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TOPEKA, KS - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kansas Development Finance Agency (KDFA) President Tim Shallenburger has named Garden City native Dennis L. Mesa as Executive Director of Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC). KHRC, a subsidiary corporation of KDFA, is a self-supporting, public corporation which serves as the primary administrator of federal housing programs on behalf of the State of Kansas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Eliminating the deductions for mortgage interest and real estate taxes would raise taxes disproportionately for middle-class households and make the tax system less progressive, according to a new study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).The study also concludes that the benefits of these deductions are collected primarily by middle-class taxpayers, with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000, and that greater benefits are earned by larger households and families, such as those with children

Washington, DC - January 27, 2011 - (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 4.58 percent based on loans closed in November. This is an increase of 0.16 percent from the previous month.

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The latest National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) edged up to 41.5 in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared to 40.8 in the third quarter. An RMI below 50 indicates that more remodelers say market activity is lower compared to the prior quarter than report it is higher. The RMI has been running below 50 since the final quarter of 2005.The overall RMI combines ratings of current remodeling activity with indicators of future activity like calls for bids. In the fourth quarter, the RMI component measuring current market conditions stayed flat at 43.3 from 43.4 in the previous quarter. The RMI component measuring future indicators of remodeling business increased, to 39.7 from 38.1 in the previous quarter.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In last night’s state of the union address, President Obama called for investment in innovation, education and infrastructure to spur job growth and sustain America’s leadership in the world. He offered a five year freeze on domestic discretionary spending to begin to bring down the federal deficit, but said that we must “make sure that we’re not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 38, allowing the chair of the House Budget Committee to set nondefense discretionary spending to FY08 levels or lower for FY11. This could result in a spending reduction of more than $60 billion in the current fiscal year, hurting all Americans and disproportionately impacting those in the greatest need.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bob Peterson, president of Associates in Building & Design, Ltd. (ABD) in Ft. Collins, Colo., was appointed 2011 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers this month during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. As chair for the leading professional organization for residential remodeling, Peterson represents the more than 14,000 remodeling industry members of NAHB."I am honored to represent the interests of professional remodelers and look forward to helping our industry take on the challenges we will face this year as we look to a brighter future ahead," said Peterson. "I am proud of our members, who are the most educated and skilled in the industry, running successful businesses and providing quality remodeling services for home owners across the nation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 17.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 329,000 units in December, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. The big gain, though largely tied to an unexpectedly strong showing in the West, was a welcome boost at the end of a year that had the lowest total number of new-home sales on record (321,000) since the government began keeping track in 1963."After six very tough months, the housing market ended the year on an upbeat, with signs of stabilization beginning to take hold in many markets," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "That said, the nationwide inventory of new homes for sale is now at its thinnest level in more than 40 years. This is a sign that many builders still cannot obtain the credit they need to meet anticipated improvements in buyer demand in 2011."

Dallas, TX - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc. (CBRE) has announced that it will join Rebuilding Together on Thursday, February 3, to help revitalize a dozen homes in need of repair and perform general community clean-up in the Arlington, Texas, neighborhood of Drummond Drive as a sponsor of the nonprofit‘s 16th annual Kickoff to Rebuild charity event.

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.

WASHINGTON, DC – Capitol Hill veteran Cindy Chetti has been named Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC). She will be responsible for developing and implementing strategy for all legislative and regulatory issues of interest to NMHC and its joint legislative partner, the National Apartment Association.

WASHINGTON, DC - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. house prices were unchanged on a seasonally adjusted basis from October to November, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index. The previously reported 0.7 percent increase in October was revised downward to a 0.2 percent increase. For the 12 months ending in November, U.S. prices fell 4.3 percent. The U.S. index is 14.9 percent below its April 2007 peak and roughly the same as the August 2004 index level.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a January 21 letter to White House policy chiefs, the National Housing Trust Fund Campaign called on the Obama Administration to recommend funding for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) in its upcoming report on the future of federal housing finance policy.

ANCHORAGE, AK - January 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $3,420,701 in Continuum of Care renewal grants to support 22 local homeless providers across Alaska in the c...

LINCOLN, NB - January 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has awarded Wayne Community Housing Development Corporation (WCHDC) in Wayne, Neb., $350,000 in HOME funding earmarked for Community Housing Deve...

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, D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts declined 4.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000 units in the final month of 2010, according to newly released figures by the U.S. Commerce Department. While this was the slowest pace of starts activity since October 2009, the year-end data indicate that production of new homes improved 6.1 percent in 2010 from the previous year. On another positive note, permit issuance for construction of new homes and apartments rose 16.7 percent in December to a rate of 635,000 units, the strongest pace since March of 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) elected four senior officers to top leadership positions within the federation during the association's International Builders' Show in Orlando.With more than 800 affiliated state and local home builders associations and more than 160,000 members across the country, NAHB is the "voice of the housing industry," representing the interests of the nation's housing professionals through advocacy, education and research