WASHINGTON, December 14, 2007 - The FHA Modernization Act of 2007, passed today by the U.S. Senate, would help protect the interest of America’s current and future homeowners by giving borrowers a safer alternative to riskier mortgage products while also helping many homeowners who may be facing foreclosure, according to the National Association of Realtors

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hitwise, a leading online competitive intelligence service, ranked REALTOR.com as the number one search term used in the real estate industry category during the month of November (1). REALTOR.com accounted for 1.56% of all searches on the Internet in the real estate category, far exceeding the next closest ranking term that captured .91% of all searches in November.

While gambles on up-and-coming neighborhoods and new developments paid off for many real estate investors during the boom, housing markets across the country are now awash with unsold condos and suffering from sluggish sales.

The Federal Reserve announced an agreement Wednesday with four foreign central banks to inject billions of dollars into the world’s financial system to make more money available for big banks to lend to smaller ones.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - December 13, 2007 - Wachovia Bank is ranked highest in customer satisfaction for primary mortgage loan originations in 2007, according to the 2007 Primary Mortgage Origination Study.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it had obtained approval from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to distribute $700,000 in monetary damages to 37 persons with disabilities pursuant to the consent decree entered in United States v. Edward Rose and Sons, et al., a case that was resolved by a consent decree entered in the Eastern District of Michigan in September 2005.

ALLAS, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Behringer Harvard announced today that it has closed on the previously announced acquisition of publicly traded IPC US REIT and its portfolio of 34 U.S. office properties. The transaction, valued at approximately $1.4 billion, includes all of Toronto-based IPC US REIT's subsidiaries at a purchase price of $9.75 per unit, of which approximately $600 million is equity and $800 million is outstanding debt.

Annual capital spending by all U.S. nonfarm businesses on structures and equipment varied cyclically, but went from about $1.05 trillion in 1999 to about $1.15 trillion in 2005, according to the Census Bureau’s

Washington, DC - December 12, 2007 - Senator Judd Gregg, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, has offered an amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill that will help millions of American homeowners hurt by the downturn in the housing market. Senator Gregg had filed the amendment in mid-November.

Washington, DC - December 12, 2007 - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announces the launch of the Education Provider Program (EPP). The program will result in an extensive "course catalog" of top-tier green building educational programs, peer-reviewed and approved by USGBC,

New York, N.Y. - December 11, 2007 - Turner Construction Company, the nation’s leading general builder, today announced that construction costs increase in the Fourth Quarter. According to the Turner Building Cost Index, the Fourth Quarter 2007 Index value is 876 which represents a 1.51 percent increase in construction costs over the Third Quarter 2007 and a 7.09 percent increase over the Fourth Quarter 2006 index.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed, increased 0.6 percent in October, marking the second consecutive monthly gain, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

WASHINGTON - December 10, 2007 - Existing-home sales are projected to trend up in 2008, with pending home sales showing a slight near-term rise, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of Realtors®. However, a recovery for new-home sales is unlikely before 2009.

Real Estate website Fizber.com has launched Google Checkout payments service on their website to speed Real Estate transactions.

WASHINGTON, December 06, 2007 - The National Association of Realtors® today expressed support of President George W. Bush’s efforts to curb the increase in foreclosures due to irresponsible lending practices and complicated mortgage products by allowing modification of certain loans or freezing the interest rates for up to five years

WASHINGTON - December 6, 2007 - Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan issued the following statement today at the Department of the Treasury press conference announcing a plan to assist a key segment of subprime borrowers to modify their mortgages and avoid foreclosures

It’s a turbulent time for many real estate practitioners — but headlines about sluggish sales and tighter financing hardly capture the whole story. More than ever, you need to be up to speed on the wide-ranging phenomena driving today’s dodgy marketplace.

Washington, DC - December 6, 2007 - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the call for papers for educational sessions at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, which will be held November 19-21, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. The theme of the seventh annual conference will be Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Stability. All session proposals must reinforce the conference theme.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Move, Inc., the leader in online real estate search, has signed a new exclusive three-year content distribution agreement with online leader MSN. As a result, the more than 94.8 million(1) monthly MSN visitors will continue to have instant access to the largest online collection of resale homes, new homes, and rentals at Move.com and Move-operated REALTOR.com(R)

NuWire Investor recently published its 2007 list of the top 10 places to invest based on an analysis of nearly one hundred U.S. cities

U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced $35 million for Kentucky projects passed a critical hurdle on Wednesday after being approved by the House Appropriations Committee in the fiscal year 2027 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill

As Washington Republicans push a $70 billion funding package for ICE and CBP through Congress, Senator Reverend Warnock is unveiling a new suite of ideas showing how $70 billion could be spent to lower costs and improve lives for Americans

The American Land Title Association (ALTA), the national trade association of the land title insurance industry, issued the following statement upon the U.S. House’s consideration of the amended, bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

Congressman Lance Gooden sent a letter to the Dallas Housing Authority requesting answers and greater transparency regarding housing placement trends and neighborhood concentration concerns in Kaufman County. The letter responds to concerns raised by homeowners in the Gateway Parks subdivision in Forney about Housing Choice Vouchers and federal housing policies contributing to increased institutional investor ownership and neighborhood instability

The New York State Department of State (DOS) today announced the availability of nearly $20 million in funding through the 2026 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) Initiative for three signature community planning and development programs—Local Waterfront Revitalization Program; Smart Growth Community Planning Program; and Brownfield Opportunity Area Program.

Last week, U.S. Reps. Mike Carey (R-OH-15) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced H.R. 9012, the Affordable Housing Credit Carryback Act to strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). This legislation will change the LIHTC carryback period from one year to five years, which will increase the uptake of these important credits and spur more investment in affordable housing production.

On Wednesday, 29 credit unions from across New York State delivered a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, State Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Luis R. Sepúlveda and State Assembly Banks Chair Clyde Vanel, urging lawmakers to crack down on predatory payday loan apps by passing the Stop Taking Our Pay Act (STOP) Act (S8939–Brouk, Rochester/A9644–Raga, Queens).

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