Archives

May 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Robert Rivinius, President and CEO of the California Building Industry Association (CBIA), made the following statement on the results of the decision of California voters to reject the budget reforms and tax increases contained in Propositions 1A through 1E

Washington, DC - May 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Today, the House and Senate gave final approval to a broad housing bill that would help homeowners refinance to stay in their homes, increase funding for foreclosure prevention efforts and establish new protections for renters who face eviction because they are living in foreclosed properties.

Ventura County city suspends affordable housing fees for at least one year to encourage homebuilding . May 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) —The city of Thousand Oaks is the latest jurisdiction to reduce development fees in an effort to jump-start homebuilding and its local economy, which the California Building Industry Association noted is a move that is paying off for a growing number of communities around the state

LOS ANGELES, CA - May 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The percentage of households that could afford to buy an entry-level home in California stood at 69 percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared with 46 percent (revised) for the same period a year ago, according to a report released today by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

May 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — San Diego-Continuing his fight to stop scams against homeowners, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today filed suit against two brothers who "ripped off homeowners" seeking help in reducing their property tax assessments.

May 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — California homebuilders today recognized the city of Corona as the latest jurisdiction to reduce development fees in an effort to jump-start homebuilding and its local economy

San Francisco, CA - May 12, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is now accepting applications for its 2009 Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) Program, which allows members of the Bank to support economic and housing projects during their critical conception and early development stages. Since the program was launched in 2004, more than $1.5 million in AHEAD Program grants have been awarded to support 61 projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada. With demand for grants far exceeding supply, the Bank’s Board of Directors doubled the funding for the program in 2009, from $500,000 to $1 million.

SACRAMENTO, CA - May 12, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Thanks in part to the California new-home tax credit that went into effect in March, the pace of home sales at California new-home communities has begun to show signs of stabilizing, California Building Industry Association reported

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 7, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Today Congresswoman Capps voted for legislation that would significantly enhance the enforcement and prosecution of mortgage and corporate fraud in an effort to better protect consumers. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act (S. 386) will provide vital funding and tools to help law enforcement pursue and prosecute the type of financial fraud that is widely thought to have contributed to the current financial crisis. The legislation will also establish a bipartisan commission to fully investigate the causes of the near-collapse of our financial system and the ensuing recession in an effort to prevent this type of crisis from occurring again.

New York, N.Y., May 7, 2009 – Turner Construction Company was selected to serve as the design builder for the expansion of Terminal 2 at the San Diego International Airport in San Diego, Calif. The projected construction cost for the Terminal and Airside expansion is $500 million. Turner will manage the construction of the 470,000 sq. ft. expansion as the majority partner in a joint venture that includes Flatiron Corp., Turner’s sister company, and PCL Construction Services, Inc. The project is targeting a LEED Silver Certification from the United States Green Building Council upon completion in 2012

TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 1, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today sent a letter to Senate President Atwater and House Speaker Cretul urging the continuation of the successful My Safe Florida Home program with half of the funds remaining in the program. CFO Sink requested that at least 50% of the estimated $30-$40 million in unused funding be transferred into the FY 09-10 Budget, instead of forcing the My Safe Florida Home program to end this year

Washington, DC - May 1, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today spoke on the Senate floor in favor of an amendment that would have helped millions of at-risk homeowners avoid foreclosure by allowing bankruptcy judges to modify mortgage terms for primary residences.

C.A.R. reports March home sales increased 63.8 percent, median home price declined 39 percent. LOS ANGELES, CA - April 29, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Home sales increased 63.8 percent in March in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home declined 39 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today

New Homes Help State Hold Energy Usage Flat During Past 30 Years. April 29, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — California homebuilders today thanked President Obama for recognizing the outstanding job California has done in reducing energy consumption – due in large part to the energy-efficiency of new homes built during the past 30 years.

April 27, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The Revised Draft 2008-2014 Housing Element of the Long Beach General Plan is now available for public review. The Housing Element is a chapter of the Citywide General Plan and analyzes the housing needs in the City of Long Beach while establishing a variety of programs to address these needs. The Housing Element has been developed over a period of 18 months, with extensive community input and participation

LOS ANGELES, CA - April 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) this week launched its 2009 consumer ad campaign, “Your Piece of California. Your Peace of Mind.” The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the REALTOR® brand and reinforce the professionalism of California REALTORS®, while addressing concerns home buyers and sellers may have about today’s market.

San Francisco, CA - April 23, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Responding to a lawsuit that Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. and others filed last year, the U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to reconsider the Bush Administration's "grossly inadequate" home furnace and boiler efficiency regulations.

SACRAMENTO, CA - April 21, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today commended the Environmental Protection Agency for taking the federal government's "first concrete step toward curbing global warming" by issuing a proposed determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health or welfare.

SACRAMENTO, CA - April 15, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The pace of home sales at California new-home communities continued to be historically slow during February but at least showed a modest improvement over January, the California Building Industry Association reported today. But Robert Rivinius, CBIA’s President and CEO, said he is confident March sales figures will show a significant increase due to the landmark California tax credit for new-home buyers that went into effect at the beginning of the month.

April 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The owner of the property located at 6400 Loynes Drive has received an emergency permit issued by the California Coastal Commission (CCC), which authorizes the import of 1,000 cubic yards of dirt to cap any exposed landfill property, per orders to comply from the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.