WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 3, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- To mark National Community Development week, Mayor Thomas M. Menino today hosted a roundtable discussion with United States Senator Elizabeth Warren and Regional Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Barbara Fields. The focus of the discussion was to demonstrate the real, positive effects that Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) have had on strengthening Boston’s neighborhoods, and especially those neighborhoods’ women-owned businesses.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 1, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Boston Public Library will host a public program on Wednesday, April 10, at 6 p.m. to update library users and interested residents on the early phases of the Johnson Building Improvement Project. The program will take place in Rabb Lecture Hall, located on the concourse level of the Johnson Building at 700 Boylston Street. Amy E. Ryan, president of Boston Public Library; Michael R. Colford, director of library services; and architect William L. Rawn will lead the April 10 program.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 1, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Mike Capuano today praised the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) for taking additional steps to help homeowners who are struggling to keep current on their mortgages with its new Streamlined Modification Initiative. This program applies to loans owned or guaranteed by either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Homeowners who are at least 90 days behind on their mortgage will automatically be given the opportunity to modify their loan.

Boston, MA - March 27, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hines and Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) announced today that it will ceremonially break ground to celebrate the acquisition of 101 First Street, a land parcel sold by Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) for approximately $192 million. The sale of the 50,000- square-foot parcel closed today at nearly $4,000 per land foot. The firms are now set to develop the Transbay Transit Tower

BOSTON, MA - March 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Worcester housing complex and its property management company will pay $20,000 to resolve allegations of disability-based housing discrimination, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced today.

WALTHAM, MA - March 26, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) reported today that a lack of inventory pushed the number of closed home sales down in February after 19 months of increase. Median home prices were up for the fifth straight month. Unlike single-family sales, both condominium median prices and closed sales were up in February

March 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- In his annual address to the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, Mayor Thomas M. Menino today outlined City progress and goals for education, housing, economic development, youth investment and working women. Citing financial stability as the catalyst for Boston’s incredible pace of growth, the Mayor announced plans to improve quality in all Boston Public Schools; connect students and families with technology in the form of a new “Boston E-Lit” program and increased access to the City’s public libraries; and lay the groundwork for 30,000 new housing units by 2020.

Boston, MA - March 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- In a case with significant ramifications for trusts and estates practitioners and the clients they serve, the Boston Bar Association today filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) to recognize that the power of a trustee to distribute trust property to beneficiaries also includes the power to distribute that property to another trust for the benefit of the beneficiary under Massachusetts law. The case before the court, Richard Morse, Trustee v. Jonathan A. Kraft, et al. was brought as a non-adversarial proceeding by a trustee of a trust for the purpose of having the SJC answer the question: Does a trustee have the power to make distributions in further trust for any beneficiary's benefit without the consent or approval of any beneficiary or court?

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 22, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) --To mark National Digital Literacy Day, Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced the City of Boston’s “Tech Goes Home” programming will reach 10,000 Bostonians from 6,000 households by summer 2013. Tech Goes Home is a nationally-recognized program that equips families and residents with the tools, training and access required for the digital age. Participants receive fifteen hours of hands-on classroom training, a new netbook or mobile device (for a $50 co-pay), and, for eligible residents, access to low-cost home Internet

BOSTON, MA - March 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The leader of an extensive criminal enterprise in Downtown Crossing has been arraigned in connection with identity theft and possession of counterfeit money, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced the City of Boston’s intentions to acquire 585 Commercial Street as a site to be used for a new downtown school, expected to open in September 2016. Design for the new downtown school will begin in Fall 2013, with construction expected to begin in June 2015. The Commercial Street facility will be used over the next two years as swing space for the Eliot K-8 School, as that school is expanded to the North Bennett Street School at 37-39 North Bennet St. and 48-52 Tileston St. in the North End. Eight classrooms and public space will serve Eliot students in grades 5-8 through June 2015

BOSTON - March 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Randolph woman was sentenced late yesterday for using a stolen identity to sign fraudulent mortgage loan documents.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Accountable Care Associates today announced the relocation of its new corporate headquarters to One Monarch Place in downtown Springfield. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, is excited by the prospect. “With the addition of Accountable Care Associates, a homegrown company, the Springfield revival continues,” Sarno stated. A ceremony will take place Thursday, March 28th at 1pm at the company’s offices on the 10th floor.

BOSTON - March 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A former Quincy man, now living in New Hampshire, was convicted yesterday for carrying out two elaborate tax evasion schemes and theft of federal housing assistance funds.

BOSTON - March 8, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- MassHousing has honored its 2012 top-producing home mortgage lending partners for their commitment to low- and moderate-income homebuyers while helping MassHousing achieve a record lending year for homeownership with more than $1 billion in loans