Archives

Washington, DC - March 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Jim Costa announced more than $5.3 million has been awarded to Fresno and Madera 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 that nearly 4,500 homeless persons including more than 600 homeless veterans in Fresno and Madera Counties

Washington, DC - March 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, reintroduced the FHA Emergency Fiscal Solvency Act. The legislation, co-sponsored by Representative Michael E. Capuano, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, is designed to strengthen FHA and to help ensure its long-term solvency. In recent years, the agency has stepped into the void, providing crucial liquidity as private firms have retreated from writing mortgage insurance policies, particularly for key groups such as first time homebuyers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Request that the City Attorney draft an ordinance amending the appropriate section of the Long Beach Municipal Code to reclassify realtors from independent contractors to employees.

Los Angeles, CA - March 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County is joining forces with City of Pico Rivera to help families with homeownership. Home affordability is higher now than in the past, this is a great time for families to purchase their first home. Although foreclosure filings in California reached the lowest it’s seen in six years during the fourth quarter of 2012, there are still families struggling to save their homes. Southern California residents can take the first step in the home buying process or saving the home they already own from foreclosure, by attending this FREE event on Saturday, March 9, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC - March 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two Northern California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - March 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hines, the international real estate firm, and Invesco Real Estate, announced today that they have jointly acquired the Rialto Building located at 116 New Montgomery Street in San Francisco’s South Financial District, from Africa Israel USA (AFI USA). Financials on the transaction were not disclosed. Hines will oversee management and leasing of the property on behalf of the partnership

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- This week CHF|CIRB has released the December California Construction Review to subscribers. Overall, California has seen a 5% increase in housing permits from December 2011. Year-to-date permits have increased 22.46% from the same time frame in 2011, increasing from 47,336 permits issued between January and December 2011 to 57,970 total permits for the same time frame in 2012.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06) introduced legislation to help homeowners who live in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas and whose homes have sustained major damage from a fire or other unforeseen event to rebuild their homes. The Fire Damaged Home Rebuilding Act of 2013 would amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to create a waiver process to consider on a case-by-case basis allowing these homeowners to rebuild their homes without elevation requirements, while ensuring their flood insurance costs remained the same as their neighbors.

Rancho Cucamonga, - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before the House Financial Services Committee on the state of the economy. As the Vice Chairman of the Committee, I expressed my concerns about the impact new housing regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act will have on our local economy, job creation and the value of our homes in the 31st Congressional District

Los Angeles, CA - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- At first glance, Pacoima looks like any other quaint neighborhood. What makes this community different is that it’s located in an area that has been significantly affected by the foreclosure crisis. Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County (NHS) along with Assemblymember Raul Bocanegra, the Pacoima Neighborhood Council and over 100 residents and volunteers will join together with paint brushes, brooms and shovels to beautify a block in Pacoima, CA on Saturday, March 2, 2013 for Neighborhood Pride Day

Los Angeles, CA - February 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe joined local officials in the groundbreaking celebration for the future 5.5-acre Orange Grove Park. The County entered into a 40-year ground lease and joint use agreement with the owner of the property and the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District to develop the park. Following active community involvement during the three-year planning and design stages, a construction contract award was made to C.S. Legacy Construction to get the project on its way

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- California pending home sales posted the strongest gain in nearly four years during January, rising from both the previous month and year, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Veterans Commons in San Francisco was celebrated by public officials, including San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and more than a hundred supporters on January 30

SACRAMENTO, CA - February 26, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb sentenced Joel Blanford, 44, of San Ramon, California, to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. On September 19, 2012, following a seven-day trial, a jury found Blanford guilty of six counts of mail fraud

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Higher home prices offset lower interest rates to reduce housing affordability in California during the fourth quarter of 2012, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported.

CANOGA PARK, CA - February 22, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, received the “Friend of Affordable Housing Award” from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco for his long-standing support of affordable housing and preserving and increasing homeownership opportunities in the San Fernando Valley. Sherman also helped announce the recipients of the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) funding competition.

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A typical seasonal slowdown, combined with a scarcity of available homes for sale put a damper on the California housing market in January, with both home sales and median price declining from December, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported.

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to provide California home buyers with up-to-date information about available home buyer assistance programs, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today launched California Mortgage Resource Directory (http://mortgage.car.org), a powerful search tool that identifies current mortgage programs in communities throughout the state.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) today re-introduced H.R. 695, the Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA), legislation which would streamline the process for disposing of unneeded and underutilized federal properties through a civilian BRAC-like process in order to shrink the government’s footprint and save taxpayers billions of dollars.

Washington - February 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Henry A. Waxman (both D-Calif.) sent a letter to Acting Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Jeffery Zeints urging the president to include funding to fully renovate two West LA VA buildings to house some of Los Angeles’ sizable homeless veteran population