Housing & Development

WASHINGTON, DC - June 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the second consecutive year, hundreds of public housing authorities across the country are gearing up to host free events to celebrate Father’s Day. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reports more that nearly 300 local agencies answered HUD’s call to host Father’s Day 2012, compared to approximately 200 agencies during last year’s inaugural event. The purpose of Saturday’s celebration is to celebrate fatherhood, family and to support dads in staying connected with their children. See which housing authorities are hosting events in your area.

ORLANDO, FL - June 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, during the Annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, Erika Poethig, and Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Matt Erskine, announced that the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative (SC2) will be allocating $11 million in grants to assist economically challenged municipalities in creating long term economic development plans, as well as fund the establishment of the SC2 National Resource Network (the SC2 Network); which will provide a single portal for short term technical assistance on a variety of operational and programmatic issues.

NEW YORK, NY - June 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ariel Property Advisors has sold a Central Harlem retail property leased by Citibank for $3.4 million. Exclusive agents Victor Sozio, Shimon Shkury, and Michael Tortorici handled the sale for a private...

Farmington Hills, MI - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today U.S. Rep. Gary Peters marked National Homeownership Month by discussing his bill, the Preserving American Homeownership Act, with local housing nonprofits and realtors at a press conferen...

WASHINGTON, DC - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to help low-income tenants receiving Section 8 project-based rental assistance and to preserve affordable housing, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded nearly $5 million to 15 nonprofit organizations through HUD’s new Tenant Resource Network (TRN). The purpose of TRN is to make grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to assist, inform, educate and engage tenants living in certain Section 8-assisted properties at risk of losing affordability protections or project-based rental assistance.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $13.5 million in “sweat equity” grants to produce at least 741 affordable homes for low-income working families and individuals. Funded through HUD’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), the grants awarded today, along with the labor contributed by these families, will significantly lower the cost of homeownership.

Scottsdale, AZ - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Dominion Real Estate Partners honored Carefree/Cave Creek Licensed Office Owner/Manager Stephanie McNeely with its highest award, “Highest Office Volume, 2011”. This is the third year Ms McNeely ...

Scottsdale, AZ - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Dominion Real Estate Partners honored Maria Cohen, Tad and Bonnie Neal and Susan Slenk with “Greatest Number of Transactions and Highest Percentage Closed, 2011” award for their outstanding work ...

WASHINGTON, DC - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced more than $300,000 in federal funding to provide homeless veterans in Camden with housing assistance and medical tr...

NEW YORK, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- One year after an innovative building retrofit project, the Empire State Building is ahead of plan and has exceeded its year one energy-efficiency guarantee by 5 percent, saving $2.4 million and esta...

Chicago, IL - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Energy Department and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced on June 5 that Chicago, Illinois, is joining the Better Buildings Challenge, part of an initiative launched last year by President Obama to...

NEW YORK, NY - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City multifamily transaction volume rose 29 percent in April 2012 compared to April 2011, but year-over-year dollar volume fell by 18 percent, according to Ariel Property Advisors’ Multifami...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Energy Department recently released a new methodology for evaluating homeowner savings through residential energy codes. These codes are commonly adopted by states and local code enforcement jurisdictions across the nation to make homes more efficient and cheaper to power. DOE's new approach is based on a life-cycle analysis that balances initial costs with the longer-term savings these codes make possible. By demonstrating savings available to homeowners, this methodology will aid the adoption of cost-effective, energy-saving codes for residential buildings, and help families save money over the lifetime of their home.

Washington, D.C. - June 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its fourth annual Report to Congress, detailing the agency’s examinations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks), and the FHLBanks’ joint Office of Finance.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The list of U.S. housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement now includes 80 metropolitan areas, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) for June, released today. Though down from the 100 markets shown as improving in May, the list includes 28 new entrants and at least one representative from 31 different states (including the District of Columbia)

Washington, DC - June 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced that more than 20,000 homes across the U.S. have earned certification through the LEED for Homes program. LEED for Homes is a national voluntary certification system that provides guidance and verification that homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthy for occupants.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The amount contractors pay for a range of key construction materials edged down 0.3 percent in May and climbed by only 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Meanwhile, the amount contractors charge to construct projects remained largely flat for the month and is up only between 3.1 and 4.3 percent for the year.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide an additional $2.5 million to public housing agencies to supply housing and case management for 380 homeless veterans. (See list below.) This funding is part of a total $75 million the Obama Administration is investing this year to house 10,450 homeless veterans who might otherwise be living on the streets.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 13, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) named Kimble Ratliff to the newly-created position of Director of Government Affairs. Ratliff will cover a variety of housing and finance-related policy issues for the Council’s growing government affairs program.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Housing Conference, the affordable housing advocacy group known as the United Voice for Housing, has chosen the occasion of its 40^th Annual Housing Person of the Year Gala to focus the attention of the housing world on veterans’ housing by honoring organizations that help meet that need. In keeping with this year’s Gala theme, “Honoring America’s Heroes,” the 2012 honorees are