Yearly Archives: 2014

VIENNA, Va. - February 20, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today finalized anti-money laundering (AML) regulations that will require the housing government sponsored enterprises (Housing GSEs) to develop programs for the prevention of money laundering and to file suspicious activity reports (SARs) with FinCEN.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 20, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Slightly lower median home prices along with a small uptick in mortgage rates contributed to housing affordability holding steady in the fourth quarter, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), released today.

WASHINGTON - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- ConsensusDocs released the new ConsensusDocs 746 Constructor & Geotechnical Consultant Agreement and the 747 Constructor & Consultant Agreement today. These new contracts provide an industry standard contract for a constructor who wants to retain a consultant on a construction project. Similar to the ConsensusDocs 246 and 247 (Owner and Consultant agreements), these constructor and consultant agreements were crafted to provide a solid contractual base for a variety of consulting arrangements, including interior design, inspection, industrial hygiene, retrofits, procurement and many others.

New York, NY - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Manhattan sales prices reached a new peak for the second consecutive quarter, according to the 2013 Quarterly Housing Update: 3rd Quarter (PDF), released today by the NYU Furman Center. Brooklyn saw the largest gains in price appreciation over the previous year, rising 15 percent, while the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens showed gains over 10 percent.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Prices for materials used in construction and for nonresidential building construction both increased more than overall prices for “final demand” in January, according to a new analysis of retooled federal data on producer prices released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. As a result, margins remain very tight for most construction firms even as private-sector demand for construction continues to grow

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The continuing economic recovery has improved housing affordability for low- and moderate-income working households, but housing costs are still a significant burden, especially to renters, according to a new report released today by the Center for Housing Policy, the research division of the National Housing Conference.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Due largely to unusually severe weather, across much of the nation, housing starts fell 16 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 880,000 units in January, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, single-family permits, which are often a harbinger of future building activity, posted a modest 1.3 percent decline to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 602,000 units.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House of Representatives should defeat flood insurance legislation passed by the Senate in January, because it would have the effect of misleading tens of thousands of homeowners concerning their vulnerability to flooding, undermine the flood program’s viability and increase taxpayer costs, according to consumer advocates. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said the bill (S. 1926) also keeps in place massive and often hidden subsidies even for high-income homeowners looking to live or build in flood prone areas.

WASHINGTON - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today announced the following new residential construction statistics for January 2014

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- National Credit Union Administration Board Chairman Debbie Matz has appointed Board Member Richard Metsger as NCUA’s representative on the Board of Directors of NeighborWorks America, one of the nation’s preeminent affordable housing and community development organizations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 19, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtors® have a long-standing tradition of aiding those in need, and many volunteer their time and energy to improving the lives of others in communities throughout the world. The National Association of Realtors® recognizes those Realtors® who demonstrate exceptional service through REALTOR® Magazine’sGood Neighbor Awards, which is currently accepting applications

Washington, D.C. - February 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and Merit Canada Feb. 13 signed a joint resolution outlining their partnership agreement and commitment to free enterprise and the merit shop philosophy, under which construction contracts are awarded to construction companies based on merit

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the spring home-buying season approaching, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers today encouraged homeowners to be prepared with all relevant property information when an appraiser visits

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Unusually severe weather conditions across much of the nation along with continued concerns over the cost and availability of labor and lots caused builder confidence in the market for newly-built, single-family homes to post a 10-point drop to 46 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today

SAN DIEGO, - February 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- DataQuick®, a provider of advanced real estate information solutions powered by data, analytics and decisioning, has completed the development of its Derived Transaction Record (DTR), a new property transaction record based on a methodology for extracting data from a variety of intelligence sources to identify property transactions in jurisdictions that do not compile recorder information. The methodology also identifies property transactions that are not captured as part of traditional Recorder data and coverage in jurisdictions where Recorder data is available.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED®, the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system. The list highlights the regions around the country that are at the forefront of sustainable building design and transformation. Utilizing less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

Washington, D.C. - February 14, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- ABC Feb. 11 congratulated the winners of the 24th annual Excellence in Construction Awards– the industry’s leading competition, where the top construction projects and the firms that displayed exemplary commitment to safety and diversity in 2013 were recognized during the awards celebration at the Grand Wailea in Maui, Hawaii.

Washington, D.C. - February 14, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced that Interstates Companies is its 2013 Contractor of the Year. Interstates Companies Chairman and CEO Larry Den Herder accepted the award on behalf of the company Feb. 11 during ABC’s 24th annual Excellence in Construction Awards ceremony in Maui, Hawaii

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 13, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that DeAndra J. Cullen, Acting Director of the Fair Housing Division of Education and Outreach, has received the Atlanta-based Trumpet Award Foundation’s “High Heels Award” for her work in promoting civil rights and higher education. DeAndra J. Cullen, received the prestigious award at the Foundation’s recent awards banquet in Atlanta

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 13, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) named the winning products in its second annual Best of IBS Awards held last week during the 2014 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas