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LOS ANGELES, CA - January 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Commercial real estate investment banking firm George Smith Partners has successfully arranged $16 million in construction financing for DJM Capital Partners, Inc., whose affiliate is the owner of the Bella Terra Shopping Center in Huntington Beach, Calif. according to Principal and Managing Director, Steve Bram and Senior Vice President, David Pascale. The construction loan will allow DJM to create a big box retail pad for new tenant Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Torrance, CA - January 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Westwood Financial Corp. (WFC), one of the largest privately held owner-operators of retail properties in the U.S., is reporting one of its most successful years in its 40-year history with more than $172 million in acquisitions and dispositions in 2011. In total WFC completed 67 transactions in 2011, including five core acquisitions, 10 value-add acquisitions, five core dispositions and 47 value-add dispositions. The transactions were in 24 states. Over the past two years Westwood Financial Corp. has closed 14 value-add transactions for $60 million and is actively looking to reach its $100 million goal. In addition, the Los Angeles-based firm had an increase in its shopping center portfolio, particularly in the Southeast, which brings its ownership and management of more than 100 shopping centers and retail properties in 24 metropolitan markets.

January 5, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Councilmember Dee Andrews, 6th District, The Long Beach Housing Development Company (LBHDC) and Jamboree Housing Corporation (Jamboree) are proud to announce the start of the rehabilitation of Pinecrest Apartments located at 1893 – 1911 Pine Avenue. Three severely blighted buildings will be rehabilitated to provide affordable housing for local families. The public is invited to a "Wallbreaking" Ceremony at 1:00 pm on Thursday, January 5, at 1893 Pine Ave.

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Pending home sales in California fell in November but were up from the previous year for the seventh consecutive month. Additionally, distressed home sales dropped in November from both the previous month and year, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

SACRAMENTO, CA - December 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- California housing production increased for a fourth consecutive month in November but the state is still on track to end the year with the third-lowest housing starts tally on record, the California Building Industry Association announced today.

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) is distributing a public service announcement (PSA) to television and radio stations across California to warn consumers that they are at risk from scammers who offer phony mortgage modification schemes to troubled borrowers. The PSA is designed to allow media outlets to use their recognized talent to alert consumers and will run throughout the holiday season, a time of year that is traditionally high in consumer scam attempts. (The 30-second script is attached.)

San Francisco, CA - December 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) --Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded San Francisco $18.9 million in HUD’s Continuum of Care grants to fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach programs and support services programs to transitional and permanent housing for individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. The HUD Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients. This year, 51 San Francisco-based organizations and programs received grant awards.

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales posted an increase both on a monthly and annual basis in November, marking the fifth consecutive month of year-to-year sales increases, according to figures released today from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

SACRAMENTO, CA - December 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. District Court in Sacramento today unsealed an indictment against four real estate investors and an auctioneer for their participation in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions held in San Joaquin County, Calif., Sharis A. Pozen, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, and Benjamin B. Wagner, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, announced.

December 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The California Building Industry Association (CBIA) released the following statement today on the recent Field Poll conducted on behalf of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) which asked Californians their opinions on the proposed state water bond and its importance to the state’s prosperity and economy

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Federal authorities have charged an Austin, Texas man with having operated a foreclosure-rescue scam in Los Angeles and elsewhere that falsely promised the owners of more than a thousand distressed properties that they could indefinitely postpone foreclosure sales.

December 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced a new $3 million Home for the Holidays initiative to provide housing for San Francisco homeless families. Beginning immediately, the initiative will target families in San Francisco in immediate need with children in public schools to move them into vacant public housing units or provide rent subsidies for rental units in the private market. Key to funding this program involves the rental subsidy portion that includes the formation of a public and private partnership between Marc and Lynne Benioff and the Salesforce.com Foundation, community based non-profit organizations and the City in order to provide immediate relief to families in need and a home for the holidays.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - December 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- James Stanley Ward, Edward George Locker, and Richard Ferguson Tipton pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced. Ward and Locker entered their guilty pleas on Dec. 6, 2011. Tipton entered his plea today.

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorneys General Kamala D. Harris of California and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada today announced that their states have entered into a joint investigation alliance designed to assist homeowners who have been harmed by misconduct and fraud in the mortgage industry.

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.

LOS ANGELES, CA - December 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking home buyers in California, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) today launched Sucasa.net (http://www.sucasa.net), a brand-new Spanish-language property search website.

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.

December 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ray Panek is the senior vice president for forward planning for KB Home Northern California. In his current position, Panek manages the design, entitlement, permitting and development of all KB Home projects in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

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.

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.