RealEstateRama

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.

Des Plaines, IL - February 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly three in four (72 percent) U.S. homeowners agree the home inspection they had when they purchased their current primary residence helped them avoid potential problems with their home, according to a survey released today by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI).? Also, almost two in three (64 percent) noted, in the long run, they saved a lot of money as result of their home inspection. As the housing market begins to recover, ASHI encourages homeowners and buyers to hire a certified home inspector and to get a home inspection to help further protect their investment

Washington, D.C. - February 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Three construction industry associations announced that they have joined the ConsensusDOCS Coalition, which creates standard contract documents for use by all participants in the construction industry.

Washington, D.C. - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The latest figures from the Mortgage Bankers Association show that reported mortgage delinquency rates moved down slightly in fourth quarter 2010, but more than five million homeowners remain at risk of losing their home to foreclosure.

San Antonio, TX - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- US Industrial REIT III, an affiliate of USAA Real Estate Company, announces the acquisition of a 1.1 million-square-foot, Class A bulk distribution facility located in Charleston, South Carolina. The property was acquired from sellers The Rockefeller Group and MeadWestvaco Corporation, joint venture partners. Andrew Merin and Stewart Calhoun of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in the transaction with local assistance from Colliers Keenan. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Bloomfield Hills, MI - February 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- PulteGroup, Inc., America’s premier homebuilding company, and the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), the leading national independent authority on home energy performance, are teaming to expand the use of home energy efficiency labels already available in a number of PulteGroup communities including Centex, Pulte Homes and Del Webb. Homeowners are saying that having energy efficiency data while shopping helps them to better compare energy savings across multiple homes as well as giving them a better idea about utility costs after purchase.

DALLAS/FT. WORTH - February 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pulte Homes purchased land for the development of 200 homes in the sought-after Waterford Parks community in the city of Allen. The homebuilder purchased the land from Wynn Jackson Development in late 2010 and plans to begin sales in early spring.

CHICAGO, IL - February 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Four real estate visionaries took top honors for creativity and thinking outside the box in the recent Creative Thinkers Awards ceremony, presented by The Counselors of Real Estate’s North/South Carolina Chapter in Charlotte

EMERYVILLE, CA - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home sellers continue to discount their asking price in an attempt to entice buyers to move towards a purchase according to a report issued by national real estatebrokerage ZipRealty (www.ziprealty.com; NASDAQ: ZIPR). ZipRealty’smonthly Price Reduction report, which is generated from a review of MLS-listed properties in 26 markets, shows that inventory is up a modest 2.81 percent from January 2010, but the total number of homes where sellers have cut the asking price at least once was up 17.6 percent. This double-digit growth in discounted homes may be another indicator of a sluggish market.

Washington, D.C. - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to the Administration's release of its report, “Reforming America’s Housing Finance Market”, John H. Dalton, President of the Housing Policy Council issued this statement:

Swarthmore, PA - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia (FHCSP), a single mother, and her minor child settled federal housing discrimination complaints filed against Bucks County property management company Quality Realty Associates (QRA) and agents Vincent Quattrocchi, Louis Quattrocchi and Cecelia Quattrocchi.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- While Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need serious reform, we must get these reforms right. Among the Administration’s several proposals, only one—the one that maintains a limited role for the GSEs—even has potential for ensuring all families have access to home loans and achieving stability in the housing market.

February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Almost three-quarters (74 percent) of current homeowners in the New Orleans area say their homes were damaged by Hurricane Katrina, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Of these, more than four in 10 reported their homes had suffered major damage and required repairs of $15,000 or more for which most owners received federal flood insurance.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) today released the following statement on the Administration’s report on Housing Finance Reform.

Washington, DC - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A report released today on veteran homelessness again points out that veterans are at disproportionately high risk of homelessness. The report, the most accurate assessment of the scope of the problem to date, provides an important benchmark for national efforts to solve this problem

Washington, D.C. - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — The Administration’s options for mortgage finance reform released today include choices that could threaten consumers’ access to affordable mortgage credit to buy homes by severely constricting the government’s historic role in supporting affordable, long term credit, and on shifting control of the mortgage market to Wall Street banks and investors whose previous missteps have already caused massive foreclosures and losses for consumers and communities

WASHINGTON, DC - February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — Today, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) issued the following statement on the housing finance report released by the Treasury Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.