New York RealEstateRama

New York, NY - March 30, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg commended the New York City Council today for its approval of the City’s development plans at Hunters Point South and Willets Point in Queens.

Albany, NY - March 25, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The New York State housing market recorded sluggish sales in the first two months of 2009, as buyers faced concerns about the economy and uncertainty about the federal stimulus package.

Albany, NY - March 26, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — DHCR Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen was in Buffalo last week to discuss DHCR's role in addressing the foreclosure crisis in Western New York and to kick-off the first in a series of regional meetings across the state with housing industry professionals and advocates involved in assisting homeowners under New York's $25 million Subprime Foreclosure Prevention Program.

Albany, NY - March 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Statement from New York State Association of REALTORS President Daniel J. Hartnett: The New York State Association of REALTORS and its more than 56,000 members strongly oppose any increase to the personal income tax (PIT) and urge lawmakers to make the difficult, yet necessary, decision to cut costs to balance the state’s budget, instead of continuing an overreliance on taxing the residents of this state.

ALBANY, NY - March 19, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — A new Upstate Equity Fund that will encourage private sector investment in affordable housing projects throughout Upstate New York was announced today by Deborah VanAmerongen, commissioner of the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). The new funding source was developed by DHCR together with the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) and other partners in the development community.

New York, NY - March 16, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — Benton J. Campbell, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced that Leib Pinter, a former executive of Olympia Mortgage Corp., was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud Fannie Mae in connection with mortgage loans which Fannie Mae owned but were refinanced through Olympia. Pinter was also ordered to pay more than $43 million in restitution to the victims of his fraud scheme. The sentencing proceeding was held before United States District Judge Sandra L. Townes at the U.S. Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, and followed Pinter’s guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy on September 11, 2008.

New York, NY - March 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG) today reported that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.375 per share of common stock for the quarter ending March 31, 2009. The dividend is payable on April 15, 2009 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 31, 2009.

Albany, NY - March 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — DHCR's Executive Deputy Commissioner Brian Lawlor was on hand recently to help launch the construction of a new $15 million, 66-unit affordable housing development for senior citizens in the town of Ulster

CPC, ENPHRONT Veteran Services and Inner City Development Open Seven 3-story Row Houses for Formerly Homeless Veterans; Educational, Job Training and Recreational Programs Offered On-Site

West Babylon, NY - March 11, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The Multiple Listing Service of Long Island, Inc., (MLSLI) released February 2009 home figures reporting a $360,000 closed median home price for Long Island which includes Nassau, Suffolk and Queens county.

ALBANY NY - March 3, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The New York State Real Estate Board will hold a public hearing on general real estate issues on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, 80 South Swan Street, 10th Floor Conference Room, Albany, NY and 123 William Street, 19th Floor Conference Room, New York, NY.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 6, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The Congressional Oversight Panel released its March Oversight Report, The Foreclosure Crisis: Working Toward a Solution. Like the crisis in the banking system, the foreclosure problem has grown so large that it threatens the entire economy.

NEW YORK, NY - March 4, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The board of the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) today approved $21.5 million in financing to renovate two low-income rental housing projects in Brooklyn with 160 units reserved for senior citizens and the disabled

Albany, NY - February 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has released a report describing the affordable housing needs of the Mohawk Valley Region, which includes Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida and Schoharie Counties.

Albany, NY - February 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has released a report on the housing needs of Central New York, which includes Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego Counties.

New York, NY - February 25, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — LEV L. DASSIN, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced today that IVY WOOLFTURK, a Manhattan real estate developer, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to participating in a $27 million mail and wire fraud conspiracy.

Albany, NY - February 25, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The New York State housing market could not sustain the December sales growth into January as buyers largely stayed out of the market due to concerns about the economy and questions about the impending economic stimulus package.

NEW YORK, NY - February 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) today issued its revised 2009 allocation criteria for developers seeking private activity tax-exempt bond financing for so-called 80/20 multifamily rental projects in New York City.

New York, NY - February 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the unsealing of charges against SHARMON HOWELL, a/k/a "Sharmon Wade," DAVID MOORE, JUNE PERSAUD, and OSCAR ANCRUM,

Albany, NY - February 18, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — The State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has released a report on the affordable housing needs of the Southern Tier, which includes Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins counties.

New York, NY - February 20, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) — A diverse array of housing advocates, affordable housing developers, community development corporations and low income tenants joined with New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, and members of the City Council today to protest a proposal by Governor David Paterson that would raid a fund dedicated to the construction of affordable housing in order to balance the state’s budget

Improvements to Inclusionary Housing Program Would Also Produce More Permanently Affordable Housing; Proposal Fulfills Promise Made During Adoption of 125th Street Rezoning

ALBANY, NY - February 17, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) – A meeting of the New York State Board of Real Estate Appraisal will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Department of State, Alfred E. Smith State Office Bldg., 80 South Swan Street, 10th Floor Conference Room, Albany, NY, and 123 William Street, 19th Floor Conference Room, NYC, NY.

New York, NY - February 13, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) – Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today named Rafael Cestero to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development HPD

Record-Breaking Year: Finances more than 7,300 Units NEW YORK, N.Y. - February 10, 2009 - (RealEstateRama) – The New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has posted another record-breaking year as the nation’s top issuer of affordable housing bonds.