Yearly Archives: 2015

Whether your company is expanding or you’re nearing the end of your lease, relocating can be a lot of work on a business. Once you’ve found the new location for your office space, you must diligently come up with a plan of action for the day of the move. While you may not have thought of planning for the move, it is imperative to saving your business time and money.

Do you remember the line from the movie, Field of Dreams, “If you build it, he will come?” In this case, for innovation to prosper, it takes building upon existing technologies and methods to transform them into business opportunities.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) released the following statement Thursday, reminding Republican leaders that the upcoming government funding bill is the last opportunity conservatives have to stop the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Final Rule.”

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced that U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and the President of the World Bank Group Dr. Jim Yong Kim will serve as keynote speakers for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Energy Innovation Summit, which will be held from Feb. 29 – March 2, 2016 in National Harbor, MD. In addition, other renowned speakers at the Summit will include Xerox Chief Technology Officer Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, BASF

The Architects Foundation, along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), today named six more schools of architecture and public health as members of the AIA Design & Health Research Consortium.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced the agency's new schedule of loan limits for 2016. These loan limits are effective for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2016, and will remain in effect through the end of the year. Read FHA's mortgagee letters (for forward and reverse mortgage programs).

CBRE Executive Vice President Philip D. Voorhees announced today that he and the National Retail Investment Group – West (NRIG-West) team completed the sale of McCalla Centre, a 110,620-square-foot neighborhood shopping center in the city of Santa Ana, Calif., anchored by a high-performing Northgate Market and CVS/pharmacy, along with a synergistic mix of retail and shop tenants. The sale price was $31,800,000, representing a 3.76% cap rate on high occupancy.

Multifamily housing construction has accelerated to its fastest pace in nearly 30 years but has still not been sufficient to meet surging demand. Rental vacancy rates are now at their lowest point since 1985 and inflation-adjusted rents are rising 3.5 percent annually.  With renter incomes stagnant, last year was another record-setting year in the number of renters paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs, according

Homeowners preparing to sell often make improvements, both big and small, to their homes that can help yield positive results and garner top dollar from buyers. According to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®, remodeling projects can also bring major benefits to homeowners who choose to remain in their homes.

The 2014 Renewable Energy Data Book shows that U.S. renewable electricity grew to 15.5 percent of total installed capacity and 13.5 percent of total electricity generation. Published annually by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on behalf of the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Data Book illustrates United States and global energy statistics, including renewable electricity generation, renewable energy development, clean energy investments, and technology-specific data and trends.

Mortgage applications increased 1.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 4, 2015. The previous week's results included an adjustment for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Ashford voted in support of H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. The bill streamlines the federal approval process for hydroelectric generation facilities and natural gas transmission lines. The legislation also improves the Department of Energy’s ability to coordinate with other agencies to strengthen our electrical power grid system and requires the Energy Department to expedite decisions on pending applications to export Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro and Common Sense CEO James P. Steyer announced today that Common Sense has become a national participant in HUD’s ConnectHome initiative, a public-private collaboration to connect families living in HUD-assisted housing to affordable high-speed Internet

Taking advantage of Consumers Energy’s new automatic billing alerts allows customers to cross off at least one item from their long “to-do” list this holiday season.

The Architects Foundation, along with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), today issued its first progress report of the AIA’s Design and Health Research Consortium. The consortium helps translate research on design’s influence on public health into architectural practice for policymakers, design and public health professionals and the general public.

A man exonerated in a high-profile case in which five New York City teenagers were wrongly convicted has pledged $190,000 to support the Innocence Project at the University of Colorado Law School.

Consumers Energy today presented a $97,740 Business Solutions incentive rebate check to American MITSUBA Corp. for participating in the company’s energy efficiency program for commercial and industrial customers

Residents of this picturesque Columbia River Gorge county this week submitted three times as many signatures as they need to qualify for the ballot an initiative that would block corporate behemoth, Nestlé, from bottling and selling their precious public water. The precedent-setting local ballot measure would block Nestlé’s proposed water bottling plant in the Gorge and prohibit commercial water bottling in Hood River County

“At Consumers Energy, safety is the foundation of everything we do. Our goal is for everyone to safely enjoy this special time of year filled with celebrations, family and friends. Following 10 simple electric safety tips can help ensure the holiday season is memorable for all,” said Aaron Kantor, director of emergency management for Consumers Energy.

A new report shows 2015 shaping up to be the United States solar market’s best year in history with record-breaking fourth quarter projections