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CUPERTINO, CA - May 24, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Melissa Lindt, international luxury real estate expert has joined Intero Real Estate Services. Born in Switzerland, Melissa brings a global perspective to the San Francisco Bay Area and a decade of focusing on the high-end luxury market to Intero. “Adding someone with such diverse experience in the luxury market pushes us farther in expanding, not only the Intero brand, but our Intero Prestigio division,” says Gino Blefari, CEO and President of Intero Real Estate Services

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 21, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales and median price both jumped in April, with sales shooting up to their highest level in more than two years, and the median price rising above $300,000 for the first time in 16 months, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 21, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) applauds California Congressmen Gary Miller (R-Brea) and seven other California congressional members for introducing legislation that calls for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to cease its plan to sell Fannie Mae-owned foreclosed homes in California to large investors.

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 17, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Housing affordability in California set a new record high in first quarter 2012 rising to 56 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today. The increase can be attributed to record-low interest rates and stabilization in home prices.

Washington, DC - May 17, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced the Expanding Refinancing Opportunities Act of 2012, a bill to allow more homeowners the chance to refinance mortgages with insurance provided by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The proposal applies to mortgages not already guaranteed by federal housing authorities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA.

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 17, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today testified in support of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, a package of legislation designed to protect homeowners from unfair practices by banks and mortgage companies and to help families and communities cope with the state's urgent mortgage and foreclosure crisis.

Washington, D.C. - May 17, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will today introduce legislation to help millions of responsible homeowners refinance at lower rates and save thousands of dollars each year – a measure that would help check off a main element of President Obama’s “to do list” for Congress. Earlier this week, Obama called on Congress to act on a number of measures to create jobs and restore security for middle class families, including housing refinance legislation. The President will underscore the importance of helping homeowners refinance when he travels to Nevada tomorrow.

May 16, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- California's dire budget situation claimed a new casualty in the governor's May Revise yesterday: $410 million in bank penalty funds from the National Mortgage Settlement intended to assist California homeowners. The governor instead proposed to use the funds to reduce the state's deficit rather than to help borrowers access settlement programs.

INLAND EMPIRE, CA - May 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Voit Real Estate Services’ Inland Empire office has directed the $2.74 million sale of a 13.26-acre parcel of land in Redlands, Calif. on behalf of the seller. The raw, unentitled land is zoned for commercial/office use, and was purchased for future development, according to Patrick Wood, a Senior Associate in Voit’s Inland Empire office.

Innovative program established by the U.S. Green Building Council and Environmental Defense Fund to drive adoption of demand response in commercial building market Washington, DC...

Sacramento, CA - April 26, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in conjunction with USGBC California, an organization representing eight California USGBC chapters, today released its inaugural Top 10 list of State and Local Green Building Policies in California. These policies were recognized for the way each has advanced green building practices in the state.

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) applauds yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to streamline the short sale process to help more homeowners avoid foreclosure. The move calls for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop enhanced and aligned strategies for facilitating short sales, deeds-in-lieu, and deeds-for-lease.

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales declined in March from February’s pace, while the median home price snapped a 16-month annual price decline and posted its first year-over-year gain, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Building on the success of its 2011 campaign theme – “California REALTORS®. Champions of Home.” – the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) will continue its popular advertising campaign for 2012, featuring real consumers speaking from the heart instead of scripted actors, which struck an emotional chord among viewers.

SACRAMENTO, CA - April 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced seven bills in the California Homeowner Bill of Rights to protect homeowners from unfair practices by banks and mortgage companies passed out of Legislative committees.

April 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee today expressed his strong support for California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ California Homeowners Bill of Rights and urged members of the State Assembly Banking and Finance Committee to support Attorney General Harris’s package of foreclosure reform bills including support for AB 1602, a bill to end “dual tracking” foreclosures by preventing banks from foreclosing on a borrower’s home while the borrower is in the process of negotiating a loan modification, being heard today:

TAVARES, CA - April 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sometimes the best way to lead is by example, and that’s what the Lake County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) hopes residents and commercial business owners will see in the energy savings from the recently completed Retrofit Pilot Program. The BCC dedicated funds from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) to retrofit a local commercial business building and residential home with energy-efficient upgrades.

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- California Congressman Gary Miller (R-Brea), along with 18 other members of California’s congressional delegation, issued a letter last week to Edward J. DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), urging DeMarco to refrain from implementing the agency’s “REO Initiative” pilot program in California because it would negatively impact California’s housing market and raise costs for taxpayers.

SAN JOSE, CA - April 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- David A. Nilsen was sentenced today to 97 months in prison and ordered to pay $69,828,833 in restitution following his conviction for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with his operation of Cedar Funding, a Monterey-based hard money lender, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

Washington, DC - April 2, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-01) today announced a $445,331 federal grant that will help provide permanent housing and support to veterans in Sonoma County. The grant, provided through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will be awarded to the Santa Rosa VA Outpatient Clinic. The funds will be used as vouchers to provide rental assistance for homeless and disabled veterans.