Yearly Archives: 2010

Washington, D.C. - December 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today NeighborWorks America, the Congressionally appointed administrator of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) Program, announced that, based on a new report that analyzed the NFMC program through December 2009, the odds of curing a foreclosure, and potentially avoiding losing a home, is 1.7 times larger for a homeowner who works with an NFMC counselor than for a homeowner who doesn’t receive such counseling

JACKSONVILLE, FL—U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that a federal jury today found David Wesley Vickers (age 48, of Jacksonville) guilty of nineteen counts arising out of a mortgage fraud scheme, including conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud. Vickers faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and 20 years for each of the other counts. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Pittsburgh, PA - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank) has approved $2.69 million in grants under its Affordable Housing Program (AHP). The grants will help finance 15 housing projects – one in Delaware, eight in Pennsylvania and six in West Virginia – creating 395 units of housing for very-low, low- and moderate-income individuals and families as well as those with special needs

Washington, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Board of Directors (BOD) voted today for Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell Architects (BNIM) to receive the 2011 AIA Architecture Firm Award. The Kansas City, Mo.-based firm celebrated for advancing the design of sustainable architecture from nearly its inception to today when it has become a preeminent force fundamentally re-shaping the built environment.

Washington, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In the midst of a struggling national economy, The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) will release results of its 2010 Hunger and Homelessness Report on Tuesday, December 21 at 11:00 a.m. during a CONFERENCE CALL featuring several mayors from around the country. In light of cash strapped local budgets and travel bans, the USCM is hosting a conference call instead of having mayors travel to Washington, D.C

Washington, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The AIA Board of Directors elected Chester (Chet) A. Widom, FAIA, as the 2011 recipient of the Edward C. Kemper Award. Named in honor of the AIA’s first executive director, the award recognizes individuals who contribute significantly to the profession of architecture through service to the Institute. Widom will be honored at the 2011 AIA National Convention in New Orleans

DALLAS, TX - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- MRG Document Technologies (MRG), a provider of mortgage document preparation software and compliance technology to banks, credit unions and other lenders nationwide, has developed the forms needed for compliance with upcoming 2011 regulations that mandate changes to both the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and risk-based pricing disclosures. Both updates are meant to provide consumer clarification in regards to loan decisioning and final terms.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Thursday, December 16, 2010, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) sent the attached letter to Ben Bernanke, Chairman, and Saundra Bernstein, Director, Consumer and Community Affairs Division, of the Federal Reserve, requesting written guidance to help the industry implement the Board’s final rule on loan originator compensation and steering published on September 24, 2010.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- At its December 16th, 2010 meeting, the CHFA Board of Directors approved the Resolution Authorizing for Public Comment Purposes Amendments to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Procedures

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Trade Commission staff has submitted comments to the Federal Reserve Board recommending ways the Board could strengthen the rules under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, which requires some mortgage lenders to collect and report loan data that the government uses to analyze whether they are complying with fair lending laws

WASHINGTON, DC - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today was elected by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to lead federal efforts to end homelessness. As chair of USICH, Secretary Solis joins the newly elected vice chair, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in implementing Opening Doors, the first federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. Solis succeeds Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who has been chair since 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A press conference on green product trends featuring speakers from Green Day sponsors BASF, Kohler, Marvin Windows & Doors and The Council for Responsible EnergyA press conference on new-home energy-efficiency breakthroughs from builders participating in the Department of Energy's Builders Challenge and the National Green Building Certification programA Meet and Greet with members of the 20 university teams from around the world chosen to participate in the 2011 Solar Decathlon. See scale models of the designs and talk to the winning students as well as a select group of green builders and remodelers who can talk about real-world application of these cutting-edge technologies

Atlanta, GA - December 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Realtors,it’s been a tough year. Don’t let your funny bone go into foreclosure. Why notend the year on a positive note? Have a few laughs and save money at the sametime. Work Like A Dog Books has temporarily created short salepricing on its popular real estate book, AllIn A Day’s Work for Real Estate Agents—Humorous & Heartwarming Stories.The Next Generation Indie Book Awards humor/comedy category finalist featuresmore than 100 funny, crazy, bizarre or touching stories of real-life thingsthat happened to agents in the line of duty. Agents from 44 states have their“war” stories included in the book

TOPEKA, KS - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Do you have great ideas for dynamic speakers and presentations at next year's Kansas Housing Conference August 9-11 in Wichita? If so, we want to hear from you! The Conference Steering Committee is now seeking session suggestions that offer:

NEW YORK, N.Y. - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage rates soared again this week, with the average rate on the benchmark conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate rising to 5 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.40 discount and origination points.

McLean, VA - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), which found that both fixed- and short-term mortgage rates continued to rise this week. This was the fifth week in a row where fixed-rate mortgage rates were up

REENWOOD VILLAGE, CO - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Steve Travers, a top-producing real estate professional with Kentwood Real Estate’s Denver Tech Center office, was a contributor to the 46th Annual Colorado Business Economic Outlook just released by the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business. Travers was invited to assist with the 2011 report’s residential real estate section due primarily to his diverse business background and comprehensive knowledge of the real estate industry in Colorado

December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Huge jumps in prices for diesel fuel and copper—two key inputs to construction—pinched contractors in November as weak demand for construction forced them to hold down bid prices despite the cost increases, according to an analysis of November producer price index figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Prices for materials used in construction climbed 0.5 percent in November and 4.8 percent over the past 12 months, while price indexes for finished buildings remained flat over both time periods. The PPI for finished goods went up 0.4 percent for the month and 3.5 percent year-over-year.

Washington, DC - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo welcomed more than 28,000 attendees this past November at its show in Chicago, Ill. Attendees representing various backgrounds, professions and 114 countries filled the exhibit hall floor, educational and speaker sessions, green building tours and networking events that made up the three day long show. The nearly 200,000 square foot expo hall floor featured over 1,800 exhibit booths representing over 1,000 exhibiting companies. Greenbuild is the industry’s largest gathering of representatives from all sectors of the green building movement

WASHINGTON, DC - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A homeless-prevention program by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which seeks to help Veterans and families who are on the verge of becoming homeless, has moved closer to implementation. The program marks the first time that VA will fund services for the spouses and children of Veterans at risk of becoming homeless.