Massachusetts RealEstateRama

Boston, MA - April 121, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced today that in the last decade (2000 – 2010), 20,500 new units of housing were produced in the City of Boston, 5,500 of which are affordable to low and moderate income households. The total number of housing units in Boston has increased by 8.2% from the prior decade and the number of new housing developments in the last decade exceed the number of housing starts for the past six decades.

BOSTON, MA - April 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing announced $14.9 million in loan closings today to preserve affordability at the 110-unit Framingham Green Apartments in Framingham and the 150-unit Valebrook Apartments in Lawrence, which were in danger of converting to market rate rents

QUINCY, MA - March 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- 2011¡XSouth Shore residents in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure will soon have access to expanded foreclosure prevention counseling services through a joint initiative sponsored by the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, Neighborhood Housing Services of the South Shore and the South Shore HOME Consortium.

Boston, MA - March 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Menino announced today that Boston, already a national leader in green building, will launch the Energy Positive "E+" Green Building Demonstration Program, a residential design and construction initiative to bring energy, environmentally, and equity positive green homes to Boston's neighborhoods. The program seeks to promote the future generation of home construction - combining high quality living space with clean energy production that helps power the neighborhood. E+ Green Buildings produce more energy than they use on an annual basis, giving energy back to the grid and saving homeowners money.

BOSTON, MA - March 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing announced today that it has approved $2.2 million in loans for the Greenway Apartments in East Boston, which will feature 27 new affordable apartments for low-income families

Miami Beach, FL - March 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federated Companies has recently acquired the land asset located on 191 Beach Road, Salisbury, Massachusetts. The land is a 13.2 acre development site in the Town of Salisbury. The property is located within walking distance to the beach, approximately 500 yards to the east. It has 900 feet of frontage along Route 1A at the entrance of Salisbury Beach and the seacoast.

BOSTON, MA - March 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has closed a $1 million loan for the Forest Park Apartments in Springfield, which have revived a vacant, crime-plagued property with more than 100 new apartments.

BOSTON, MA - March 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A real estate investor has pled guilty in connection with participating in a complex scheme in which fraudulent documents were used to defraud homeowners and mortgage lenders in real estate transactions involving 26 distressed properties in the Greater Boston area, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has announced.John Sweetland, age 29, of Yorba Linda, California, pled guilty in Suffolk Superior Court this week to charges of Larceny over $250 (33 Counts), Making or Publishing False or Exaggerated Statements (11 counts) and Attempt to Make or Publish a False or Exaggerated Statement (3 counts).

Washington, DC - March 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As the nation’s foreclosure crisis continues, Congressman John Tierney (MA-06) yesterday joined a select group of his congressional colleagues at a meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan to demand answers for the Administration’s failure to assist homeowners facing foreclosure through the plagued federal Making Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

Boston, MA - March 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced new funding that will put the city one step closer to his goal of ending long-term homelessness. With an investment from the Citizens Bank Foundation, the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) has pledged $50,000 to help expand the Boston Public Health Commission’s High Utilizers of Emergency Services (HUES) to Home program, which provides housing and support services for chronically homeless people who are frequent users of the city’s emergency departments.

BOSTON, MA - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A receiver has been appointed to operate and manage the Pocasset Mobile Home Park under an order obtained by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office. The manufactured housing community located in Bourne has experienced ongoing sewage overflows from its septic system in the last year.

BOSTON, MA - February 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of the Patrick-Murray Administration's ongoing commitment to build strong communities by increasing affordable housing options, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunity, Governor Deval Patrick today pledged $71.37 million in resources from various affordable housing programs to support the construction of 31 rental developments in 21 communities across the Commonwealth. These funds will create an estimated 2,000 construction jobs."By investing this targeted blend of funds to spur housing development, we are actively strengthening our communities across Massachusetts," said Governor Patrick. "Creating affordable housing helps to generate jobs, grow local businesses, and build a better, stronger Commonwealth."

BOSTON, MA - February 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Metro-Boston property owner has been sued for violating state anti-discrimination, lead paint, consumer protection, and housing laws, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office announced today.The complaint, filed this week, in Suffolk Superior Court against Keith L. Miller of Newton, alleges that Miller—who owns and manages at least 24 residential rental units in Chelsea, Newton, Arlington, and Brighton—engaged in a variety of discriminatory and retaliatory practices against tenants with young children in order to avoid his obligation to comply with state lead paint laws.

BOSTON, MA - February 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has awarded $171,963 in financing to help create or preserve affordable sober housing in Boston, Hingham and Northampton.

SOMERVILLE, MA - February 8, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) today announced that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) board voted to approve a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between Federal Realty and the MBTA -- another significant milestone in Massachusetts’ largest development project.