Housing & Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 16, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing production gained 2.6 percent from an upwardly revised pace in March to hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 717,000 units in April, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD. This modest gain was seen in both the single- and multifamily sectors, which registered growth of 2.3 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI - May 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE: ADC) today announced that it has acquired the southeast corner of Indian Avenue and S. Tamiami Trail and will ground lease the parcel to JPMorgan Chase. The Company and Chase have previously executed a twenty-year ground lease. Chase intends to construct a retail bank branch on the site.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a budget climate where state and local governments are challenged to do more with less, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $70 million in grants to help communities and non-profit organizations, improve their use of federal funds to revitalize neighborhoods, help the homeless and produce more affordable housing.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The income and business of Realtors® is growing after many years of decline, according to the 2012 National Association of Realtors® Member Profile.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes gained five points in May from a downwardly revised reading in the previous month to reach a level of 29 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. This is the index’s strongest reading since May of 2007.

NEW YORK, NY - May 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City multifamily sales remained strong in March, maintaining a healthy level of consistency from a very active February, according to Ariel Property Advisors’ Multifamily Month in Review: New...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Stuart F. Delery, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Helen Kanovsky, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), and David A. Montoya, Inspector General of HUD, announced today that the United States has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against DEUTSCHE BANK AG, DB STRUCTURED PRODUCTS, INC., DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES, INC. (collectively “DEUTSCHE BANK” or the “DEUTSCHE BANK defendants”) and MORTGAGEIT, INC. (“MORTGAGEIT”)

WASHINGTON, DC - May 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has reached a $22,500 settlement agreement with the owner and managers of at Cheyenne Villa Apartments, a 56-unit, HUD-assisted townhome complex in Sydney, Nebraska. The settlement resolves a complaint filed by a resident who uses a wheelchair and walker, who alleged that management the development failed to accommodate her request to transfer to the first available ground-floor unit. The resident also claimed that management denied requests for a parking space and a ramp to ease her access to her unit

WASHINGTON, DC - May 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtor® Magazine, an online and print publication of the National Association of Realtors®, has received three awards for Media Innovation from the Association Media & Publishing EXCEL Awards. The EXCEL Awards honor the best and brightest in association media and publishing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Despite the fact that Americans overwhelmingly support homeownership, legislative and regulatory proposals now under consideration would greatly harm home owners, home buyers, the housing market and the nation's economy.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of Realtors®, has sold ePropertyData (ePD) to Xceligent to create a competitive national alternative in commercial real estate information.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 11, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Five of the nation’s largest construction trade associations have teamed up to form the Construction Coalition for a Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace (CCDAFW). The coalition’s mission is to create a drug- and alcohol-free construction industry by providing companies and organizations with the resources necessary to implement drug- and alcohol-free policies into their business practices.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 11, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded nearly $41.18 million to 99 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 35 states and the District of Columbia to assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination (see attached list of grantees)

Daytona Beach Shores, FL - May 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- RE/MAX Signature’s top-producing real estate team, The Don Bell Sells Team, had an outstanding year in 2011 and was recently named the No. 20 team for the entire RE/MAX Florida Region.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for single-family homes had a significant increase in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. The index increased 10 points to 27, and although 27 is relatively low for an index that lies on a scale of 0 to 100, it is nevertheless the highest reading since the inception of the index in 2008.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on Congress to amend the Lacey Act so that individuals and businesses that unknowingly purchase illegal wood products from overseas do not have their property seized and are not exposed to civil and criminal liability.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $2.58 million in grants to four projects intended to protect children and families from health hazards in their homes.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- It used to be that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would require more than 1,200 cities, counties and states to undergo a paper-based, time-intensive and costly planning process as a condition of receiving billions of dollars in federal funding. No more.

Destin, FL - May 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the second time in less than a year, respondents to a Housing Predictor poll say that banks and other mortgage lenders should be forced to reduce mortgage principal and cut loan payments for underwater homeowners.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The construction industry lost 2,000 jobs in April, following similar declines of 3,000 in March and 1,000 in February, but still added 63,000 jobs over the past year as the industry unemployment rate shrank to 14.5 percent—the lowest April level in four years, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that lack of long-term federal highway and transit funding, along with other infrastructure budget cuts, threatens to limit construction job growth.