Housing & Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- David H. Stevens, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, testified today before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs' Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development on "The Need for National Mortgage Servicing Standards."

New Orleans, LA - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced that AIA Document D503™-2011, Guide for Sustainable Projects, including Agreement Amendments and Supplementary Conditions (“Guide”), is now available.

SEATTLE, WA - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- City Council's Committee on the Built Environment today reviews a report on backyard cottage development in Seattle over the past 18 months. In November 2009, Council adopted legislation allowing construction of backyard cottages on eligible lots in single-family zones throughout the City. Fifty-seven units have been permitted since.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell and the Division of Housing and Community Development released the results of a snapshot survey showing Utah’s homeless population during a press conference on W...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Contractors were only able to partially pass on the costs of rising petroleum and metals prices in April, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials said the resulting cost squeeze—a result of sluggish demand for construction—will push more construction employees and firms out of work unless public officials act promptly to encourage public and private investment.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home sales are expected to stay on an uptrend through 2012, although the performance will be uneven with mortgage constraints weighing on the market, according to experts at a residential real estate forum today at the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Three affordable housing developments are the recipients of the HUD Secretary's Housing and Community Design Award for excellence in residential housing design.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Shelby, and Members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to provide an update on the Treasury Department’s implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Las Vegas, NV - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Statistics released today by the Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® (GLVAR) show an increased number of local homes sold in April compared to one year ago.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtors® strive to preserve and expand housing opportunities in communities across the country, and the National Association of Realtors® supported many of these efforts through the Ira Gribin Workforce Housing Grants. NAR issued a final report, “Tackling Workforce Housing State by State,” on the grant program results today at the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market was markedly more upbeat in the first quarter of 2011 for apartment production and demand than for sales of single-family or condominium homes, according to a new survey released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).The NAHB’s expected demand index for 55+ multifamily rental units rose 10 points, to 44, from a year earlier, while the 55+ Housing Market Indices for single-family units and condos declined 2 and 3 points, down to 17 and 8, respectively.

Leesburg, VA - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Loudoun County has been awarded its first LEED-certified Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC) for a county government capital project. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally-recognized green building certification system

BEDFORD, N.H. - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- At its recent meeting, New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority’s Board of Directors approved the commitment of nearly $3 million in federal tax credits that will be used to support construction of 21...

Seattle, WA - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The City of Seattle sent letters to more than 800 large commercial property owners and managers today informing them about a new citywide program designed to help owners and managers assess and improve building energy efficiency and spur the market for building energy retrofits.

BOSTON, MA - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has awarded $150,000 in financing to help create or preserve affordable sober housing in Sandwich and Tewksbury.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Fannie Mae's latest national housing survey finds that Americans expressed more cautious optimism during the first quarter of 2011 than in the fourth quarter of 2010, but they continue to lack confidence in the overall strength of the housing market and economic recovery. The First-Quarter 2011 Fannie Mae National Housing Survey polled homeowners and renters between January 2011 and March 2011. Findings were compared to similar surveys conducted throughout 2010 and December 2003.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Tennessee and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, tornadoes, and straight-line winds last month.

Washington, D.C. - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland signed into law the state’s adoption of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) enabling the adoption of the IGCC by all local governments across the state. This law is a result of legislative debate – and Maryland is the first state in the nation to make such a collective commitment to the importance of well-built buildings in addressing some of today’s biggest challenges

Washington, DC - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The pendulum on mortgage credit has swung too far in the other direction after the recent housing downturn and is putting an unnecessary burden on creditworthy consumers, impeding the economic and housing market recoveries. That’s what a panel of industry experts told several thousand Realtors® gathered at a special symposium, Ensuring Mortgage Availability for Creditworthy Homebuyers, during the Realtors® 2011 Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C., here through May 14.

Washington, DC - May 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Reforms to America’s housing finance market must ensure a reliable source of affordable mortgage lending for creditworthy consumers. That’s according to Realtors® and other industry insiders who examined the federal government’s future role in the secondary mortgage market at the “Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac: Obama Options and Beyond” session during the National Association of Realtors® 2011 Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, here through May 14.