Yearly Archives: 2017

Green construction is rapidly gaining traction among both single family and multifamily home builders, according to new research published in the Green Multifamily and Single Family Homes 2017 SmartMarket Brief.

Michael D. Bellaman, president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), issued the following statement supporting the Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code released today by congressional and administration leaders

The first consensus standard contracts written by and for the construction industry has reached a 10-year milestone. This first-of-its kind coalition has grown from 20 organizations in 2007 to 40 leading organizations today, while being at the forefront of breaking down contractual obstacles.

Tyson Poultry Inc. (“Tyson”), pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Missouri, to two criminal charges of violating the Clean Water Act stemming from discharges at its slaughter and processing facility in Monett, Missouri

Ginnie Mae issued an All Participants Memorandum (APM) – PM 17-02 to Single-Family Issuers providing buyout guidance for loans impacted by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for August 2017

The tax reform plan proposed by Republican leaders in Congress and the White House overlooks one of the best and most immediate ways to spur economic growth and help everyday Americans who have been left behind: reprioritizing and rebalancing federal housing policy.

The DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) closed a loan agreement totaling more than $12.9 million that will help preserve 106 affordable housing units in Ward 7. The funding was made available through the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF).

365 Connect, a leading provider of award-winning marketing, leasing, and resident technology platforms for the multifamily housing industry, announced today the acquisition of uCribs, the largest search site dedicated to apartments near universities. The acquisition will expand the reach of 365 Connect into off-campus housing markets throughout the nation, adding millions of rental units to its marketing platform.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its plan to continue removing lead-contaminated soil from a residential development previously owned and built by the Tempo Development Group in West Deptford, (Thorofare), N.J. EPA added the Tempo development to the Matteo & Sons, Inc.

Meridian, a full-service real estate developer specializing in acquiring and developing real estate facilities for the healthcare sector, announced today that senior healthcare executive Andrew Hoover has been hired as Vice President of Business Development. Hoover will play a leadership role in business development and facility acquisition for Meridian’s portfolio of major medical industry clients in the Southern California market. He will be based in the firm’s Irvine, California office.

Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgage loans were relatively flat in the second quarter of 2017, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report.

Although nearly every American adult considers homeownership a key component of the American Dream, thousands of would-be homebuyers—especially people of color and millennials—are shut out from the market because of confusion about down payment requirements, lack of information about credit standards and the burden of student loan debt, according to the fifth annual America at Home survey from NeighborWorks America.

The final defendant in a long running investigation of mortgage fraud at Pierce Commercial Bank was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Christy Goldsmith Romero and U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Between 2005 and 2008, Ben Leske, 40, of Puyallup, worked as a loan officer for PC Bank Home Loans, a division of Pierce Commercial Bank. Leske pleaded guilty in May 2017, to making false statements on loan applications.

Conservation groups approved a historic settlement today over the contested Newhall Ranch development that preserves thousands of acres for wildlife, provides millions of dollars to protect the Santa Clara River and requires stringent measures to cut greenhouse gases, including 10,000 solar installations.

It is not too late to register for the upcoming webinar, "Energy in Commercial Appraisals and Mortgages: Risk or Reward?," scheduled for 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET, Thursday, September 28, 2017. When it comes to the buying and selling of commercial real estate—a multi-step process that involves high stakes and numerous stakeholders—the energy performance of buildings is not usually top of mind.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes in August fell 3.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 units from an upwardly revised July reading, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the lowest sales reading since December 2016. However, year-to-date, new home sales are 7.5 percent above their level over the same period last year

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $14.7 million to the State of Vermont to help finance improvements to water infrastructure projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment. The funds will be primarily used to upgrade sewage plants and drinking water systems, as well as replacing aging infrastructure, throughout the state.

Innovations in transportation, like electric cars and “on demand” options, could significantly impact the valuation of real estate in the future, according to an article in Valuation magazine’s third quarter 2017 issue.

 The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) applauds the Senate for passing Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016 on a 95 to 3 vote, demonstrating the overwhelming bipartisan support that exists in Congress for critical investments in our nation’s clean water infrastructure. S. 2848 is a milestone legislative achievement and puts the Senate on record in favor of providing significant new investment tools and common sense regulatory reforms to help all Americans afford investments in clean and safe water