Yearly Archives: 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A joint study by the 50+ Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife Mature Market Institute shows the recession has made 55+ buyers more practical when selecting a new home. Design considerations have become less important, and financial concerns have become more prominent.Previous studies from these two organizations found that most 55+ buyers depended on home sale proceeds to finance a new purchase. The most recent data shows that option diminished during the economic downturn.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development today awarded nearly $127 million in grants to 48 local projects to conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards (see chart below)

Orlando, FL - January 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the current state of the national economy, consumers are looking for ways to reduce costs wherever they can – operation of their homes is certainly no exception. In direct response to their customers' needs, and their own desire to "do the right thing," many home builders and remodelers have taken strides to incorporate features that make homes more energy efficient, comfortable, cost-effective to operate and maintain, and generally more friendly to the natural environment. Tuesday night, at a dinner celebration just prior to the start of the 2011 International Builders' Show, an elite group of these conscientious residential professionals received EnergyValue Housing Awards (EVHA) for new and existing homes

DENVER, CO - January 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kentwood City Properties, one of three strategically-located offices that comprise Kentwood Real Estate, has recorded its highest historic residential real estate sales volume since the office was formed in 1999. The office and its leading real estate professionals posted total sales volume of nearly $340 million for 2010, approximately $35 million more that its previous high sales volume.

Cincinnati, OH - January 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the help of a brand new network of empowered real estate brokers and agents, home buyers can now receive a sizeable part of the real estate broker commission similar to the side deals relocation companies have been receiving for years. Real estate brokers have long shared commissions with relo companies and out-of-state brokers that refer home buyers to their office. Now, select brokers in the EmpoweredBuyer.com network are extending the commission-sharing to a new breed of knowledgeable home buyers.

CHICAGO, IL - January 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE), the world's largest network of leading independent real estate brokers, continued to expand in 2010, with over 50 new offices and 2,300 sales associates added during the year. A strong pipeline of new member candidates ensures additional growth in early 2011.

CHICAGO, IL - January 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has selected reOneSpot™ as a preferred partner to provide its network of 600 brokerage firms worldwide a low-cost, intelligent, web-based enterprise solution that securely enables collaboration and sharing of activities, documents, feedback and communications between brokers, agents and their clients in one easy-to-use integrated location. This all-in-one solution platform helps real estate brokers and associates improve efficiency and productivity with tools that enhance and streamline the regular, day-to-day activities involved in today’s business of real estate.

McLean, VA - January 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®). The survey results showed lower mortgage rates for both long- and short-term rates, with the 30-year reaching a four-week low

WASHINGTON, DC - January 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Bankers Association sent a letter today to the heads of the eight regulatory agencies involved in writing new rules on risk retention for mortgage loans as required by the Dodd/Frank Act. ABA supports a broad safe harbor, known as the Qualified Residential Mortgage or QRM, which would not be subject to risk retention requirements.ABA said imposing too broad a risk retention requirement is likely to cause lenders to leave the marketplace, reduce the amount of credit available to eligible borrowers, and harm the fragile economic recovery.

New Orleans, LA - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A panel of distinguished national real estate experts from the Consulting Corps of The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) will be working with the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) this week to map strategy for 37 properties in the school board’s portfolio

EMERYVILLE, CA - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- ZipRealty, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZIPR) announced today a series of changes to enhance the Company’s focus on core strengths in technology, online marketing and its most attractive local real estate markets. The restructuring and organizational changes are expected to position ZipRealty to achieve positive cash flow in 2011 and provide a solid platform for long-term growth.

EMERYVILLE, CA - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The number of price-reduced homes on the market this December remained at high levels compared to 2009, rising 23.4 percent according to a report surveying 26 US markets issued by national real estate brokerage, ZipRealty (www.ziprealty.com; NASDAQ: ZIPR)

McLean, VA - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today announced a new offering of Structured Pass-Through Certificates ("K Certificates"), multifamily mortgage-backed securities. The company expects to offer approximately $1 billion in K Certificates ("K-010 Certificates"), which are expected to price the week of January 17, 2011 and settle on or about February 10, 2011.

Washington, DC - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has named the recipients of its 2010 LEED for Homes Awards, recognizing projects, developers and home builders who have demonstrated leadership in the residential building marketplace. The awards were presented during the Residential Summit on Thursday, Nov. 18, during the 2010 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo held in Chicago, Ill. The 2010 award categories recognize innovative multi and single family projects, production builders, affordable housing projects and developers, an overall commitment to LEED for Homes, and Project of the Year.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- This morning, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) released a report indicating increases in foreclosures and families experiencing homelessness, including those living doubled up due to economic hardship.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 7, 2011. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 2.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 47.5 percent compared with the previous week, which included the New Year’s holiday

EUGENE, OR - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce Michael D'Alfonso's addition of a customized IDX solution to his Santa Fe, New Mexico based real estate website. The IDX Broker software now on D'Alfonso's page extrac...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today filed suit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

WASHINGTON, DC - January 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- NeighborWorks America and members of the NeighborWorks network were recently awarded more than $7 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the department’s grants to support housing counseling and housing counselor training

Washington, DC - January 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Society is seeking entries for Volunteering Works, a program that matches Realtors® who would like to expand their community service outreach with a mentor who is already a successful volunteer leader.