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WASHINGTON, DC - December 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, announced the passage of S.118 by the U.S. House of Representatives. S.118, passed under unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate this past weekend, will improve the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. The Section 202 program provides capital grants to non-profit community organizations for the development of supportive housing and provision of rental assistance exclusively for low-income seniors. Through such housing and supportive services, the program allows low-income seniors to remain safely in their homes.

Washington, DC - December 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Refinancings through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) increased 26 percent in the third quarter of 2010. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan modifications through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) increased 16 percent in the quarter, although the overall volume of loan modifications and the pace of HAMP modifications declined from previous periods. The data were released in FHFA’s Third Quarter 2010 Foreclosure Prevention & Refinance Report, which includes data on all of the Enterprises’ foreclosure prevention efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Small home builders are the mainstay of the nation’s housing industry, including a sizable number of self-employed mom-and-pop operations, according to a new study by economists at the National Association of Home Builders.“Small businesses have always been the predominant force in housing and they lend this industry its economic vitality,” said Bob Jones, NAHB chairman and a builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

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) -- 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

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) -- 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

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:

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, D.C. - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A combination of business strategy, philanthropy and unwavering commitment to each multifamily development earned the Michaels Development Company top honors as Multifamily Development Firm of the Year. The award was presented by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) as part of the association's Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards last week

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts rose 3.9 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 555,000 units from an upwardly revised number in the previous month, according to newly released data from the U.S. Commerce Department. This marked the first upward movement in new-home production since August, and was entirely attributable to a nearly 7 percent gain in single-family home building.

Boston, MA - December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. multi-housing vacancy rate is expected to remain relatively stable through 2011, ending the year at 5.8%, before falling further to 5.3% during the course of 2012, according to a new forecast from CBRE Econometric Advisors (CBRE-EA). Multi-family property demand will remain solid, continuing a trend that began when the vacancy rate peaked at 7.4% at the end of 2009.

December 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes remained unchanged in December from the previous month at 16 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today."Builders are bracing themselves for a slow holiday season as a number of factors continue to cause uncertainty among consumers and builders alike," said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones, a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "While the HMI is adjusted for seasonal factors, the typical cold-weather slowdown in sales activity is being accentuated by ongoing weakness in the job market, the rising number of foreclosures and short-sales, and very challenging credit conditions for both builders and buyers."

Washington, D.C. - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced it was sponsoring a Haiti reconstruction conference in early January that will bring together a host of organizations to identify and coordinate opportunities in Haiti for design assistance teams, building assessments, resources and other programs.The AIA Summit on Haiti will be held on January 13 – one day after the first anniversary of the Haitian earthquake of 2010 – at the Loew’s Hotel in New Orleans. Organizations participating in the AIA’s Haiti conference include The American Red Cross, National Urban League - Greater New Orleans, Adecco Group North America, United States Green Building Council (USGBC), Architecture for Humanity (AFH), National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), Public Architecture and Black Design Network News. More organizations are expected to attend.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Administration’s Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) today announced that it is permanently withdrawing FHA approval of Cambridge Home Capital, LLC (CHC), a Great Neck, New York-based lender. In addition, the MRB will seek a monetary penalty of $182,000.

PITTSBURG, KS - December 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Officials from the City of Pittsburg, the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Housing Resources Corporation and Garrison Development Company celebrated the completion of Besse Apartments at 121 E. 4th Street in Pittsburg. A $9.2 million dollar historic rehab, the 83-year-old former hotel now offers 46 affordable apartments in the heart of downtown

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Peterson Companies and The Bozzuto Group, two D.C. area-based and family-owned development companies, announced today a joint venture that will bring the first apartment community to National Harbor

New York, NY - December 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York Housing Conference (NYHC) and the National Housing Conference (NHC) hosted the 37th Annual Awards Luncheon, one of the largest gatherings of housing professionals in the nation, today, Thursday, December 9, 2010, at the Hilton New York in Manhattan.