Monthly Archives: April 2013

Albany, NY - April 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), at the request of the State of New York, has approved a 17-day extension to the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allows eligible survivors from Superstorm Sandy who cannot return to their homes to stay in participating hotels or motels

New York, NY - April 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of the New York City Housing Authority’s goal to enhance customer service, it has launched an online service tool for Public Housing and Section 8 Voucher applicants. The NYCHA Housing Application Self-Service Portal allows applicants to check the status of a current Public Housing or Section 8 Voucher application (the Section 8 list is currently closed and no new applications are being accepted). Also, New York City residents can now apply for public housing online.

NEW YORK, NY - April 9, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York City residential sales market got off to a strong start in 2013 with an increase in activity and a jump in median sales prices citywide, despite the lack of inventory, according to The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)’s First Quarter New York City Residential Sales Report.

New York, NY - April 9, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced the sale of a 110,000 square foot parcel of underutilized, City owned property in the Mill Basin neighborhood of Brooklyn to Bical Development, Inc. The developer will construct a 114,000 square foot building and a separate 4,000 square foot building at the site, located next to an existing Toys “R” Us store at 2875 Flatbush Avenue. The new buildings will be used to house Kristal Auto Mall, which includes an automobile dealership, repair center, inventory storage area and related office space. Currently located in Canarsie, Kristal Auto Mall will move their operations to Mill Basin as part of this transaction, creating approximately 80 construction jobs while maintaining and ultimately expanding their current workforce.

Albany, NY - April 9, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his Administration is demanding that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac change restrictive guidelines which could hit thousands of Superstorm Sandy victims with large spikes in their mortgage payments. Fannie and Freddie’s current policies could result in a typical family being forced to make an immediate balloon mortgage payment of more than $6,000 or see a monthly payment spike of more than $500 or 50 percent.

Washington, DC - April 9, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-16) announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is awarding $108,175 in grant money to the Village of Pelham Manor. The Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) – administered through DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – is designed to help municipalities boost preparedness in response to fire and related hazards. The Pelham Manor Fire Department will receive the funds to purchase 18 sets of SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) Units

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), senior member of the House Financial Services committee and Ranking Member of its Capital Markets Subcommittee, today wrote the Comptroller of the Currency and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve following a recently released GAO report on the Independent Foreclosure Review (IFR) process and the regulators’ disclosure in late March that it would be an additional four to eight weeks before these borrowers receive payments under the IFR settlement with major banks announced in January.

Hauppauge, NY - April 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, County Executive Steven Bellone announced that applications for a competitive grant and loan program will be made available on April 5, 2013 for construction-ready municipal and private sewer infrastructure expansion projects within Suffolk County. With less than 25% of Suffolk County currently served by sewage treatment facilities, this program will assist in expanding sewers, protecting the drinking water supply and spurring economic development

ATLANTA - April 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] one of the world’s largest hotel companies announces the opening of the new Holiday Inn® NYC - Lower East Side, in the thriving Lower East Side neighborhood close to major businesses, universities and Manhattan attractions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today launched a two-pronged plan to help ensure that veterans returning home to Staten Island from Iraq and Afghanistan are receiving critical benefits that will allow them to afford a home and live stable civilian lives. Schumer highlighted data that shows that more than one in three veterans on Staten Island have not applied for the property tax benefit for veterans that is available to them and worth hundreds of dollars a year, and a disconnect in communication between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and localities that administer federal and state benefits are to blame

BUFFALO, NY - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned an indictment charging 12 defendants with conspiracy to traffic 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine within the Perry Housing Projects. The defendants are also accused of utilizing three apartments within the Perry Housing Projects and a juvenile to further their drug trafficking activities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- New report from NYU's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy finds New York City home prices rose two percent in the final quarter of 2012, while foreclosure activity increased 53 percent over the final quarter of 2011; The Bronx sees promising signs of renewed building activity

New York, NY - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Last week, we joined seven other state attorneys generals in calling on President Barack Obama to replace Edward DeMarco, the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We don’t have anything against DeMarco personally, but we believe that he is standing in the way of progress toward a full economic recovery and hurting families across the country. It is time for new leadership and a new direction at Fannie and Freddie

NEW YORK, NY - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today published an op-ed in Politico calling on President Obama to replace Edward DeMarco, the acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees mortgage institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Co-authored by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the op-ed notes that Acting Director DeMarco’s refusal to provide relief to struggling homeowners stands in the way of progress toward a full economic recovery, hurting families nationwide. The following are excerpts of the article

New York, NY - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- “The first three of nine bills before me today relate to our Administration’s continued response to Hurricane Sandy and our efforts to protect New Yorkers and get businesses affected by Sandy back on their feet.

EUGENE, OR - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- IDX, Inc. and real estate professional Sophia Tseng East Coast Realtors have enabled a remarkable IDX solution on her professional website with the premier IDX Broker software. Long Island MLS (MLSLI) listings are displayed directly on the search page Tseng 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 Tseng’s website

NEW YORK, N.Y. - April 2, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has posted another record-breaking year, ranking first on Thomson Reuters list of multi-family bond issuers and third in Affordable Housing Finance Magazine’s annual ranking of affordable housing lenders. From January through December 2012, the Corporation issued $1.065 billion in bonds and provided more than $1.8 billion in financing that was raised from the sale of bonds and the provision of other corporate subsidies. Over the course of the year, HDC financed the construction and/or preservation of 11,400 apartments

Hauppauge, NY - April 2, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- County Executive Steve Bellone today announced that the County is extending the deadline to apply for 52 new affordable rental apartments located in the new Summerwind Square development in downtown Riverhead until May 1, 2013

New York, NY - March 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has recognized Monroe County Public Safety Crime Lab with a High Performance Building Plaque for energy efficiency measures that will cut energy costs by $75,000 annually.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 29, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will institute a program that provides temporary rental payments to landlords in order to help families displaced after Superstorm Sandy. The Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) was put forward in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and will provide eligible Sandy victims with a longer-term housing option through the provision of a temporary voucher.