Housing & Development

WASHINGTON, DC - June 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and tornadoes two weeks ago.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $26.7 million in “sweat equity” grants to produce at least 1,500 affordable homes for low-income individuals and families. Funded through HUD’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), the funding awarded today, along with the labor contributed by these households, will significantly lower the cost of homeownership.

La Jolla, CA. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Bay Area housing market in May posted modest month-to-month gains in sales and median prices, but those same measures fell sharply from year-ago levels, which had been pumped up artificially by homebuyer tax credits. Move-up buying and new-home sales were especially weak last month, while the share of sales involving distressed properties, cash buyers and investors remained far above normal, a real estate information service reported.

WICHITA, KS - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --- Over 500 developers, city planners, business leaders, housing advocates and community development professionals are set to converge on Wichita this August for the 2011 Kansas Housing Conference. The si...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Thank you very much for inviting me this evening. Reforming housing finance is a key priority for the Obama Administration, and it is great to be meeting with a group that focuses specifically on this area. I’m glad to have the opportunity to talk about the Administration’s views and hear some of your thoughts on how we can best move forward.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the May edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard. New to this month’s report are detailed assessments for the 10 largest mortgage servicers participating in the Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program, setting a new industry benchmark for disclosure on servicer assistance to struggling homeowners.

LITTLE ROCK, AR - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeowners rebuilding after the spring storms or planning for future emergencies can receive valuable information from specialists with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at two Arkan...

June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Turner Construction Company announced that the Second Quarter 2011 Turner Building Cost Index has slightly increased over the First Quarter of 2011. The Turner Building Cost Index measures costs in the non-residential building construction market in the United States. The Turner Building Cost Index of 811 reflects a 0.62% increase from the First Quarter 2011 and 1.63% increase from the Second Quarter 2010.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- After holding at a low but steady level for the past six months, builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes declined three points in June to a reading of 13 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. The last time the index was this low was in September of 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As Congress looks into mandating E-Verify, a voluntary Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S., the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today urged lawmakers to ensure it is a fair, efficient and workable system and noted that this should be only one component in achieving comprehensive immigration reform.Testifying on the "Legal Workforce Act" (H.R. 2164) before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, Barry Rutenberg, first vice chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that Congress should not end its efforts to address immigration issues after considering a compulsory E-Verify program for all U.S. employers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As Congress looks into mandating E-Verify, a voluntary Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S., the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today urged lawmakers to ensure it is a fair, efficient and workable system and noted that this should be only one component in achieving comprehensive immigration reform.Testifying on the "Legal Workforce Act" (H.R. 2164) before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, Barry Rutenberg, first vice chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that Congress should not end its efforts to address immigration issues after considering a compulsory E-Verify program for all U.S. employers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly three out of four American voters believe that it is reasonable and appropriate for the federal government to provide tax incentives to promote homeownership, a sentiment that cuts across partisan and regional lines across the country, according to a recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

WASHINGTON, DC - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that a HUD Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) has ordered a Marshall County, Alabama, landlord to pay $49,165 in damages and penalties for violating the Fair Housing Act. HUD initially charged Phillip and Opal Maze, respectively the rental manager and owner of a Marshall County mobile home, with discriminating based on race in December 2009. In an order that became final on May 25, 2011, the ALJ found that Phillip Maze discriminated against a white family and an African American man because one of the family members was dating the African American man

WASHINGTON, DC - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to its latest national homeless assessment, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports the number of homeless persons in the U.S. held steady between 2009 and 2010, despite the economic downturn. For the first time, HUD’s annual report reveals how the Recovery Act’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) helped to mitigate homelessness in America, assisting nearly 700,000 persons in the first year of the program

Destin, FL - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an overwhelming show of force, Americans say they want a Great Depression era act readopted by Congress to halt the possibility of another financial crisis

Austin, TX - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today BuildFax unveiled its BuildFax Remodeling Index (BFRI) for April 2011 and it shows that the beginning of spring had many across the country remodeling and renovating their homes. Today’s report reveals continued year-over-year gains, with data demonstrating that consumers are continuing to invest in remodeling, even while the economy continues to struggle and the real-estate market continues to experience sales decreases coast to coast. In addition, the Index reveals that there were 10 percent more remodels in April 2011 compared to April 2004, the first month tracked by the Index.

New York, NY - June 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City Housing Authority Chairman John Rhea, Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Matthew M. Wambua, New York Yankee Mark Teixeira and Harlem RBI Executive Director Rich Berlin today announced a partnership to develop a landmark, mixed-use facility in East Harlem that will include approximately 90 new affordable housing units, the DREAM Charter School and Harlem RBI’s program and office space. Scheduled to open for the 2014-2015 school year, the new school space will accommodate up to 450 students between kindergarten and eighth grade. The announcement took place on Harlem RBI’s Field of Dreams in East Harlem, where the Mayor was also joined by Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, parents and students from DREAM Charter School and Harlem RBI program participants and alumni.

LOPATCONG, N.J. - June 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Larken Associates is pleased to announce its rebranded signature series of active adult communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania which will cater to the growing number of 55-plus homebuyers looking for resort-style living, magnificent homes, desirable locations and value-driven pricing.

BOSTON, MA - June 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following up on concerns from tenant-rights groups in Western and Central Massachusetts, the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation is urging tenants of tornado-damaged homes to make careful decisions when deciding whether or not to break their lease.

FRANKFORT, KY - June 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The State Property and Buildings Commission (SPBC) will hold a meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1 p.m. in Room 182 of the Capitol Annex, Frankfort, Ky.