News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two quarterly indices produced by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) indicate a return to healthy market conditions for both new and existing apartment and condominium buildings.The Multifamily Production Index (MPI), which tracks developer sentiment about new construction on a scale of 1 to 100, is at 40.8 –up more than 5 full points since the previous quarter and the highest number since the fourth quarter of 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An improving job market should help boost home sales and housing production later this year, but the ongoing problems that builders are facing in acquiring construction credit threatens to significantly slow the fragile housing recovery, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress today.

BURLINGTON, VT - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Executive Director Sarah Carpenter announced Robin Howe of Colchester has joined Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) as Multifamily Operations Specialist

March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Chris Beutler said the City today sent dangerous building notices to the owners of two "O" Street buildings damaged by fire December 12. The notices give the owners 10 days to repair or demolish the buildi...

DENVER, CO - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ann Kerr and Chrissy Graham, two of Colorado’s leading real estate professionals, have joined Kentwood Real Estate in the Denver Tech Center as Broker Associates. Kerr and Graham are working together ...

WASHINGTON, DC - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced the availability of $600,000 in "Stand Down" grants that will provide an estimated 10,000 homeless veterans with opportunities to reintegrate into society. The grants are being awarded under the department's Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mortgage applications increased 15.5 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 4, 2011.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- At $9.4 billion, Los Angeles County, Calif. leads the country for counties spending the most money on remodeling, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).Rounding out the top 5 list is Cook County in Illinois, Orange and San Diego counties in California, and Maricopa County in Arizona

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Efforts to combat mortgage fraud against lenders have proliferated into a number of initiatives including state and federal legislation criminalizing mortgage fraud and increased synergy between law enforcement and lenders. Hear from industry experts as they review the current status of the industry, law enforcement and government’s efforts in combating mortgage fraud.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Peter Polhemus, president and CEO of Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders in Chatham, Mass, has been named the Custom Home Builder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders."We are honored to be the first company in New England and also the first truly integrated architectural and building firm to receive this prestigious award," Polhemus said.

Upper Marlboro, MD - March 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- High-performance green homes don't happen by chance. Green homes achieve their above-code efficiencies and improvements for homeowners as the result of taking an integrated, whole-house approach to the entire building process. To help educators convey these important green construction concepts to construction students, the NAHB Research Center recently unveiled a new resource that is available online.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that while consumer hesitation on home buying is waning, the recent housing downturn has changed what Americans are looking for in their next home.The survey research on consumer preferences, which is presented annually at the NAHB International Builders’ Show, suggests that the severity of the recession has left an indelible mark on prospective home buyers, who have shifted their perspective on the housing they want and need.

PORTLAND, OR - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in an effort to strengthen mortgage protections for servicemembers once they return home from duty.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to protect consumers, increase transparency in the foreclosure process, and hold banks and servicers accountable for providing relief to qualified homeowners, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today introduced the Preserving Homes and Communities Act of 2011 based on similar legislation Reed introduced in 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Life -changing stories of working families benefiting from a range of federal housing programs will be at the forefront of this week’s annual Legislative Conference of the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of the Federal Trade Commission’s continuing crackdown on scams that target homeowners behind in their mortgage payments or facing foreclosure, the FTC has charged a national operation with marketing bogus loan modification services. The FTC seeks to stop the illegal practices and make the defendants pay refunds to consumers

Washington, D.C. - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A group of 18 U.S. Senators, led by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), urged government agencies to take action to prevent foreclosures and help families keep their homes.The senators made their request in a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke

Alexandria, VA - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- An analysis in the March issue of the ABI Journal found that several bankruptcy courts are dealing with the foreclosure crisis through the adoption of loss-mitigation programs (LMPs). As Congress examines a possible repeal of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) due to ineffectiveness in modifying mortgages, John Rao of the National Consumer Law Center Inc. in Boston writes that several bankruptcy courts have provided a useful solution through the adoption of LMPs.

WASHINGTON, DC - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 6-12, NeighborWorks America, The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, HOPE Now, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and a coalition of national government agencies, nonprofit organizations and financial institutions are empowering homeowners to combat loan modification scams.

NEW YORK, NY - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Labor has taken legal action to seek debarment of Lettire Construction Corp., a New York City general contractor, and Nicholas Lettire, president of the company, from working on future federally funded contracts for a period of three years.