WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Commercial and multifamily mortgage origination volumes increased 44 percent in 2010 over the previous year, with mortgage bankers reporting $118.8 billion of closed commercial and multifamily loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's 2010 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance: Annual Origination Volume Summation.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to Atoka County in Oklahoma and provide support to homeowners and low-income ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On April 22, 2011, an administrator working for the Federal Trade Commission mailed 3,162 refund checks to borrowers allegedly harmed by Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc. and Howard D. Kootstra. The refund checks stem from a lawsuit the FTC filed against Golden Empire and Kootstra, alleging that they illegally charged Hispanic consumers higher prices for mortgage loans than non-Hispanic white consumers – price disparities that could not be explained by the applicants’ credit characteristics or underwriting risk.

Washington, DC - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency today reported that the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders, used as an index in some ARM contracts, was 4.84 percent based on loans closed in March. This is an increase of 0.05 percent from the previous month.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will host its Semi-Annual Construction Forecast Conference on Wednesday, April 27, in a two-hour webinar from 2:00-4:00 p.m. featuring three renowned industry experts.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 300,000 units in March, the U.S. Commerce Department reported today. The gain partially offsets a large decline that occurred in new-home sales this February, when activity hit a record low due partly to poor weather conditions."The fact that new-home sales have regained some of the ground they lost earlier this year is a promising sign at the start of the spring home buying season," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "While potential buyers continue to be extremely cautious, they are starting to take a look around and evaluate their very good options with regard to attractively priced new homes."

Destin, FL - April 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Every time someone wins investing on Wall Street another investor loses. That may also be closer to reality investing in real estate these days, according to a new survey.

DENVER, CO - April 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- RE/MAX, LLC today announced the promotion of a key executive as the Denver-based global franchisor continues its commitment to build and maintain a strong and dynamic management team. Mike Ryan will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Global Communications and Branding and will take the lead on the company’s expansion into Distressed Property projects, oversee government relations efforts and continue to supervise Brand Marketing, RE/MAX University, Event Management and Corporate Communications.

New York, NY - April 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In the last 8 years single women buying homes has raised 50%. They now account for 22% of all home sales, an estimated 1.5 million home sales. Single women consists of women of all ages and walks of life including age ranges of 20's through seniors, divorced women, single moms, & childless women.

COLUMBIA, MD - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Right in time for Earth Day, Enterprise Green Communities (Enterprise) has awarded $150,000 to owners of affordable housing for resident engagement programs. The programs will provide residents with practical and cost-effective practices for everyday usage that will extend the benefits of their green homes. Through a grant from The Home Depot Foundation, Enterprise awarded six organizations $25,000 each. Awards will be used to develop tools to encourage residents including children and seniors to properly operate and maintain their green homes.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has just released national data showing that the number of homeless people was essentially unchanged from 2009 to 2010. The number, based on counts conducted by localities and states across the nation in January 2010 (called Point-In-Time [PIT] counts), went from 643,067 to 649,879, an increase of one percent. However, there was a three percent increase in the number of homeless people who were unsheltered.

WASHINGTON, DC - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Las Vegas man was arrested yesterday on charges that he defrauded distressed homeowners in Las Vegas who were attempting to refinance or adjust their home mortgages, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.

COLUMBUS, OH - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Board approved $1.9 million in funding through the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) to provide flexible, low-interest financing for affordable housing developments on Wednesday. Funding for HDAP comes from the federal HOME program and the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF).

BURLINGTON VT - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Renting an apartment in Vermont continues to grow more difficult for the average Vermonter, according to a report released today.

HARRISBURG, PA - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today announced the keynote speakers for its 2011 Commonwealth Housing Forum set for May 5 and 6 in Harrisburg.

BISMARCK, ND - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission announced today that the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) has granted conditional commitments for $2.9 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for constr...

BISMARCK, ND - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission announced today that the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) has granted conditional commitments for $2.9 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for construction or rehabilitation of 258 affordable housing units.

BISMARCK, ND - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission today approved distribution of more than $200,000 by the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) through the Helping Housing Across North Dakota (Helping HAND) program.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that this afternoon, a federal jury convicted Albuquerque real estate agent Kevin Powers, 51, of 17 counts of wire fraud in connection with an unlawful scheme to defraud mortgage lenders and to obtain over $5.5 million in loan proceeds through false pretenses, misrepresentations, and omissions. At sentencing, Powers faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine on each count of conviction. Powers remains on release under pretrial supervision pending his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for July 18, 2011.

Los Angeles, CA - April 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today announced that it has certified its 100th building under the LEED® for Existing Buildings rating system, demonstrating the company’s industry leadership and satisfying a 2007 commitment to achieve 100 building certifications in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED program. CB Richard Ellis is the first manager of commercial property to have 100 buildings certified under the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system.