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WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 38, allowing the chair of the House Budget Committee to set nondefense discretionary spending to FY08 levels or lower for FY11. This could result in a spending reduction of more than $60 billion in the current fiscal year, hurting all Americans and disproportionately impacting those in the greatest need.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bob Peterson, president of Associates in Building & Design, Ltd. (ABD) in Ft. Collins, Colo., was appointed 2011 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers this month during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. As chair for the leading professional organization for residential remodeling, Peterson represents the more than 14,000 remodeling industry members of NAHB."I am honored to represent the interests of professional remodelers and look forward to helping our industry take on the challenges we will face this year as we look to a brighter future ahead," said Peterson. "I am proud of our members, who are the most educated and skilled in the industry, running successful businesses and providing quality remodeling services for home owners across the nation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 17.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 329,000 units in December, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. The big gain, though largely tied to an unexpectedly strong showing in the West, was a welcome boost at the end of a year that had the lowest total number of new-home sales on record (321,000) since the government began keeping track in 1963."After six very tough months, the housing market ended the year on an upbeat, with signs of stabilization beginning to take hold in many markets," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "That said, the nationwide inventory of new homes for sale is now at its thinnest level in more than 40 years. This is a sign that many builders still cannot obtain the credit they need to meet anticipated improvements in buyer demand in 2011."

Dallas, TX - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (CBRE) has announced that it will join Rebuilding Together on Thursday, February 3, to help revitalize a dozen homes in need of repair and perform general community clean-up in the Arlington, Texas, neighborhood of Drummond Drive as a sponsor of the nonprofit‘s 16th annual Kickoff to Rebuild charity event.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new survey conducted by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International shows that BOMA 360 designees are able to document operational savings, develop new policies and procedures, and attract new tenants because of their designation. The BOMA 360 Performance Program is a groundbreaking program designed to recognize commercial properties that demonstrate best practices in building operations and management. Since the program’s inception in Spring 2009, 180 buildings have been designated. The survey was sent to BOMA 360 designees who have had the designation for a year or more.

WASHINGTON, DC – Capitol Hill veteran Cindy Chetti has been named Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC). She will be responsible for developing and implementing strategy for all legislative and regulatory issues of interest to NMHC and its joint legislative partner, the National Apartment Association.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. house prices were unchanged on a seasonally adjusted basis from October to November, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index. The previously reported 0.7 percent increase in October was revised downward to a 0.2 percent increase. For the 12 months ending in November, U.S. prices fell 4.3 percent. The U.S. index is 14.9 percent below its April 2007 peak and roughly the same as the August 2004 index level.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a January 21 letter to White House policy chiefs, the National Housing Trust Fund Campaign called on the Obama Administration to recommend funding for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) in its upcoming report on the future of federal housing finance policy.

ANCHORAGE, AK - January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $3,420,701 in Continuum of Care renewal grants to support 22 local homeless providers across Alaska in the c...

LINCOLN, NB - January 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded Wayne Community Housing Development Corporation (WCHDC) in Wayne, Neb., $350,000 in HOME funding earmarked for Community Housing Deve...

Washington D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to the construction industry’s markedly changed economic conditions and rapid adoption of new technologies and green building goals, ConsensusDOCS today released a comprehensive update to its library of construction contract documents, as well as new contracts.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts declined 4.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000 units in the final month of 2010, according to newly released figures by the U.S. Commerce Department. While this was the slowest pace of starts activity since October 2009, the year-end data indicate that production of new homes improved 6.1 percent in 2010 from the previous year. On another positive note, permit issuance for construction of new homes and apartments rose 16.7 percent in December to a rate of 635,000 units, the strongest pace since March of 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) elected four senior officers to top leadership positions within the federation during the association's International Builders' Show in Orlando.With more than 800 affiliated state and local home builders associations and more than 160,000 members across the country, NAHB is the "voice of the housing industry," representing the interests of the nation's housing professionals through advocacy, education and research

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) today announced southern West Virginia housing programs have been awarded nearly $1.4 million in grant funding for housing assistance to homeless individuals a...

Anchorage, AZ - January 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Qualifying Alaskans will have greater access to homeownership through a $625,000 loan approved by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation board of directors. The loan will allow Fairbanks Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (FNHS) to continue its down-payment assistance loan program for under-served markets and provide assistance to borrowers who would not qualify for home ownership due to income limitations, down-payment requirements, loan-to-values, or other considerations

Washington, DC - January 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced the newly elected officers and new directors to its 2011 Board of Directors. At elections that closed in December, USGBC’s membership elected the following individuals to serve as directors:

Denver, CO - January 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Defying the seasonal trend, December home sales rose by 13.2% from November in a survey of 54 metropolitan areas. Home sales dropped 5.0% from December 2009, but this is the lowest year-over-year drop the survey has seen in five months.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Thanks to strengthening in consumer spending and growing policy clarity at the end of 2010, the economy is finally poised to accelerate and sustain above-par, less volatile growth, according to the January 2011 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae's (FNMA/OTC) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. The economy is expected to grow by 3.6 percent in 2011, compared to an estimated 2.8 percent in 2010. The group expects some increase in housing activity during 2011, however, a growth-oriented view of housing is not expected until 2012.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes held unchanged at a relatively low level of 16 for a third consecutive month in January, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today."As we emerge from the traditionally slow holiday season, builders continue to look for signs of improvement in the economy, home buyer demand and builder and consumer credit conditions," said 2011 NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. "Unfortunately, a severe lack of construction financing, and widespread difficulties in obtaining accurate appraisal values, continue to limit builders' ability to prepare for anticipated improvements in buyer demand in 2011."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Three National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) members, home builders and remodelers who are certifying their projects to the federal Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge program say that affordability, not cutting-edge technology, is key to their ability to seal the deal with home buyers.The builders spoke at press conference during the NAHB International Builders’ Show, which observed its fourth annual Green Day on Jan. 13.