The National Association of Home Builders and Builder Magazine Name WCI Communities, Inc. America's Best Builder-Company to be...
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., Jan 19, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Builder Magazine have named WCI Communities, Inc., (NYSE:WCI) America's Best Builder.

Real Estate Partners Enjoys Explosive Growth in 2003 With $200 Million in Acquisitions; The Company Anticipates Assets to Top...
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Jan 16, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Real Estate Partners Inc. experienced explosive growth in 2003, due to its focus on core services, company mergers and acquisitions, and addition of key personnel. As a result of these factors Real...

Texas Housing Starts Rose to Record Heights in Late 2003
Jan. 14--Home construction kicked into high gear in the last part of 2003, resulting in another record year for sales and starts of new homes.

Pennsylvania Banking Secretary Vows to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure
Jan. 14--Pennsylvania Banking Secretary A. William Schenck 3d promised a group of struggling homeowners yesterday that he would do more to help save their homes from foreclosure.

Housing Market To Stay Strong, Aiding Custom-Install Channel
WASHINGTON-- The decade-long housing boom was expected to peak in 2003 at 1.45 million single-family housing starts, the second highest level on record, before declining by low single-digit percentages in 2004 and 2005, according to forecasts by the National...


Hammerhead Distribution Acquires Building Materials Supplier Morris Ginsberg & Son, Inc.
NEW YORK, Jan 12, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hammerhead Distribution, Inc. a holding company formed by Paul G. Haefcke, a veteran distribution industry CEO, and Red Diamond Capital, the New York-based private equity firm, announced today the acquisition...

House Prices: Will We Ever Get It Right? The Big Names Failed In Their Predictions For 2003. Which Is A Pity, Because Their Forecasts...
THERE IS little doubt that, as a nation, we are obsessed with monitoring house prices.

So What Does 2004 Have In Store For House Prices?
5 and 7 per cent. Gary Verity, the managing director, says: "Barring unexpected world events, it is difficult to foresee a housing downturn over the next 12 months. The market will remain buoyant, with demand continuing to outstrip supply. I think we...

Some Seepage In Home Bubble May Be Good
A very thin stream of air could soon start seeping from L.A.'s housing market in the coming year.

That Ol' Black Magic Is Back!
November 28, 2003, was Black Friday. That sounds ominous. In a way, it is, for BF is the Friday after Thanksgiving, the first shopping day of the Holiday season.


Spreads Widen In Apartment, Retail Categories
Commercial mortgage rate spreads widened slightly in the multifamily and retail categories over the past month. At the same time, there is more activity in the hospitality sector. "We are not sure if this is a function of an improving economy but in many...

Vestin Mortgage
Vestin Mortgage is raising $100 million for its third fund, Vestin Fund III. The fund will make investments in mortgages and apartment, assisted-living, industrial, office and retail properties. The fund will also make one-year bridge loans and construction...

Five Years Ago
GMAC Commercial Mortgage was looking to resecuritize its $2 billion CMBS portfolio to hedge spread risk ... Charles River Oak Management was looking to sell a portfolio of 230,000 square feet of office space and 710 multifamily units in downtown Boston...

Capitalsource Plans To Ramp Up Lending
Chevy Chase, Md.-based CapitalSource Finance has originated a $17 million first mortgage loan to Ocean Walk Shoppes for its acquisition of a 110,000-square-foot specialty retail center in Daytona Beach, Fla. The loan is part of the CapitalSource's plans...

Deputy Premier Says 50 Million Russians Need Improved Housing
Saransk, 8 January: In Russia about 50 million people need their housing problems resolved. This was announced here today by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Yakovlev. In the country as a whole, there is currently 87m square metres of dilapidated...


The Simple Life Is Just A Click Away
Simple Remote LLC, a real estate software firm specializing in real estate broker technology, has developed Simple Remote, a software program designed to take your business to the next level. Simple Remote's features totally encompass all possible needs...