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COLUMBIA, S.C. - April 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR) today released its March 2011 Market Reports. On the housing supply front, the largest gain occurred in the $100,000 and Below rage, with an increase of 8.8 percent to 12,420 units; while Pending Sales in the state were down 7.4 percent from the same period one year prior.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Some of the nation’s leading housing professionals will offer insight into basic federal housing programs that are used today to assist low and moderate income persons during a three-day co...

April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Contractors’ financial position grew more precarious in March as prices for key materials escalated while prices construction firms charge for completed projects stayed flat, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials said contractors’ inability to pass costs along imperils the industry’s comeback and urged federal officials to act on a series of recovery measures the group outlined last month.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House and Senate are set to vote today on a budget deal that cuts nearly $40 billion from non-defense discretionary programs. Members of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF), a coalition of 72 national affordable housing and community development groups, believe those cuts should not come at the expense of low income households who cannot afford housing or from communities that desperately need assistance. In reality, lawmakers have proposed exactly that by cutting HUD’s budget 6.4% below the FY10 funding levels.

Upper Marlboro, MD - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Now more than ever, homebuyers are looking for homes that are comfortable year-round with no hot and cold spots, healthy indoor air quality, and lower operating and maintenance costs. A home built to the National Green Building Standard and third-party certified by the NAHB Research Center delivers all the benefits homebuyers are looking for in a new home in a cost-effective way.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The following statement was issued by the Center for Responsible Lending, the Community Mortgage Banking Project, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Mortgage Insurance Companies of America, the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Realtors in advance of the April 14th House Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises hearing on the Qualified Residential Mortgage:“In the midst of a very fragile housing recovery, the government is throwing a devastating, unnecessary and very expensive wrench into the American dream. First time homebuyers will have to choose between higher rates today or a 9-14 year delay while they save up the necessary down payment. And 25 million current homeowners would be locked out of lower refinancing rates because they lack the required 25 percent equity in their homes.”

Washington, DC - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- To create jobs by encouraging private, rather than public, investment in the troubled housing market, Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and Congressman Mike Coffman (R-CO) today introduced the Investme...

PELLA, IA - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Sun., April 17, episode of ABC television network’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (EMHE) will include energy-efficient Pella windows and doors donated by Pella Windows & Doors. The episode will air at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on ABC-TV.

Incline Village, NV - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- With a firm footing in both the Lake Tahoe and the Reno real estate markets, Chase International realtor Sandi Solomonson was the perfect choice to discuss current housing trends on a regionally televised talk show. As a guest on Lawyers, Guns and Money, Solomonson’s television debut will be aired on Reno’s KRNV on April 24, 4:30 p.m., channel 4 and Tuesday, April 26, 10:30 p.m., channel 3.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev., issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s speech today at George Washington University on deficit reduction:“President Obama today reiterated the importance of tax policy in promoting homeownership but endorsed limiting itemized deductions, including the mortgage interest deduction. Home owners cannot afford higher taxes at a time when the housing market is struggling to recover and contribute to economic growth.

Washington, D.C. - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The projects will be honored at the AIA 2011 National Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans.

April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In his speech today on deficit reduction, President Barack Obama described his vision of the American Dream, saying, “Each one of us deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.” Noting that the mounting national debt could not be reduced solely through cuts to the 12% of the budget that accounts for non-security discretionary spending, the President offered reforms to spending on health care, security, and discretionary programs, and to the tax code.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced his appointment of 10 outstanding professionals to posts in the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHDC) and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Board of Trustees.

April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An energy efficiency program that has saved North Carolinians more than $1.5 million in utility costs has helped the N.C. Housing Finance Agency win a national award for its leadership in promoting high energy standards for affordable housing. The Environmental Protection Agency will present its Energy Star Excellence Award to the North Carolina agency in Washington, DC, April 12.

BISMARCK, ND - April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) is soliciting pre-applications for funding that can be used to purchase foreclosed, abandoned or vacant property in targeted communities in order to redevelop that property into safe, decent and affordable housing. The Agency is giving preference to applications that create rental units.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing is collecting entries for a competition to recognize leadership and creativity in the provision of housing for America’s working families.

April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Late last week, budget negotiators struck a last-minute deal on the FY11 budget to reduce federal spending by $38.5 billion. This budget deal averted a government shutdown.

HOUSTON, TX - April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Del Webb Sweetgrass, a community for active adults over the age of 55, welcomed 3,000 visitors during its grand opening weekend event. That number of prospective homebuyers in one day is typically seen over the course of several months in other communities in the Greater Houston area. The result of the high traffic and visitors since its grand opening has resulted in more than half of the new home sites being sold out in the neighborhood’s first phase.

Dover, DE - April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Delaware Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart, CIR-ML, through a letter sent by her Department to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), expressed serious concerns regarding an Advance Notice ...

Washington DC - April 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Three winners emerged today from the global collaborative competition: Sustainable Urban Housing: Collaborating for Liveable and Inclusive Cities competition, hosted by Ashoka’s Changemakers, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation. The competition identifies innovative solutions for providing sustainable, energy efficient housing in a way that unleashes economic opportunities for the urban poor, and builds smarter, cleaner cities around the world