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.

IRVINE, CA - December 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, one of the most dominant retail investment groups in the western United States and a market leader in the sale of retail properties, announced today that William B. Asher and Jeremy S. McChesney represented the buyer and seller in the sale of a single-tenant Walgreens in Lake Elsinore, Calif. The purchase price was $8,086,409.

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.

Torrance , CA - December 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate’s (http://www.usc.edu/lusk) annual analysis of industrial and office real estate in Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Inland Empire shows signs of a slow market recovery.

Chino, CA - December 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Voit Real Estate Services’ Inland Empire office has successfully facilitated two new industrial subleases in Chino, including a nine-month, 200,000 square-foot industrial sublease at 4281 Edison Avenue; as well as a 150,660 square-foot, 13.5-month industrial sublease at the adjacent property, located at 4361-4371 Edison Avenue.

December 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- WHAT: Attorneys General Kamala D. Harris of California and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada will make a joint mortgage-related announcement.

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.

Irvine, CA - December 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the third largest real estate services organization globally, welcomes Eric Johnson to Real Estate Management Services (REMS). He will serve as Regional Managing Director for REMS’ Southern California region.

Torrance, CA - December 5, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Less than a year after being appointed to the California Board of Accountancy (CBA) by then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Savoy, managing director of Santa Monica-based Gumbiner Savett Inc., has been elected secretary/treasurer for 2012. In his new position, Savoy will perform a variety of duties that will help drive the organization forward and keep its finances in sound shape.

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.

IRVINE, CA - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Keystone Pacific Property Management, a leading community association management company providing management services to community associations throughout Southern California, has promoted Sarah Touchi from business relations coordinator to director of marketing and web technologies in the Irvine office. She has been a member of the team since 2007.

Orange County, CA - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The South Coast Villas Homeowners Association has selected Merit Property Management, a FirstService Residential Management company, to manage 304 condominium units in Santa Ana, CA. Merit is assisting the community with all its HOA property management needs.

Inland Empire, CA - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Merit Property Management, a FirstService Residential Management company, announces today the hiring of Kristie Rose, PCAM, CCAM, as Business Unit Leader for the Inland Empire region. Rose is now responsible for the supervision of Merit’s current association community management clients and will also coordinate and manage new contracts, maintain client relations and spearhead Merit’s continued growth throughout the Inland Empire region. She will also supervise account executive staff and association onsite teams.

Los Angeles, CA - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Colliers International, the third largest global real estate services organization, has completed two property sales in Los Angeles totaling $2,425,000. Tony Phu, Senior Vice President, and Jeffrey Kim, Associate, both based in Colliers International’s Ontario office represented the Seller in both transactions.

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.

Washington, DC - December 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- This morning, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the health of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Insurance Fund. Prior to this morning’s hearing, Congressman Gary Miller met with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and FHA Commissioner Carol J. Galante to discuss the impact of California’s Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project on Chino Hills’ homeowners. Following their discussion, Congressman Miller issued this statement: