California RealEstateRama

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The homebuilding boom could be returning to parts of California, as real estate values are starting to show strong signs of recovery in the last 12 months. According to an article by the LA Times, demand for homes in some areas of California is returning to pre-recession levels.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 17, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The median price paid for a Southern California home hit a 56-month high in March, rising 23.4 percent from a year earlier as the impact of foreclosures continued to fade and sales of mid- to high-end homes shot up. Total sales were the highest in six years for a March despite a sharp drop in sub-$300,000 deals, a real estate information service reported.

Sacramento - April 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following an extremely dry winter, CAL FIRE has increased its staffing in Southern California for fire season. Starting Monday, April 15, CAL FIRE began transitioning into fire season in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Over the past month, CAL FIRE has been hiring and training seasonal firefighters to augment its full-time firefighters and will now staff most of the department’s seasonal fire stations around the clock along with several water dropping helicopters. Unless weather conditions drastically change, CAL FIRE will begin staffing its airtankers in Southern California on April 22

Los Angeles, CA - April 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Children from Ramona Gardens HeadStart program enjoyed a special story time with Housing Authority’s President and CEO Doug Guthrie. He stopped by the library to mark the one year anniversary of the opening of the Ramona Gardens library.

ONTARIO, CA - April 12, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lee & Associates, one of the largest broker-owned commercial real estate firms in the country, closed a $3.3 million investment sale of a 22,500 square foot office building at 2001 E. Financial Way in Glendora, California.

FRESNO, CA - April 10, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Baljit Singh, 47, and Sharanjit Kaur, 36, both of Fresno, for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Judge O’Neill sentenced Singh to 51 months in federal prison and Kaur to 41 months in federal prison. Judge O’Neill also ordered the forfeiture of a property in New York owned by Kaur with more than $100,000 in equity and $26,943.20 from two bank accounts held by Singh and Kaur.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new survey of housing counselors in California reveals that banks are violating several consumer protections that were mandated by the $26 billion National Mortgage Settlement (NMS) and the California Homeowners Bill of Rights. In addition, the survey reveals that bank practices continue to disproportionately affect disadvantaged and hard-hit communities including limited English proficient (LEP) borrowers, widows, and people with disabilities. The results of the survey were released today in a report, “Chasm Between Words and Deeds IX: Bank Violations Hurt Hardest Hit Communities” (pdf)

San Diego, CA - April 2, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- In the days of year-long "SHORT" Sales, Shadow Inventory, and Zombie Foreclosures, there is a lot that can come up to postpone the closing of a Real Estate transaction. There can be Title clouds, inspection problems, or seasoning issues, and that's just during escrow! These days, Realtors want to secure a contract to list your home for as long as they possibly can. Up to a year is pretty standard. But Lindsey Kinnsch Michael is revolutionizing the way houses are sold in her local market of San Diego County

PALM DESERT, CA - March 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing homes sales dipped 10 percent in February 2013 over February 2012 while the average sale price continues to rise, the California Desert Association of REALTORS® reported today.

PALM DESERT, CA - March 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The average sales price of existing homes jumped 22 percent in January over January 2012 to begin 2013 on a upbeat note for the Coachella Valley's real estate market, the California Desert Association of REALTORS® reported today

PALM DESERT, CA - March 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Coachella Valley's real estate market forecast for 2013 is upbeat despite the dwindling inventory of available homes for sale in many valley cities.

SAN FRANCISCO - March 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced a $1 million California Homeowner Bill of Rights implementation grant to The National Housing Law Project.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, introduced the Project Rebuild Act of 2013 on Thursday afternoon. This legislation would provide funding for the rehabilitation of foreclosed and abandoned properties, helping to prevent the deterioration of neighborhoods which leads to plummeting housing prices and lower quality of life for residents.

LOS ANGELES, CA - March 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales in California rose in February from the previous month but were lower than year-ago levels. Meanwhile, equity sales rose to their highest level in nearly five years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 22, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- With her family and friends by her side, Lillian Thompson, a long-time resident of the Marina Manor Public Housing Development, and one of the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles’ (HACoLA) first Marina Manor residents, was honored by HACoLA’s Resident Council at a “Celebration of Life” event as she turned 103 years old.

Washington, DC - March 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Momentum continues to build for legislation that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) introduced last month to regulate helicopter traffic and noise in Los Angeles County. Several affected cities and local organizations have joined in support of the bill. The Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act (H.R. 456) would require the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) to provide Los Angeles County residents relief from the noise caused by low-flying helicopters above residential neighborhoods.

LOS ANGELES, CA - March 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced today that Harold John Shields of Hawthorne, CA, 57, was extradited from Houston, Texas on March 7, 2013 and booked in the Century Sheriff Station in Lynwood, CA. The suspect has been arraigned and charged with two felony counts of grand theft and two felony counts of theft from elder. Shields is being held on $500,000 bail.

Washington, DC - March 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) proudly cosponsored H.R. 858, the “Rural Housing Preservation Act”, introduced by Rep. Fortenberry (NE-1), which preserves the definition of “rural” until 2020 Census data is available, ensuring that over 900 rural communities in metro areas, like Imperial and Brawley, remain eligible for critical U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development funding

Washington, DC - March 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Jim Costa announced that$388,144has been awarded to Merced County organizations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funds were made available through the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance competitive grant program. HUD recently released a report showing there are more than 500 homeless persons including more than 50 homeless veterans in Merced City and County.

SAN DIEGO, CA - March 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A unique approach to helping 223 homeless men and women escape homelessness has become a reality in downtown San Diego with the grand opening today of the city-sponsored Connections Housing Downtown, a year-round one-stop homeless housing and service center.