Washington, D.C. - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Citigroup’s principal U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary with misleading investors about a $1 billion collateralized debt obligation (CDO) tied to the U.S. housing market in which Citigroup bet against investors as the housing market showed signs of distress. The CDO defaulted within months, leaving investors with losses while Citigroup made $160 million in fees and trading profits.

Crystal Beach, FL - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch is set to host the coming community office hours program on October 19, 2011, Wednesday, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the conference room of St. Petersburg ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts rose 15 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 658,000 units in September, marking the strongest pace of residential construction since April of 2010, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. The gain was largely attributed to a sharp increase on the multifamily side, which has been trending upward due to increased demand for rental apartments.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- NAHB Remodelers named Mike Nagel, CGR, CAPS, of Men at Work Chicago, the 2011 Remodeler of the Year in recognition of his professional remodeling achievements and support of industry professionalism. The award was given at the NAHB Remodelers awards gala held last week during the Remodeling Show in Chicago.

GARDINER, ME - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bureau of Financial Institutions’ Superintendent Lloyd P. LaFountain, III has released results from a quarterly survey covering residential mortgage loans held by Maine’s 32 state-chartered bank...

TOPEKA, KS - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) has awarded approximately $1.9 million in Homeowner Rehabilitation (HR) grants to eleven communities to facilitate the renovation, accessibility and weather...

Jackson, MS - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Finding ways to stay warm with the arrival of the first cold weather of the year greatly increases the risk for home heating fires. Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney urges ...

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier today in federal court, a Minnesota couple was indicted in connection with a $5 million mortgage fraud scheme. James Warren Hoffman, age 51, and his wife, Teresa Gay Hoffman, age 52, both...

ANCHORAGE, AK - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) awarded $1.7 million in additional funding to two non-profit intermediary agencies to administer the HOME Opportunity Program (HOP). HOP provides principal...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications decreased 14.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 14, 2011, which included the Columbus Day holiday.

NORFOLK, VA - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- For Rent Media Solutions™, a leading resource for apartment searches nationwide and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has reached an educational milestone. Nadeen Green, Senior Counsel at For Rent Media Solutions™, presented her 1,000 and 1,001 fair housing presentations this week.

Los Angeles, CA - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Newsweek, a leading U.S. weekly newsmagazine, has ranked CBRE Group, Inc. the greenest real estate company in its 2011 Green Rankings. The list measures the environmental performance of the 500 largest U.S.-based publicly traded companies. The ranking is based on each company's environmental impact, management and disclosure efforts.

Philadelphia, PA - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The 32BJ Bargaining Committee tonight announced a tentative agreement on a four-year contract, subject to ratification, covering more than 2,600 of Philadelphia’s building service workers that...

Washington, D.C. - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following the first positive score in four months, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reversed direction again in September. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the September ABI score was 46.9, following a score of 51.4 in August. This score reflects a sharp decrease in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 54.3, down from a reading of 56.9 the previous month

Marco Island, FL - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida home seekers can now experience an online property search like never before, on the joint venture between IDX, Inc. and real estate broker Kent Hedrick. Now, Hedrick hosts his own custom...

EUGENE, OR - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Paz Global Real Estate and realtor Enrique Inurrieta have joined with IDX, Inc. to increase the visibility and efficiency of the Aventura, Florida online real estate search. The IDX solution Inurrieta...

EUGENE, OR - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and Bethany Wilcox are pleased to announce the addition of an innovative IDX solution to the Focus Real Estate Group, Inc. website. IDX Broker software extracts raw listing data directly fro...

Torrance, CA - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lee & Associates, the nation’s largest broker-owned commercial brokerage firm, has completed the $1.95 million sale of a 7,068-square-foot, single-story, pre-school facility located at 10 Mar...

EUGENE, OR - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. is pleased to welcome Joe Spake of Revid Realty to the growing network of real estate professionals dedicated to serving their clients and their realty needs by creating a helpful and easy-t...

NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier this year, The Marketing Directors, Inc. successfully leased the 44-home luxury rental building at 1100 Jefferson Street in Hoboken, NJ in just 12 weeks. Now the Manhattan-based marketing and sales/leasing firm has been brought back by Ursa Development to launch the community's second phase of homes.

A new follow-up study conducted by economists from MetroSight – sponsored by the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) – shows that some housing regulations increase the cost of rent, particularly for lower-income renters and those renting from small multifamily properties.

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led 12 Democratic senators in reintroducing the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act, legislation that aims to support middle-class Americans purchasing their first home. The bill would establish a refundable tax credit worth up to 10 percent of a home’s purchase price – up to a maximum of $15,000 – for first-time homebuyers.

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) today issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to solicit interest from partners with development projects on private land, exploring the expansion of public development opportunities that could serve low-income New Yorkers.

Community members interested in an opportunity to give back can now volunteer as a driver for meal delivery service to homebound seniors throughout New Hanover County. Weekdays, the Senior Resource Center’s Nutrition Program serves more than 700 seniors daily as part of its Home Delivered Meals Program.

The Equal Rights Center (ERC), the premier fair housing organization representing the greater Washington, D.C. region, today filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against JAG Management Company (JAG) and Jefferson Apartment Group, the companies behind several luxury residential properties across the District.

Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) joined the Urban League of Greater Philadelphia yesterday to spotlight $750,000 in federal funding he secured for the organization to develop a new permanent satellite office serving North Philadelphia.

Safety is the foundation of successful residential treatment centers and therapeutic schools. For adolescents and young adults facing emotional, behavioral, or psychological issues, healing depends on feeling safe physically and emotionally. When students trust their safety is met, they are more likely to engage in therapy, build relationships, and develop coping skills.

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation alongside U.S. Senators Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) to increase technology transfer at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), allowing for small-diameter trees to be turned into wood products for timber companies to purchase and put to commercial use, generating revenue for the USFS, instead of being disposed of as waste

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) is alerting consumers about the dangers of television (TV) tip-over hazards. Millions of New Yorkers will watch the Super Bowl this Sunday either on TVs at home or at parties with friends. DCP is taking this TV-focused occasion to remind consumers of critical TV safety tips.

Fast-growing Florida has been a favorite of real estate investors for many years. With so much interest having been focused on the state, though, investors need to take care to seek the best available opportunities.

Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito today announced that the Senator Walter J. Mahoney State Office Building located at 65 Court Street in Buffalo will be sold at auction in 2020. A work group formed earlier this year made up of City, County, and State officials working with professional real estate consultants CBRE, determined that in the current competitive and robust Buffalo real estate market

The Bureau of Land Management today announced that Karen Mouritsen has been named the new California State Director—a key leadership position based in Sacramento. As State Director, Mouritsen will direct a team that manages lands encompassing 15% of the Golden State’s total land mass

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) today announced the opening of the new JLC Recovery and Wellness Center in New York City. JLC is operated by Exponents Inc. and provides free help and support services for people affected by addiction and for their families.

In spite of a robust U.S. economy, a strong employment rate, and steadily increasing 401(k) plan earnings, Black homeownership rates continue to drop. Drawing from the 2019 release of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asked the Department of the Interior about its commitment to the Yakima River Basin during a hearing on the president’s FY 2017 budget request. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor agreed with Sen. Cantwell that the Yakima River Basin plan “is a model for the rest of the nation in water management.”

“Consumers Energy is thankful to be a part of holiday celebrations across the state as warm Thanksgiving memories are being made, and we are committed to providing many more generations of Michigan families with reliable, affordable energy in all seasons,” said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy’s vice president and chief customer officer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Six federal financial regulatory agencies today issued a final rule that creates exemptions from certain appraisal requirements for a subset of higher-priced mortgage loans. The exemptions are intended to save borrowers time and money while still ensuring that the loans are financially sound

Atlanta, Georgia - November 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“Department”) entered into a Consent Order with Equity Loans, LLC, License Number 23300, located at 1150 Hammond Dr., Building E, Suite 650, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, to resolve allegations pertaining to violations of the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act