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WASHINGTON DC - August 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Rep Michael Honda (CA-15), representative of Silicon Valley and member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, is reintroducing the Smart Electronics Act, to address the greenhouse gas impacts and energy costs of proliferation of electronic devices throughout the world, and the Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act.

Los Angeles, CA - July 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez today announced the 2011 Assessment Roll reflecting a 1.49 percent increase in value, ending two years of decline and producing a property roll of more than a trillion dollars for Los Angeles County. The $1,105,742,244,670 gross total property roll is $16.2 billion greater than last year.

FRESNO, CA - July 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today charging Tony Huy Havens, 37, of Modesto, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud in a mortgage fraud scheme.

July 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that Matthew “Beau” La Madrid was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William Q. Hayes to serve a lengthy federal prison term in connection with his operation of the Plus Money Premium Return Funds (“PRF”) and related real estate investment and mortgage fraud schemes. The defendant entered his guilty plea on January 3, 2011.

Los Angeles, CA - July 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Marking its entrance into the Los Angeles market, national landscape services provider The Brickman Group has acquired Dworsky Cos., one of L.A.’s leading commercial landscape services firms. The acquisition of Dworsky, a family-owned company founded in 2002, gives Brickman a stronger foothold in the Southern California market — with more than 1,000 employees — as it builds upon its nationwide expansion. Dworsky is headed by Founder Dave Dworsky, who in his 20 years in the industry has stamped an expansive mark servicing the Greater Los Angeles area. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) and a bipartisan group of her colleagues introduced the PACE Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 2599) to promote energy efficient upgrades to homes. This bill would prevent federal regulators from adopting policies that disregard established state and local Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) laws. The PACE program is designed to allow homeowners an opportunity to lower their utility bills by making energy efficiency improvements to their homes, which would in turn help clean energy businesses sell more of their energy efficient products, expand green manufacturing operations, and create jobs.

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Mike Thompson joined with two House Republicans Wednesday in introducing legislation to protect the government-financed home and business energy retrofit programs that have run afoul of federal housing regulators.

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A government program that helped homeowners finance and install green upgrades before a technical roadblock stalled it last year may be resuscitated by Congress.

FRESNO, CA - July 22, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- More than half of Central Valley REALTORS® characterized closing short-sale transactions as “difficult” or “extremely difficult,” according to a Lender Satisfaction Survey conducted by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). The survey gauges REALTORS®’ experience working with lenders in their most recent transaction. The majority of those surveyed dealt with short-sale transactions – transactions in which the lender or lenders agree to accept less than the mortgage amount owed by the current homeowner.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) announced that the San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund. The grant will allow the Housing Trust Fund to provide low-interest financing for affordable housing for middle class families in San Luis Obispo County.

Washington, DC - July 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Waters (CA), Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises, today led 11 of her colleagues in the House of Representatives urging U.S. bank regulators to publicly release information regarding the steps that mortgage servicers are taking to prevent illegal foreclosure practices. An identical letter was sent by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (NJ), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, and nine additional Senators.

Bipartisan PACE Bill Will Create Jobs at the Local Level Washington, D.C. - July 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today a bipartisan group of members – Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Nan Hayworth, M.D. (R-NY), and Dan Lungren (R-CA) - introduced the PACE Protection Act of 2011.

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- California pending home sales rose for the second consecutive month in June, while the share of distressed property sales was unchanged, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

San Francisco, CA - July 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Edwin M. Lee today introduced legislation at the Board of Supervisors updating the Municipal Green Building Code to require U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for all municipal construction and major renovation projects over 5,000 square feet after September 1, 2011. Currently, only LEED Silver certification is required for municipal buildings, while LEED Gold is required for private sector buildings starting in 2012. This legislation updates green building standards for municipal construction projects that will secure San Francisco’s place as a national leader in resource efficient building.

SACRAMENTO, CA - July 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging seven real estate professionals with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on July 14, 2011.

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) applauds Gov. Jerry Brown on signing SB 458 (Corbett) into law. SB 458 extends the protections of SB 931 (2010), to ensure that any lender that agrees to a short sale must accept the agreed upon short sale payment as payment in full of the outstanding balance of all loans.

Washington, D.C. - July 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan’s announcement that the agency has awarded more than $10.5 million in federal grants to provide housing for homeless veterans in California. Grants will be distributed as 1,125 housing assistance vouchers by local housing agencies that have partnered with VA medical centers to benefit veterans all across the state.

Los Angeles, CA - July 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Del Rey Square Senior Housing Project is a new affordable housing community at 11976 Culver Boulevard in West Los Angeles. The project will contain 124 units (4 studios, 119 one-bedroom units and 1 two-bedroom manager’s unit) that will be targeted to households earning 60% of AMI or less. 30 of these units will be public housing units targeting senior and disabled households. The project is unique in its location on the Westside of Los Angeles, which suffers from a severe lack of affordable housing.

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- California home sales edged up in June, and the median price rose to its highest level since December 2010, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) voted for the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011 (H.R. 1309), which passed the House by a vote of 406-22. The bill re-authorizes the National Flood Insurance Program for five years, and makes needed reforms to address the financial stability of the program by phasing out non-essential premium subsidies. The legislation is particularly relevant for homeowners in the Santa Maria Valley and the cities of Oxnard and Ventura. The County of Santa Barbara, the County of Ventura, and the City of Santa Maria all written letters to the Congresswoman expressing support for the legislation.