Yearly Archives: 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of a measure to fund the nation’s housing programs, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, blasted Republicans for undercutting important housing programs that protect our most vulnerable populations

San Francisco, CA: - May 20, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new survey of housing counselors and attorneys finds homeowners are facing unreasonable delays, numerous obstacles, and servicer run-arounds in seeking help from their mortgage servicers, despite new laws, programs, and settlements intended to protect homeowners

WASHINGTON D.C. - May 20, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman (CA-2) and Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced a $1.5 million WaterSMART grant to the North Bay Water Reuse Authority for its North Bay Water Reuse Program. This funding will help provide recycled water for agricultural, environmental, industrial, and landscape uses throughout Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 20, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) introduced the Guarantee Housing for Terminally Ill Veterans Act, legislation intended to improve the Specially Adapted Housing Grants program.

LOS ANGELES - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A combination of continued price increases and relatively higher  interest rates during the first quarter of 2014 led to decreased housing affordability in all regions of the state, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee and all 11 members of the Board of Supervisors today introduced a proposed $500 million general obligation bond for the November 2014 ballot for infrastructure projects that would significantly improve San Francisco’s transportation network without raising property tax rates. The bond would increase Muni reliability and travel speed, upgrade transit stops and stations, improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, and prepare for growth on the City’s busiest travel corridors.

LOS ANGELES - May 15, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today issued the following statement in response to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) announcement that it will not lower loan limits eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 12, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-03), a Member of the Conference Committee for the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), reviewed and signed off on its bicameral, bipartisan conference report – the final version of the bill. WRRDA authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding and policies for flood protection, ports, waterways, drinking water, environmental restoration, and dam projects

LOS ANGELES - May 12, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Even in a state with hundreds of miles of beautiful, sandy beaches, luxury home buyers in California preferred hilltop homes over ocean-front properties by a margin of four to one, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2013 Luxury Real Estate Consumer Survey.”

LOS ANGELES - April 24, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an encouraging sign for a healthier spring home-buying market, California pending home sales increased more than usual and rose to the highest level in eight months.  Meanwhile, the share of short sales has fallen to levels last observed in 2008, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Earlier this week, New America’s Asset Building Program, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC), submitted a letter urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide guidance to states about best practices for their contracts with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) vendors, so that families accessing public assistance can do so safely and with fewer fees

La Jolla, CA. - April 23, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the third consecutive quarter California foreclosure starts remained little changed at a level last seen in early 2006, the result of steady economic growth and higher home values. Foreclosure processors are still mostly plowing through a pool of toxic subprime mortgages originated back in mid-to-late 2006, a real estate information service reported.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 22, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu launched the Ellis Act Housing Preference Program (EAHP) for tenants who are evicted under the State Ellis Act. Displaced tenants will now be given preference for the City’s affordable housing programs

LOS ANGELES - April 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- California’s housing market ticked upward in March to reach the highest level in four months, but sales were still lower than a year ago as declining housing affordability continues to put downward pressure on the market, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 18, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- “All residents in public housing deserve clean, safe and quality housing,” said Mayor Lee. “Our Re-Envisioning Plan for public housing in San Francisco paves the way for the preservation, rehabilitation and long-term affordability of thousands of existing units for very low-income people. But in the short term, we must make the critical repairs necessary to ensure elevators are reliable and do not disrupt the lives of our seniors and disabled public housing residents.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 17, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- An estimated 32,923 new and resale houses and condos sold statewide in March. That was up 28.2 percent from 25,680 in February, and down 12.8 percent from 37,764 sales in March 2013, according to San Diego-based DataQuick.

LOS ANGELES - April 14, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the sixth annual list of the top 25 U.S. metropolitan areas with the most ENERGY STAR certified buildings. The cities on this list demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits achieved by facility owners and managers when they apply a proven approach to energy efficiency to their buildings. Los Angeles ranks #1 for the sixth consecutive year with more than 443 Energy Star buildings. San Diego comes in at 15th place with 123 buildings and Riverside in 22nd place with 75 buildings

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 10, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Following the discovery of a deceased newborn baby in a dumpster at a Corona apartment complex on April 8, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe is reminding the public about the County’s Safe Surrender program

EMERYVILLE, CALIF. - April 8, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- The City of Emeryville selected nonprofit developer, manager and advocate of affordable housing EAH Housing to develop a new mixed-use affordable apartment community at 3706 San Pablo Avenue. EAH chose award-winning national firm KTGY Group, Inc. to design the community. The 86-unit transit-oriented development will incorporate a solar photovoltaic system, a community garden and 7,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 8, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- A transient who was convicted last week of trespassing at Selena Gomez’s home is facing new charges today for allegedly returning to the pop singer’s property after being released from jail, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced