RealEstateRama

Des Plaines, IL - February 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- One hundred and forty Regional “Contractor of the Year” (CotY) Winners were named by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) during this year’s regional competition. Judging for the regional projects took place at NARI’s national headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois, in the first week of January.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Friday, February 4, 2011, at 10:00 a.m., the Congressional Oversight Panel will hold a hearing in room 538 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to examine the current state of the commercial real estate market and its implications for bank stability and returns to the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Fort Mill, S.C. - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lennar Homes has committed to purchasing 40 homesites in Springfield from Crescent Resources, LLC, prompting Crescent to start development of a new section within the community. Lennar Homes has developed a new collection of home plans specifically designed to complement Springfield and will open a model home/design center in late-summer.

McLean, VA - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) released the results of its fourth quarter 2010 cash-out refinance analysis.

Washington, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The federal bank, thrift and credit union regulatory agencies, along with the Farm Credit Administration, announce that the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry will begin accepting federal registrations today. Under the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (S.A.F.E. Act) and the agencies' final rules, residential mortgage loan originators employed by banks, savings associations, credit unions, or Farm Credit System institutions must register with the registry, obtain a unique identifier from the registry, and maintain their registrations.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $707,096 National Emergency Grant increment to continue to provide services to about 600 workers affected by the closure of the Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary companies

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hundreds of thousands of Americans of all ages and backgrounds joined in volunteer service projects across the country on the 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama joined cabinet secretaries, governors, mayors, nonprofit and business leaders, students, families, and others in honoring Dr. King's legacy through service projects addressing a multitude of pressing social issues from poverty and illiteracy to hunger to homelessness.Americans made it a “a day on, not a day off” by weatherizing homes, delivering meals, refurbishing schools, collecting food and clothing, reading to children, providing employment counseling, and more. Many will use the day as the beginning of ongoing commitment to serve throughout the year.

DETROIT, MI - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Madison Theatre Building LLC, a new partnership formed by Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc., announced it has completed the purchase of the historic Madison Building, located at 1555 Broadway Street in downtown Detroit. The building was originally designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed in 1917 as part of the Madison Theater complex.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates showed little movement again this week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate nosing higher to 4.97 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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- After a bruising fast-paced winter thunderstorm yesterday left more than 10 inches of snow in certain parts of the Washington, DC area, many residents saw damaged trees, dangling wires, and power outages across the region. As most people have realized, snow and ice can prove dangerous, and can cause severe damage to properties and vehicles.

ISSAQUAH, WA - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pulte Homes purchased land for the development of 70 townhomes in the sought-after Issaquah Highlands master plan. The homebuilder purchased the land from Port Blakely Communities in late December and plans to begin sales this fall

NORFOLK, VA - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- For Rent Media Solutions™, a leading resource for searching apartments nationwide and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has introduced Walk Score® on ForRent.com, the company’s anchor web site. Through this partnership with Walk Score, renters can measure the walkability of a neighborhood and use this feature when narrowing down their search for apartments.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new survey conducted by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International shows that BOMA 360 designees are able to document operational savings, develop new policies and procedures, and attract new tenants because of their designation. The BOMA 360 Performance Program is a groundbreaking program designed to recognize commercial properties that demonstrate best practices in building operations and management. Since the program’s inception in Spring 2009, 180 buildings have been designated. The survey was sent to BOMA 360 designees who have had the designation for a year or more.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates showed little movement this week, with the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate nosing higher to 4.95 percent according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.4 discount and origination points.

McLean, VA - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®). The survey results showed mixed results for both long- and short-term rates, with the 30-year rising slightly and the 15-year falling just as slightly.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that states and territories across the country have now weatherized more than 300,000 low-income homes under the Recovery Act, a major milestone in the Department's efforts to reduce home energy bills for families. This means that states are now more than 50 percent of the way toward meeting President Obama's goal of weatherizing approximately 600,000 homes under the Recovery Act.

MISSION VIEJO, CA - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hammerhouse LLC, an expanding national recruiting and strategic growth firm for the financial service industry with mortgage sales and leadership placement at its core, today released Drew Waterhouse, Managing Director of Hammerhouse outlook on key hiring trends in the mortgage industry in 2011

Washington D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In response to the construction industry’s markedly changed economic conditions and rapid adoption of new technologies and green building goals, ConsensusDOCS today released a comprehensive update to its library of construction contract documents, as well as new contracts.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Thanks to strengthening in consumer spending and growing policy clarity at the end of 2010, the economy is finally poised to accelerate and sustain above-par, less volatile growth, according to the January 2011 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae's (FNMA/OTC) Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. The economy is expected to grow by 3.6 percent in 2011, compared to an estimated 2.8 percent in 2010. The group expects some increase in housing activity during 2011, however, a growth-oriented view of housing is not expected until 2012.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On January 12th, an affiliate of USAA Real Estate Company executed a Joint Venture Agreement with Gables Residential to develop Class-A multi-family properties at select urban infill sites as well as purchase an interest in several of Gables’ best-in-class stabilized properties. The development and acquisitions amount to over $400 million of Class-A multi-family assets