NEW YORK, N.Y. - December 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates climbed higher this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rising to 5.02 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.44 discount and origination points.

McLean, VA - December 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which saw all but the 1-year ARM rise. This brings 30-year mortgage rates back to levels seen in May of this year, while the 15-year ties levels not seen since June. Even so, mortgage rates remain incredibly low

Washington, DC - December 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) --Pending home sales rose again in November, with the broad trend over the past five months indicating a gradual recovery into 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors®

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A fanciful castle, two major hotel renovations and a medical office that features a nod to local historic architectural styles are among the winners in this year’s National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Awards of Excellence.“Even as we recover from the economic slump in the commercial building sector, the best projects in the industry continue to impress the judges for their innovation, efficient use of materials and overall construction excellence,” said Carl Harris, chair of the NAHB’s National Commercial Builder Council, which sponsors the awards each year

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ - December 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- During Diane Turton, Realtors’ sixth annual Turton Giving Tree project, the company collected unwrapped toys and gifts for local children who are in need as well as monetary donations that will go towards feeding needy families in the area.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Justice Department today announced a $1.25 million agreement with Warren Properties Inc., Warren Village (Mobile) Limited Partnership and Frank R. Warren to settle allegations that the defendants violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a tenant’s requests for a reasonable accommodation. This settlement is the largest ever obtained by the department in an individual housing discrimination case.

Des Moines, IA - December 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Communities throughout the state of South Dakota were recently awarded $2.6 million in affordable housing grants through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Affordable Housing Program (AHP)....

Washington, D.C. - December 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Proposed changes to home lending rules from the Federal Reserve Board not only exceed its authority, but could actually encourage predatory lending targeted at the elderly.

EUGENE, OR - December 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mobile, Alabama real estate Alexa Kennedy has chosen to upgrade her professional website by adding a custom IDX solution to her search page, thanks to IDX, Inc. and the IDX Broker software they supply to her. Gulf Coast Alabama MLS (GCAMLS) listings are automatically synced to her search capabilities, with the dynamic IDX solution Kennedy now employs. Finding homes online was once a daunting and incomplete task. But now, with IDX Broker, home seekers can experience the most thorough and efficient online search from the convenience of the website of Kennedy.

Washington, DC - December 28, 2010 - (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 4.42 percent based on loans closed in November. This is a decrease of 0.07 percent from the previous month.

Chicago, IL - December 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of REALTORS® has invested in Ifbyphone through its strategic investment fund, Second Century Ventures. As part of the arrangement, NAR is also collaborating with Ifbyphone to develop solutions that enhance voice interactions for its more than 1.1 million REALTOR® members.

Washington, DC - December 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- 2010 has been a year of real estate contrasts. While many consumers have taken advantage of historic buying opportunities and the market has seen a gradual stabilization of sales and prices, other challenges facing the nation have led some to question the value of home ownership for families, communities, and the country.

BOSTON, MA - December 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston announced that a Manchester initiative will receive more than $2.1 million through its Affordable Housing Program. These funds, awarded in the form of a grant, loan, and interest-rate subsidy, will be used to finance 26 units of affordable rental housing for formerly homeless veterans earning at or below 50 percent of area median income.

BEDFORD, N.H. - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- New Hampshire Housing’s Single Family Mortgage Program will soon be celebrating 35 years of service! To help mark this milestone, the agency is seeking success stories from its current and past clients to show the world how this program has allowed real people to achieve their dreams.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates pulled back slightly this week, with the average rate on the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate receding to 4.96 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.46 discount and origination points.

McLean, VA - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its (PMMS®), which found that both fixed-rate mortgage rates eased slightly this week. The 5-year hybrid ARM dropped back slightly, but the 1-year ARM rates were up

McLean, VA - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today issued the company's Monthly Volume Summary for November 2010. The summary, available on the company's Web site at, provides information on Freddie Mac's mortgage-related portfolios, securities issuance, risk management and delinquencies, including data on seriously delinquent mortgage loans in related mortgage Participation Certificate (PC) pools.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes increased 5.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 290,000 units in November, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. The gain represents a partial bounce-back from a near-record low, downwardly revised number of new-home sales in October.

MONROE, LA - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Governor Bobby Jindal joined Benchmark Bank Chairman and CEO Mike Barnett, Affiliated Mortgage Co. President Dan Hastings and Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo to announce that Benchmark Bank’s subsidiary, Affiliated Mortgage Company (AMC) of West Monroe, has committed to retain and expand its operations in Northeast Louisiana.

Alexandria, VA - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The initial period for federal registration of residential mortgage loan originators under the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (“SAFE Act”), 12 U.S.C. 5101–5116, is expected to begin on or around January 31, 2011, and end on or around July 29, 2011. The National Credit Union Administration, along with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Board, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Office of Thrift Supervision, and Farm Credit Administration will publish an announcement on our respective Web sites confirming the start date of this registration period shortly before the period begins, followed by a notice published in the Federal Register

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) officially opened the newly renovated South Beach Addiction Treatment Center (ATC) on Staten Island today.

Imagine sitting in your cosy lounge, sipping tea while the rain patters softly outside. All seems right with the world—until you spot a faint watermark snaking across your ceiling. That seemingly innocent stain might be the first whisper of a hidden issue that could cost thousands in repairs.

Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) made the following statement regarding the data from the Point-in-Time Count released by the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness: “I’m encouraged by the decrease in the number of families and veterans who are unsheltered.

If you’d told me ten years ago that Auckland would become one of the busiest home renovation markets in the Southern Hemisphere, I might’ve raised an eyebrow. Fast forward to 2025, and I’m sitting in back-to-back meetings with homeowners looking to reimagine the spaces they’ve lived in for decades.

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