WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday issued a final rule and requested public comment on a second rule under Regulation Z to revise the escrow account requirements for certain home mortgage loans. The revisions to the regulation, which implements the Truth in Lending Act (TILA), are being made pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. house prices fell in the fourth quarter of 2010 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) seasonally adjusted purchase-only house price index (HPI). The HPI, calculated using home sales price information from Fannie Mae- and Freddie Mac-acquired mortgages, was 0.8 percent lower on a seasonally adjusted basis in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter of 2010. The unadjusted national decline was 2.2 percent. Over the past year, seasonally adjusted prices fell 3.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of 2010

Washington, DC - February 24, 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 4.71 percent based on loans closed in January. This is an increase of 0.13 percent from the previous month.

McLean, VA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) announced today that it will not issue a Reference Notes® security on February 24, 2011. The company’s 2011 Reference Notes calendar designates dates that it may use to announce the issuance of Reference Notes securities.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Akinola George, 40, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bank fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank/mail fraud in a scheme that led to $2.4 million in losses.

Torrance, CA - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Michel Hibbert, senior managing director of Charles Dunn Company’s West Los Angeles office, has closed on the sale of a 14,820-squarefoot Walgreens at 123 E. Belleview Ave., in Englewood, Colo. T...

Alpharetta, GA - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeside Properties, Inc., an Associa company, recently expanded its already diverse company profile by adding six new community associations to its client portfolio.

Washington, D.C. - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The NAIOP Research Foundation has made individual state reports available that detail the state's data for commercial construction spending, employment and personal earnings in a 2009 vs. 2007 comparison.

February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Turner Construction Company announced Karen Gould, 46, has joined the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. As the leader of Turner’s finance organization; Karen is responsible for building upon the finance teams’ strengths and keeping them consistent with the company’s focus and commitment towards people and customer service. In addition, Karen is responsible for maintaining the company’s strong balance sheet and providing strategic evaluations of growth opportunities and creating value for stakeholders

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications increased 13.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 18, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Housing Law Project, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and the Housing Justice Network have petitioned the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to stop forcing lenders to give misleading and deceptive information to tenants in foreclosed homes – information that leads tenants to forego rights guaranteed to them by the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA)

Washington, DC - February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The uptrend in existing-home sales continues, with January sales rising for the third consecutive month with a pace that is now above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS

February 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A home is a vital component for many families and single individuals alike. A home consists of many different components and regions, all of which must be put together immaculately and in perfect order to make your home as comfortable as it can be. Hire-a-contractor-now.com is a website which is capable of advising and selling products with which one can complete home repairs and improvements.

Upper Marlboro, MD - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Murphy’s Run, a 42-site residential development in Cecil County, Md., is the 2,000th project nationwide to be certified by the NAHB Research Center to the exacting resource conservation requirements of the National Green Building Standard. It is the 12th green development certified by the Research Center in its National Green Building Certification Program. In total, this milestone certification now represents more than 3,200 individual residential units and developments for the national program

BISMARCK, ND - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Industrial Commission of North Dakota and the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) honored former bond counsel Maurice “Maury” E. Cook at the 20th Annual Statewide Housing Conference. Cook was recognized for his visionary leadership in the creation of the Housing Finance Agency and for his dedicated service to the state of North Dakota.

BEDFORD, N.H. - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority recently named its “Top 10” loan originators for 2010. These individuals originated more than 146 loans and generated over $23 million in first-time...

February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Homeowners in the Seattle-Tacoma, Wash., metro area paid a median of $1,576 in monthly housing costs in 2009, compared with $1,019 for renters, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Renters, however, typically paid a higher percentage of their household income on housing costs than did owners (30 percent compared with 23 percent). These figures come from the 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS), which provides extensive data on the quality and characteristics of the housing supply in selected metropolitan areas around the nation. Data for these areas are published on a rotating basis. In addition to Seattle, data were released today for the New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Northern New Jersey, and Detroit metro areas.

February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) awarded $36.6 million in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grants in the second round of its 2010 funding competition. The grants approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors in AHP Round B were awarded to 60 projects that address the affordable housing needs of communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Washington, and will produce or preserve 3,213 housing units that are affordable to lower-income individuals and families. The total amount of AHP funds awarded in 2010 is $69.1 million.

AUSTIN, TX - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- HomeAway® , Inc. – the world’s leading network of online vacation rentals – today announced the launch of its HomeAway Vacation Rental Search Application for Android. The app, developed by Mobiata, creators of the popular travel applications FlightTrack and TripDeck, enables travelers to search, filter and share the more than 230,000 global vacation rental listings available on HomeAway.com. Android users can now download the application for free from the Android Market.

NORFOLK, VA - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- For Rent Media Solutions™, a leading resource for searching apartments nationwide and a division of Dominion Enterprises, announced today that ForRent.com, the company’s anchor web site, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Oodle, whose Marketplace on Facebook and Oodle.com has more than 14 million monthly unique users. Under this partnership, ForRent.com customers will enhance its presence within the Marketplace by having its listings integrated with its Facebook Page and social graph of fans. This enhanced exposure on Facebook and in Marketplace will drive new leads and referrals to ForRent.com customers.

Considering a renovation or new build in Auckland? Discover why choosing local builders can make all the difference to your project’s success. From navigating council consents to understanding local conditions, Auckland-based builders like Build Unlimited bring unique advantages that save time, money, and stress.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded initiative will provide loans and technical assistance to four community land trusts seeking to expand their housing portfolios and organizational capacity?

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28) led 27 California Delegation Members in a letter sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urging the agency to conduct comprehensive soil testing and establish a remediation program for properties impacted by the devastating Eaton and Palisades Fires in Los Angeles County.

New analysis from CIH shows that reaching EPC Band C in social housing would save the NHS over £85 million per year from 2030. CIH is calling on the government to invest a minimum of £5 billion in retrofitting social housing at the forthcoming Spending Review to help realise these savings

The strategic process of buying 2nd property in Singapore represents the critical inflection point where ordinary income-earners separate themselves from true wealth builders who understand the power of leverage and asset acquisition. I'm going to be BRUTALLY HONEST with you—while most people are obsessing over saving a few percentage points on their mortgage interest rate

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) hosted a wildfire recovery housing roundtable and press conference to address the housing needs of survivors displaced by January’s devastating Eaton Fire. The roundtable brought together local nonprofits, housing advocates, and government officials from every level to discuss obstacles her constituents are facing in finding stable, affordable housing in their own communities.

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