California RealEstateRama

Op-ed by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) and Ken Wade, Chief Executive Officer, NeighborWorks® America. September 16, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new wave of fraud is ripping homes out from under people who are stressed, desperate and facing foreclosure. The signs are literally nailed to posts and supermarket bulletin boards everywhere. They are advertised on television and on the internet: Refinance Your Mortgage; Facing Foreclosure? Modify Your Loan; Consolidate Your Debt, Refinance: Zero Down.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cheryl Hernandez Camus was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, and ordered to pay $1,457,255 in restitution for mail and wire fraud in connection with a real estate investment scheme, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced.

Incredible Buying Opportunity and Savings for Homeowners looking to Buy a Home in the Oldest Capital in America. Beverly Hills, CA - September 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kennedy Wilson Auction Group, a division of the international real estate services and investment firm Kennedy Wilson, will be conducting a close out auction of 24 new casita-style condominiums located at Zocalo, Santa Fe, NM on Sunday October 4, 2009. The auction will be held at The Bishop’s Lodge Resort & Spa, in Santa Fe, and will commence promptly at 1 PM.

Los Angeles, CA - September 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Continuing his fight against mortgage scams, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that agents from his office have arrested Michael McConville, and two of his associates for their roles in a "criminal conspiracy" to steal nearly $1 million from borrowers seeking to refinance their homes

September 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kennedy-Wilson, Inc. (“Kennedy Wilson”) (KWIC.PK), a vertically-integrated real estate investment and services company headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, with 21 offices throughout the U.S. and Japan, and Prospect Acquisition Corp. ("Prospect") (NYSE Amex: PAX), a special purpose acquisition company with approximately $248 million of cash, today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which they plan to combine. The proceeds of the transaction will enable Kennedy Wilson to seek to capitalize on distressed real estate acquisition opportunities and to fund the growth of its auction and property management businesses.

San Fernando Valley, CA - September 9, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Thursday, September 10, 2009 at approximately 3:30 p.m., Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. will be the guest speaker at a consumer protection townhall in Sylmar, where he will warn Southern California residents about the proliferation of "devious mortgage schemes" and offer tips to avoid them. Since 2007, Sylmar has experienced the highest number of foreclosures in the City of Los Angeles.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - September 1, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Committed to creating and maintaining affordable housing for seniors and families, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today joined residents and neighbors in celebrating the preservation of 245 affordable apartments at Nihonmachi Terrace in the Japantown neighborhood of San Francisco. Located at 1615 Sutter Street, the seven building property is currently undergoing $25 million in renovations that will include energy-efficiency enhancements and structural improvements. The rehab is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2010.

Eleven Homebuyers in North Hollywood, CA Outbid Hundreds To Purchase a New Home. BEVERLY HILLS, CA - September 1, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Kennedy Wilson Auction Group, a division of the international real estate services and investment firm Kennedy Wilson, conducted an auction of 11 new single family homes in North Hollywood, California on August 30, 2009 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, Universal City

Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles-LAX Airport is brand's 135th hotel to open in the Americas region this year. ATLANTA, GA - September 1, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced today that two Holiday Inn Express^® hotels will be added to the Los Angeles market. The Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles-LAX Airport and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Los Angeles Airport Hawthorne are both conveniently located near Los Angeles International Airport and will create more than 60 job opportunities to the local community

Lakewood, CA - September 1, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Over 300 local homeowners and future homeowners attended Rep. Linda Sánchez’ Housing Summit in Lakewood on Saturday to get free advice from housing experts and learn about tax incentives for purchasing a first home or making home improvements

LOS ANGELES, CA - August 28, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced the grand opening of the Alexandria House Apartments Project, 16 low-income units in Koreatown. Seven of those units are reserved for homeless or those at risk of being homeless and victims of domestic violence.

August 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced the immediate availability of $100,000 in Watershed Stewardship Grants from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) for neighborhood-based stormwater management projects. Eligible community projects will capture and reuse rainwater on-site with linked rain barrels or cisterns, build public green spaces, or replace paved areas with permeable ones, allowing rainwater to recharge the City’s groundwater aquifers.

Los Angeles, CA - August 25, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- On August 13, 2009, housing activists, community leaders, and public officials, including Rep. Diane Watson (CA-33), joined the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) for a roundtable discussion on pending regulatory reform legislation that will impact homeowners and potential homeowners, as well as many financial institutions in the region.

Washington, DC - August 19, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Emphasizing the vast potential of solar energy in California’s 45th District, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) today praised an agreement between First Solar and Southern California Edison that will bring new solar energy projects to the region. The two large-scale installations, among the biggest of their kind, will be built in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and will produce enough energy to power approximately 170,000 homes

SAN DIEGO, CA - August 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The San Diego Office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that Elsevier Inc. has renewed its lease for 31,200 square feet at 525 B Street, Golden Eagle Plaza, in downtown San Diego.

August 14, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- The California Recovery Task Force today announced that one percent interest loans funded through $25 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds are available for eligible public energy efficient and renewable energy projects in California. Available through the California Energy Commission, the loans will help local jurisdictions stimulate their economies and job growth while investing in energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions - all in a cost effective manner. Cities, counties, special districts, public schools, colleges and universities, public care institutions, and public hospitals are eligible to apply.

Los Angeles, CA - August 12, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Threatening possible criminal and civil prosecution, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today ordered 386 mortgage foreclosure consultants to post $100,000 bonds and register with his office.

Washington, DC - August 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) will host a forum on combating fraud on Wednesday, August 19, 1:00 pm at the Buena Park Senior Activity Center located at 8150 Knott Avenue. The event, free of charge and open to the public, will provide information on Identity Theft, Mortgage Loan and Lending, Investment Scams, and Charity Fraud.

Oakland, CA - August 7, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) applauded an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement selecting the City of Emeryville to receive $500,000 in Recovery Act funding to help protect human health and the environment. Additionally the cities of Emeryville and Oakland will receive $500,000 and $400,000 respectively in other brownfields funding.