Sandia simulated long-term exposure of wiring and other electrical components to hydrogen sulfide gas, which is associated with problem drywall.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that 17 communities will be the first recipients of Planning Grant funding through the Department’s new Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.

Washington, DC - March 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A month-long Home Ownership Matters Bus Tour hosted by the National Association of Realtors® makes a stop this week outside the Denver Home Show on Saturday, March 19. NAR leaders and invited local officials will be on hand to hear from consumers and speak with them about how shifting priorities and public policies in Washington could affect home ownership here in Denver

March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) voiced strong objections to a bill brought forward by House Republicans today that threatens to eliminate resources that would create jobs and affordable housing in Rhode Island. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Termination Act (H.R. 861) would end a proven successful effort to revitalize neighborhoods, as well as save and rehabilitate buildings and foreclosed property. NSP has already resulted in 100 new homebuyers purchasing and restoring previously foreclosed properties in Rhode Island and 165 foreclosed homes being acquired for non-profit

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – March 17, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — For more than 20 years, the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund tax campaign has encouraged the citizens of Utah to pledge a donation on their tax return to the fund. This year,...