Housing & Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev., today issued the following statement regarding President Obama's address to the nation last night:"While the nation's home builders commend President Obama for tackling critical employment issues, it's discouraging that the Administration still fails to recognize that housing has a central role to play in restoring the nation's workforce.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- DOE issued on August 26 final energy efficiency standards for home refrigerators and freezers. The new standards will improve the efficiency of home refrigerators some 25% by 2014. The standards, developed through a consensus process with manufacturers, consumer groups, and environmentalists, are expected to deliver more than $200 in electricity bill savings for the typical consumer over the lifetime of the refrigerator.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On September 7, the House subcommittee in charge of appropriations for housing programs released its draft budget, which if enacted would have both positive and negative consequences for America’s lowest income people.

Boston, MA - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the second year in a row, Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank made more affordable MassHousing home mortgage loans than any other Barnstable County lender.

STRATFORD, CT - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Amidst a sputtering housing market, Stratford’s active adult community of detached, condominium-style homes is enjoying steady sales, and residents there credit Maple Oak Reserve’s built-in sense of community as a key reason for its sales success.

Chicago, IL - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With home values continuing a steep decline, little change in the unemployment rate, and 26 percent of Illinoisans owing more than their home is worth, little has been done to buoy confidence that an economic recovery is at hand. A settlement of the investigations surrounding last year’s robo-signing scandal that, among other things, achieves widespread principal reduction commitments from major servicers, could change that–but only if done carefully.

Topeka, KS - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ten non-profits and public housing authorities statewide will receive approximately $1.1 million in Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to help Kansas families obtain safe, affordable housing of th...

September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Single family building permit activity posted its third consecutive month of improvement over 2010, but July edged downward compared to June, according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. ...

WASHINGTON, DC - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is charging a La Crosse County, Wisconsin landlord with violating the Fair Housing Act for refusing to rent a house to a single mother...

WASHINGTON, DC - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In six cities across the country, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding $13.3 million to stimulate job growth and revitalize unproductive industrial areas known as ‘brownfields.’ The grants announced today, combined with an addition $35 million in federal loan guarantees, will generate total public and private investment in these areas to more than $166 million.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The multifamily housing market continued to show improvement in the second quarter of 2011, as the Multifamily Production Index (MPI) compiled by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) increased for the fourth consecutive quarter.The MPI rose from 41.7 in the first quarter of the year to 44.4 in the second quarter. It is the highest quarterly reading since 2006, and continues the trend of generally improving conditions in the market for new multifamily housing that has emerged since the MPI dropped to a record low of 16.0 in the third quarter of 2008.

San Francisco, CA - September 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced today that it has awarded $1 million in grants through its Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) Program. The grants, which are made through the Bank’s member financial institutions, will be used by nonprofit organizations in Arizona, California, and Nevada for projects and programs that foster economic development and promote community stability and self-sufficiency.

Destin, FL - September 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Volatility in the stock market has diminished confidence in the U.S. housing market from recovering any time soon for the large majority of Americans, according to a new Housing Predictor survey.

Los Angeles, CA - September 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly 1,000 CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) professionals at nearly 20 offices across the U.S. will “Get Out and Give Back” by helping to rebuild housing in their communities in September and October as part of CBRE’s BuildMonth 2011. This annual effort is the signature event of the CBRE Shelter Program, which focuses on providing shelter and housing to individuals in need. The initiative is a cornerstone of the Company’s corporate philanthropy program, CBRE Cares.

Los Angeles, CA - September 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the second largest global real estate services organization, has completed the sale of a 34,320-square-feet mixed use property located at 312 E 1st Street Los Angeles, Calif. The transaction is valued at $3.935 Million.

Washington, D.C. - September 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Last week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a total of $122 million to five communities for the redevelopment of distressed public and assisted housing.

Pittsburgh and New Orleans Among Those Included - September 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its first NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), a new economic index revealing metropolitan areas that have shown improvement for at least six months in three key economic areas—housing permits, employment and housing prices

WASHINGTON, DC - September 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) held a hearing to discuss national mortgage servicing standards. It was the eighth in a series of hearings the Committee has been holding related to housing finance reform.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging Merline and Clifton Hylton, the owner and manager of a rental home in Windsor Locks, Connecticut with violating the Fair Housing Act for denying a request by biracial tenants to sublease their home to an African American family. The current tenants allege that Mr. Hylton told them he was rejecting the prospective sub-tenants because he “did not want too many blacks at the property.”

MONTPELIER, VT - September 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- "As Vermonters start to rebuild their homes and businesses, we want to help provide the technical and financial assistance necessary to ensure that reconstruction yields healthier, safer, more en...