EUGENE, OR – January 23, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — IDX, Inc. is pleased to announce James Marsden, as the latest real estate broker to sync a custom IDX solution to his professional website. As the newest subscriber to the amazing IDX Broker software, Marsden now hosts a dynamic real estate search page and thousands of Massachusetts MLS Proterty Info Network (MLSPIN) property listings online. This innovative IDX solution extracts raw listings data from MLSPIN and seamlessly integrates it onto the Charlesgate Realty website Marsden hosts, creating a comprehensive database of Boston, Massachusetts area property listings for home seekers to search. more »

EUGENE, OR – January 23, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — IDX, Inc. is pleased to welcome the real estate expertise of Lou Hrono of Century 21 Northshore to the growing network of realty professionals dedicated to serving the needs of their clients. Luxury home seekers can now experience an unprecedented level of accessibility to thousands of Massachusetts MLS Property Info Network (MLSPIN) listings, on Hrono’s convenient and easy-to-use IDX-enabled Century 21 Northshore website. As the raw listings data of MLSPIN properties is now extracted and seamlessly integrated into the search functions Hrono hosts, IDX Broker has forever changed the way North Bay San Francisco area home seekers access the MLSPIN database and find the perfect property online. more »

Washington, DC – January 18, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, Congressman John Tierney and Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings called on Committee Chairman Darrell Issa to subpoena documents that Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Edward DeMarco committed to share with the Committee in November. Congressman Tierney originally requested the documents during a November 16, 2011 Committee hearing in which DeMarco claimed his agency’s refusal to push banks to keep families in their homes through loan modifications was based on its own thorough analytics. Tierney called into question the validity of such an analysis which would be counter to recommendations by others in the field. FHFA has failed to produce a single document in response to this request over the last two months. more »

January 10, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The City of Springfield has issued Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) for purchase and redevelopment of three historic homes in the Maple Street area.

“These vacant and deteriorated houses have been negatively impacting the neighborhood,” said Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. “We are excited to have the potential of their redevelopment while preserving Springfield’s historic assets. The City is especially interested in proposals where the end use is an owner-occupied home.” more »

Lawmakers point to DOE analysis that shows possible shuttering, idling of Pennsylvania refineries could lead to heating fuel shortages, prices spikes for 6 million Northeast families

WASHINGTON, DC – December 29, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Concerned that new analysis by the Department of Energy (DOE) shows that decisions by ConocoPhillips and Sunoco to idle or shutter completely three refineries in Pennsylvania could cause shortages and prices spikes of home heating oil for nearly 6 million families in the Northeast region, Representatives Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Robert A. Brady (D-Pa.), and Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-Pa.) today called on DOE Secretary Steven Chu to increase the size of the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to two million barrels. more »

LIHEAP to help more than 200,000 Bay State families heat their homes this winter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 23, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Malden) and Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) today praised the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s release of $845 million to states throughout the country through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Massachusetts will receive $21 million, which in addition to the almost $78 million already released, brings the Commonwealth’s total to $99 million in FY2012. more »

Boston, MA – December 23, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino presented an affordable housing voucher to a homeless family who will move into a new home this New Year and announced that 500 additional homeless families are receiving similar housing subsidies and stabilization services through a partnership between the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) called Home for the Holidays. The effort ensures that Mayor Menino’s “Leading the Way 3” initiative has reached its goal of reducing homelessness among Boston families by 50 percent. more »

SARNO PROPOSES EXPANDED PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR QUALIFYING SENIOR CITIZENS

December 14, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced today a recommendation of Fiscal Year 2012 property tax rates for consideration by the Springfield City Council at a meeting Scheduled for Friday, December 16, 2011. The rates would be $19.99 for residential and $39.53 for commercial, industrial, and personal property (CIP) (per $1,000 valuation). This recommendation has been developed in consultation with Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Lee Erdmann and Chairman of the City’s Board of Assessors Richard Allen. more »

Financing helped create 66 apartments in the first phase of the new development

BOSTON, MA – December 9, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — MassHousing announced today that it has closed $2.7 million in loans for the first phase of the Tri-Town Landing Apartments, a 66-unit rental development in a Smart Growth District in Lunenburg. more »

Encelium’s ECS™ Contributes to Certification Credits in Multiple Ways

DANVERS, MA – December 8, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — With today’s broad awareness that green buildings offer lower operating costs, increased value and improved ROI, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification has become the framework of choice for achieving sustainability at commercial properties. Lighting, which accounts for 40 percent of energy use in office buildings, often dominates the opportunity for energy savings among all electrical systems and can potentially contribute up to 19 credits towards LEED certification, according to Encelium. more »

Barrett & Company Real Estate is pleased to welcome Lincoln, MA resident Barbara Rhines as Exclusive Staff Writer for their Massachusetts Real Estate blog, www.realestateinma.com.

Concord, MA – December 6, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Rhines writes on architectural history and interior design as well as real-estate issues. Her articles have appeared in Old-House Journal, Old-House Interiors, Wayside Magazine, Style 1900, Arts & Crafts Homes & the Revival, and Antiques & the Arts Weekly. Prior to turning to freelance writing full-time, Rhines worked for over 15 years in public relations promoting affordable-housing initiatives at the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, with articles appearing in Banker & Tradesman, Bay State Realtor, and various Federal Reserve Bank publications. more »

Funding will benefit sober programs in Brockton, Lowell, Springfield and Worcester

BOSTON, MA – November 22, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — MassHousing has awarded $300,000 in financing to help create or preserve affordable sober housing in Brockton, Lowell, Springfield and Worcester. more »

Cornerstone Corporation, Maloney Properties, Peabody Properties, United Housing Management and WinnResidential Management cited for multi-million dollar efforts

BOSTON, MA – November 22, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — MassHousing recently recognized the efforts of 100 property management companies that make a concerted effort to do business with Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). more »

EUGENE, OR – November 21, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Collette Lester of Milbury and Company Real Estate has become the latest real estate professional to integrate a customized IDX solution onto her website, thanks to IDX, Inc. and the extraordinary IDX Broker software. Lester, an Massachusetts-based Realtor, now hosts a dynamic search page which extracts raw listing data from the Massachusetts MLS Property Info Network (MLSPIN) database and seamlessly syncs it to the comprehensive listings database she supports on her website. Potential buyers and clients are able to scan the MLSPIN listings knowing they have the most up-to-the-minute data from MLSPIN right on Lester’s website. more »

Washington, DC – October 27, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, Congressman John Tierney urged Acting Director Edward DeMarco of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to continue to take critical steps to prevent foreclosures and to push private lenders to provide relief. Earlier this week, the Administration announced that the FHFA would implement a series of policy changes that would allow more homeowners to access the Home Affordable Refinance Program (“HARP”) to refinance their home mortgage. more »