California RealEstateRama

December 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- WHAT: Attorneys General Kamala D. Harris of California and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada will make a joint mortgage-related announcement.

San Francisco, CA - December 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Zephyr Real Estate is once again accepting contributions for the annual Food and Toy drives to benefit those who need a little help this holiday season. As with prior years, the San Francisco Firefighters’ Toy Program and the San Francisco Food Bank are the recipients of the donations from all six offices in San Francisco. To find the nearest Zephyr office to drop off a donation, visit www.zephyrsf.com.

SACRAMENTO, CA - December 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Five people have been charged in a federal indictment, unsealed today, in connection with a foreclosure rescue scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Benjamin B. Wagner. The five defendants, Jewel L. Hinkles, aka “Cydney Sanchez,” 61, of Los Angeles; Bernadette Guidry, 43, of Irvine, Calif.; Jesse Wheeler, 34, of Roseville, Calif.; Cynthia Corn, 58, of Oakland, Calif.; and Brent Medearis, 45, of Modesto, Calif., were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Dec. 1, 2011. Hinkles and Guidry are charged with eight counts of mail fraud. Each of the defendants except Guidry is charged with 16 counts of bankruptcy fraud.

SACRAMENTO, CA - December 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the arrests of three top officers of a Stockton real estate company who took thousands of dollars in up-front loan modification fees and made false promises to lower the mortgage payments of struggling Central Valley homeowners.

Los Angeles, CA - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the third largest global real estate services organization, has completed two property sales in Los Angeles totaling $2,425,000. Tony Phu, Senior Vice President, and Jeffrey Kim, Associate, both based in Colliers International’s Ontario office represented the Seller in both transactions.

Washington, DC - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- At today’s House Financial Services Committee hearing to evaluate the financial health of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and one of the few members to oppose every bailout, pressed Secretary Donovan on the need to prevent a taxpayer bailout of the FHA.

Washington, DC - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- This morning, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the health of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Insurance Fund. Prior to this morning’s hearing, Congressman Gary Miller met with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and FHA Commissioner Carol J. Galante to discuss the impact of California’s Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project on Chino Hills’ homeowners. Following their discussion, Congressman Miller issued this statement:

Petaluma, CA - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc., The Proven Leader in Smart Water Management announced today its customer PEP Housing has reduced outdoor water consumption by 40 percent with WeatherTRAK Smart Irrigation controllers at 12 senior housing communities in Sonoma County. The 58-unit Casa Grande Senior Apartments in Petaluma, California recently received a Met Life Foundation Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing, recognizing best practices in green, service-enriched housing for low-income seniors. The Casa Grande property is also the county's first Green Point rated multi-family project.

ONTARIO, CA - November 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CT Realty Investors Inc. (www.ctrinvestors.com) announced lease agreements today with Pacific Urethane LLC for 150,240 square feet and Precision Foam LLC for 43,492 square feet at 1671 Champagne Ave. in Ontario, Calif. Total consideration for the five-year leases is $3 million and $1 million respectively.

SAN JOSE, CA - November 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Monday, November 28, 2011, San Jose celebrated the grand opening of Brookwood Terrace Family Apartments, a development by ROEM Corporation and Eden Housing, Inc., in collaboration with the City of San Jose. The grand opening celebration was held at 1346 East San Antonio Street in San Jose, Calif.

San Francisco, CA - November 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Last spring, Oliver Burgelman, Realtor with Zephyr Real Estate, developed a new market-tracking website tool called PriceSquares.com. The site originally covered properties in San Francisco, but the demand for expansion quickly became apparent, particularly for the North Bay. Consequently, the site now includes Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Mendocino counties. The site also has undergone some visual changes for a cleaner and more user-friendly interface.

SACRAMENTO, CA - November 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced that Angeline Lisa Lizarrago, 69, of Fremont, was sentenced today to five years for a foreclosure scam in which dozens of struggling Bay Area and Central Valley homeowners paid for foreclosure services that were never delivered.

Los Angeles, CA - November 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Home affordability is higher now than in the past. Potential homebuyers are encouraged to purchase their home during this holiday season. Reports indicate lower home prices and record low interested rates in the third quarter of 2011 for the state of California. The down side is that during the last two years, families in Los Angeles County lost their home to foreclosure every 15 to 18 minutes. Southern California residents can take the first step in the home buying process or saving the home they already own from foreclosure, by attending a FREE Homeownership Fair on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

IRVINE, CA - November 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hanley Investment (HI) Urban Retail Advisors, a division of Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, specializing in the sale and advisory of high profile mixed-use and urban retail properties in dynamic commercial districts across the United States, announced today that Carlos J. Lopez, President of HI Urban Retail Advisors represented Arenda Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based private real estate investment firm, and AEW, a Boston-based pension fund advisor, in the purchase of an 87,000-square-foot retail/office complex situated within the South Lake District of Pasadena, Calif. The purchase price was $21 million.

San Francisco, CA - November 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Zephyr Real Estate once again leads the race in technology advances for the real estate industry. San Francisco home shoppers need look no further than their iPhone to find every available listing in the city with Zephyr Real Estate Search, now available in the iTunes Store

Washington DC - November 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- This week Congress is expected to pass legislation championed by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) to extend higher housing loan limits as part of a bill that will fund several agencies through 2012 and the rest of the government on a temporary basis. The bill, known as the “minibus conference report,” includes a provision to extend higher Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limits for 2 years in high cost areas of the country.

SACRAMENTO, CA - November 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Glenn Watkins, 31; Kevin Watkins, 26; and Frederick Davis, 41, all of Elk Grove, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud for a mortgage fraud scheme.

TUSTIN, CA - November 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Present Value Properties, Inc., a full service retail real estate brokerage, and consulting firm headquartered in Tustin, Calif., announced today that it has recently negotiated five leases totaling 23,153 square feet at 5 Points Plaza in Huntington Beach, Calif., which brings the center to 97% leased. Present Value Properties is the exclusive representative for 5 Points Plaza, which is located on Main Street at Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. Sharon Courtway, SCLS, Vice President of Present Value Properties, represented 5 Points Plaza in all five leases.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Susanna See, PE, LEED AP®, an executive vice president of the international engineering firm WSP Flack + Kurtz and managing director of its San Francisco office, has been named one of Northern California’s Real Estate Women of Influence, announces David Cooper, PE, LEED AP BD+C, president and chief executive officer of WSP Flack + Kurtz.

Washington, DC - October 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Waters (CA), Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, today led 15 of her colleagues in the House of Representatives, renewing her call for U.S. bank regulators to publicly release information regarding the steps that mortgage servicers are taking to prevent illegal foreclosure practices.