Yearly Archives: 2014

Barbourville, Ky., - March 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez and Kentucky Rural Development State Director Thomas Fern joined Congressman Hal Rogers today to announce $23 million in USDA funding for the Knox County Hospital District

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- As the Baby Boom generation ages, the number of older adults living in America will double by 2050, with nearly 19 million of those adults age 85 or older. While the needs of this older adult population continue to grow and change, the current paradigm of care—institutional settings like nursing homes and assisted living facilities—is an inflexible and expensive way of caring for older adults with physical limitations or chronic health conditions. According to a new report, Aging in Every Place: Supportive Service Programs for High and Low Density Communities, home- and community-based services are a cost-effective strategy that can solve this challenge by helping older adults maintain their quality of life as they age in their homes, whether those homes are in cities, suburbs, or rural America

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- uring New Homes Month in April, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is sharing with home buyers the most popular features in new single-family homes in 2014. Builders from across the country were surveyed on what features they were most likely to include in a typical single-family home this year, revealing that convenience, livability and energy efficiency are top priorities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), building science society ASHRAE and the International Code Council (ICC), developers of the ICC Family of Codes for the built environment, today agreed to jointly develop the 2015 edition of the ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard. This is the third edition of the standard and the first time that ASHRAE has partnered on its development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 28, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Low Income Housing Coalition applauds Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) for her support of the National Housing Trust Fund in her bill, the “Housing Opportunities Move the Economy Forward Act of 2014 (HOME Forward),” which she released in discussion draft today. Ms. Waters is the Ranking Member on the House Financial Services Committee.

Las Vegas - March 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- area homes sold at the slowest pace for a February in five years as the inventory of homes for sale remained tight and some buyers faced credit and affordability challenges.

Chicago, IL - March 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Twelve structural steel building projects have earned national recognition in the 2014 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. and recognizes the importance of teamwork, coordination and collaboration in fostering successful construction projects

BOSTON - March 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Mansfield man was arrested Monday and arraigned in U.S. District Court in Boston on Tuesday, March 24 on charges that he defrauded a married couple out of nearly $200,000 in connection with alleged real estate transactions

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, today announced it has reached a settlement in cases involving Bank of America, Countrywide Financial, Merrill Lynch, and certain named individuals totaling approximately $5.83 billion. Bank of America Corporation owns Countrywide and Merrill Lynch. The cases alleged violations of federal and state securities laws in connection with private-label, residential mortgage-backed securities (PLS) purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac between 2005 and 2007. Allegations of common law fraud were made in the Countrywide and Merrill Lynch cases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- National data shows interest rates on mortgages decreased in February. Contract mortgage interest rates decreased 0.07 percent from January to February, according to an index of new mortgage contracts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales declined for the eighth straight month in February, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Modest increases in the Midwest and West were offset by declines in the Northeast and South; all regions are below a year ago.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 26, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, together with global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), released aNational Action Plan for Educating for Sustainability, a call for action to ensure that Education for Sustainability (EfS) is accessible to all students across the United States. The plan outlines a robust goal for all 50 states to adopt a comprehensive green schools policy that includes a graduation requirement around sustainability literacy by 2040

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 26, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced today the bipartisan House bill he helped shepherd through the Senate to extend propane deliveries was signed into law. The Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation (HHEATT) Act of 2014 provides relief during propane shortages and interruptions by allowing the continuation of expedited propane deliveries

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 26, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A clear sign that the housing market is in recovery mode , households are placing greater emphasis on kitchens and baths. A sizeable share of residential architects report both the number and size of kitchens and baths are increasing. Even more indicative of an improving market is that upscale features and products used in these areas of the home are growing in popularity.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 26, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Evidence that permanent supportive housing improves health and lowers health care costs is spreading. Just recently, Congressman Paul Ryan’s assessment of Federal anti-poverty efforts, while critical of many Federal programs, noted that supportive housing programs “have been shown to decrease homelessness and reduce costs related to health care and institutionalization.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 25, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new, streamlined permitting process will expedite the demolition and removal of homes and ancillary structures that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. The General Permit in support of the State's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program pertains to homes and structures located in areas within 100 feet of DEC-regulated freshwater wetlands

Washington, DC - March 25, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) thanks U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) for recognizing the critically important role manufactured housing plays in serving the nation’s housing needs in their recently released Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2014. The proposed legislation includes key provisions that would provide manufactured home loans secured by personal property with access to a newly envisioned secondary market.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 25, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act will increase the cost of new homes without a corresponding benefit to America’s lakes, rivers and other water bodies, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said today.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 25, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 3.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 440,000 units in February, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 25, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- – Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit with a vision of a safe and healthy home for every person, is pleased to announce the launch of its newest affiliate in Austin, Texas. Rebuilding Together Austin officially kicked off its work in the community with a home repair project in February. As part of this renovation, volunteers installed 125 feet of fencing for a Veteran who is a senior citizen and also blind, allowing him to receive a companion animal