Monthly Archives: June 2013

NEW YORK, NY - June 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $7.6 billion in direct assistance to homeowners, renters, businesses, government agencies and nonprofits that were affected by Hurricane Sandy

Brooklyn, NY - June 27, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- CPC Resources, Inc. (CPCR), East Brooklyn Congregations (EBC), Common Ground Community HDFC (Common Ground), St. Paul Community Baptist Church, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), and partners celebrated today the groundbreaking of Redwood Senior Living in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Located at the intersection of Wortman and Schenck Avenues, the energy-efficient development will provide 80 units of affordable housing with social services for underserved elderly residents when completed in 2014.

New York. NY - June 27, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua, New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Workforce Housing Advisors (WFHA), Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase and partners today announced the beginning of what will be a substantial renovation of four of the most physically distressed multi-family buildings in the City. The buildings, which are located at 2239, 2241, 2323 and 2333 Creston Avenue in the University Heights section of the Bronx have a combined 120 apartments.

SYRACUSE - June 27, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that up to $20 million over two years – obtained in last year’s settlement with the nation’s largest banks – will be made available to communities to rebuild and restore neighborhoods hit hard by the housing crisis. Following the collapse of the housing market, the New York State Legislature passed legislation in 2011 establishing “land banks” that could acquire vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties, and choose to rebuild, demolish, or redesign them

EUGENE, OR - June 26, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and real estate professional Sarah Robitaille-Kubiak of Robitaille Real Estate have enabled a remarkable IDX solution on her professional website with the premier IDX Broker software. New York State Alliance MLS (NYSAM) listings are displayed directly on the search page Robitaille-Kubiak hosts online, giving area home seekers a comprehensive and efficient way to search through thousands of properties on the market without ever leaving the convenience Robitaille-Kubiak’s website.

WASHINGTON, DC - June 26, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee, issued the following statement upon today’s introduction of the “Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013” by Sens. Robert Corker (R-TN) and Mark Warner (D-VA).

WASHINGTON, DC - June 26, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, along with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), introduced the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act in order to extend critical federal civil rights protections to individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or familial status, disability, or source of income. Today, many in the LGBT community, many people paying rent with government housing vouchers, and numerous others routinely experience housing discrimination by landlords, banks, and real estate professionals.

STATEN ISLAND, NY - June 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Michael G. Grimm (R-S.I./Brooklyn) joined Staten Island constituents for a press conference calling on the City to waive water fees for Sandy survivors who have used little or no water in their damaged homes. Even if a home uses no water during a billing period, homeowners are subject to a minimum charge from the City of $1.19 per day. The City is just starting to send out “suspended” bills now, and residents are outraged to find they owe hundreds of dollars (over $300 in some cases) for water they never used at a house they are currently unable to live in. At a time when Staten Islanders are waiting in limbo – whether it be for buyouts, flood maps, or more federal assistance – Rep. Grimm is calling on the city to waive these ludicrous fees until homeowners get back in their homes

NEW YORK, NY - June 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that the New York State Legislature has passed the "Certificate of Merit" bill (A. 5582/S.4530A), which will help more New York families avoid foreclosure. The bill enacts common sense reforms to bring greater integrity to the foreclosure process and expedite homeowners' participation in court-supervised mediation sessions where they can negotiate workable alternatives to foreclosure with their lender. This joint program bill was proposed by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Court Administration.

New Yorkers, NY - June 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- “New Yorkers whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Sandy will receive additional aid this fall through legislation passed today in Albany. The bill – which our Administration proposed this Legislative session – authorizes the City to reimburse property tax payers whose homes were significantly damaged by up to two-thirds of the total bill paid for the 2013 Fiscal Year

New York, NY - June 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) - The Real Estate Board of New York’s (REBNY’s) Annual Breakfast Roundtable Discussion hosted by the Downtown Committee on Friday, June 14 drew in residential real estate professionals eager for insight and tips on navigating the challenges of today’s real estate market.

Albany, NY - June 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) - Robust buyer activity across New York State in May resulted in a 12-percent growth in the statewide median sales price from May 2012, according to the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS.

NEW YORK, NY - June 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- National Mortgage Settlement Monitor Joseph A. Smith, Jr. today released a progress report evaluating the compliance of Ally Financial/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo with the mortgage Servicing Standards mandated by the National Mortgage Settlement. The Monitor made findings against several of the servicers, including finding that Wells Fargo failed to comply with the Servicing Standard governing the timeline for notifying borrowers of deficiencies in applications for mortgage modifications.

New York, N.Y. - June 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua today announced the latest housing development to offer preference to income-eligible New Yorkers displaced from their homes by Hurricane Sandy. Harlem River Point South will add a total of 139 affordable housing rental apartments to the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. Fifteen percent of the 139 affordable units will be subject to the Sandy preference. These units will be filled through a lottery managed by the developer and overseen by HPD and the City’s Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

New York, NY - June 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairman John B. Rhea today launched the Red Hook Urban Farm, a 1-acre urban agriculture installation and the first-ever large-scale community farm on NYCHA property. The model farm will serve as a source of fresh produce for the community while also providing a center for education, job training, and community engagement for residents.

New York, NY - June 17, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, at the Dutchess County Office Building, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer launched a two-pronged plan to help ensure that veterans returning home to Dutchess County from Iraq and Afghanistan are receiving critical benefits that will allow them to afford a home and live stable civilian lives. Schumer highlighted county data that shows that about 40 percent of the over 20,000 veterans in Dutchess have not applied for the property tax benefit for veterans that is available to them and worth hundreds of dollars a year. A disconnect in communication between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and localities that administer federal and state benefits are to

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) --"Today, the New York State Legislature passed important City-proposed legislation that will allow for significant reforms to the board of the New York City Housing Authority and streamline its management. Moving forward, board members will no longer be salaried, but rather serve in part-time positions with stipends for time dedicated to board activities. This bill will also increase the overall size of the Housing Authority’s board from four to seven and provide for additional tenant representation with three of the seven board members being required to be public housing residents, ensuring a more diverse range of views. Across the country, cities have abandoned public housing, but we refused to do that.

ALBANY, NY - June 12, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Tuesday, the New York Senate passed legislation to protect homeowners from insurance scams by establishing a strict firewall between public adjusters and contractors. The legislation (S.3771A) was written by Senator Klein in response to a series of complaints filed by homeowners against City Island-based Adjustrite, a contracting firm that had established a coordinated scheme whereby a public adjuster directed homeowners to a local contractor with whom he worked and had a nefarious financial arrangement. The bill, known as the “Gayla Marsh Bill,” was named after Gayla Marsh, who fell victim to Adjustrite. Her son, Chancy Marsh, notified Senator Klein’s office and, together, identified other victims of Adjustrite

NEW YORK, NY - June 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- With more than 11 million homes still “underwater,” the mortgage debt overhang caused by the housing bubble remains an impediment to economic growth and a burden on communities across the country. One possible solution to this problem is for state and municipal governments to use their eminent domain authority to purchase and restructure underwater mortgages. This novel solution is proposed in a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

New York, NY - June 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Senate passed 14 regulatory reform bills today as the first part of a major initiative, that includes statewide public forums, to identify and eliminate thousands of costly and unnecessary government regulations that inhibit job creation and drive up local property taxes.

New York, N.Y. - June 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Join acclaimed architect and interior designer William T. Georgis and several artisans with whom he collaborates—Michele Oka Doner, Nancy Lorenz, and Mike Gracie—for a lively discussion of his work and new book, Make It Fabulous: The Architecture & Designs of William T. Georgis on Thursday, June 13

EUGENE, OR - June 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Warwick, New York property listings are now synced automatically to the website built by Linda Czubak and affiliated with the IDX, Inc. revolutionary IDX Broker software. As a member of the Greater Hudson Valley MLS (GHVMLS), Czubak has long had access to thousands of detailed New York area property listings. Now, her clients can experience the same level of unprecedented access, being able to view real estate listings that were once classified only for agents and broker to view, right on the convenient IDX enabled website Czubak hosts. The New York based real estate business Czubak manages is also now completely mobile, thanks to the IDX Broker application for iPhone.

EUGENE, OR - June 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Warwick, New York property listings are now synced automatically to the website built by Linda Czubak and affiliated with the IDX, Inc. revolutionary IDX Broker software. As a member of the Greater Hudson Valley MLS (GHVMLS), Czubak has long had access to thousands of detailed New York area property listings. Now, her clients can experience the same level of unprecedented access, being able to view real estate listings that were once classified only for agents and broker to view, right on the convenient IDX enabled website Czubak hosts. The New York based real estate business Czubak manages is also now completely mobile, thanks to the IDX Broker application for iPhone

New York, NY - June 10, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua attended the 13th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference today where he announced that later this month, HPD in partnership with the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) and NYC Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC), will be issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify qualified developers to help the City in its efforts to double its production of supportive housing.

New York, NY - June 10, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- With nearly one thousand New Yorkers facing delays on securing Sandy-related federal loans and hundreds more still waiting on a final decision on their disaster loan applications, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite and streamline the disaster loan application process for New York businesses and homeowners devastated by Superstorm Sandy. Senator Gillibrand is also urging the agency to ensure that disaster loans are in fact low-interest, since the SBA has discretion to set the interest rate for each individual applicant, with rates set as high as eight percent