Real Estate Wire/Green Trends News Wire

As the nation’s governors gather in town this weekend for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting to discuss priority issues affecting states, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is urging that housing remains at the forefront. “Strong state economies and the national economy are dependent upon a healthy sector,” said NAHB Chairman Tom Woods, a home builder from Blue Springs, Mo. Constructing 1,000 new single-family homes generates: 2,970 full-time jobs $162 million in wages $118 million in business income $111 million in taxes and revenue for state, local and federal governments Moreover, employment from new construction and remodeling has a wide ripple effect. About half the jobs created by building new homes are in construction. They include framers, electricians, plumbers and carpenters. Other jobs are spread over other sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, retail, wholesale and business services. As the governors address some of the n...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 18, 2015) – LandSouth Construction has announced Precision Fire Systems as “Subcontractor of the Quarter.” The award winning Jacksonville, Fla. based general contractor identifies subcontractors for going the extra mile to provide the expertise, knowledge and experience desired in a construction partner. Precision Fire Systems is working with LandSouth on two multifamily communities, Integra Village in Sanford, Fla. and Integra Cove near SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla. “They consistently have gone above and beyond as it relates to meeting our schedule and their scope of work. They have approached the Integra Cove project with experience and confidence to meet our expectations,” said LandSouth project manager Mario Ibanez. The company started in 2013. Their team of owners, president Skip Bateman and vice presidents Brad Jenkins and Kip Pederson, have been working together in the fire sprinkler industry for 17 years. "Precision Fire Systems h...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 12, 2015) – The First Coast Apartment Association (FCAA) has installed its board of directors for 2015. The Board was sworn in at the annual installation meeting. FCAA Executive Board: President: Laura Hulsey of Carroll Management, President-Elect:  Katie Wrenn of Milestone Management, Treasurer: Shannon Gregory of WRH Realty Services, Secretary: April Hudson of Milestone Management, Immediate Past President:  Brian Davies of WRH Realty Services and Associate Vice President:  Erin Triay of For Rent Media Solutions. Community Directors: Jan Carson; Madison Savannah Oaks, Kyla DuReaux; TriBridge Residential, Dorothy Palmer; Landmark at Maple Glenn, Marty Petrie, Nicki Romeo; Morgan Group, Tracy Williams; Carroll Management. Associate Directors: Rick Biermann, REDI Carpet; Andrew Bourke, HD Supply; Lucas Bourgeois; RentPath, Holly Fox; PaySmart, USA, Jeff Jackson; Sherwin-Williams; Terri Jeffries, Cutting Edge Carpet: Steve Thomas, M...

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 6, 2015) – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that Fannie Mae will reward multifamily properties with a green building certification, such as LEED, with a lower interest rate. USGBC’s LEED green building rating system is one of several recognized certifications including ENERGY STAR® and Enterprise’s Green Communities Criteria. For these certified properties, Fannie Mae is now granting a 10 basis point reduction in the interest rate of a multifamily refinance, acquisition or supplemental mortgage loan. For example, if the market interest rate is 4 percent on the multifamily loan, the new rate is 3.9 percent with this pricing break. On a $10 million dollar loan amortizing over 30 years, the owner would save $95,000 in interest payments over a 10-year term. “This is a great demonstration of leadership from Fannie Mae, and the partnership between the multifamily finance industry and the green building industry,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and ...

Now in its fifth year, the per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified throughout 2014. Illinois retained its top national position for the second year in a row, with 174 LEED certifications representing 3.31 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident. Two newcomers to the list, Georgia and Arizona, show that 2014 was a year of major growth for LEED in the South and Southwest regions of the country, while the continued strong performance of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have helped the mid-Atlantic region remain the epicenter of green building across the country.  Washington, D.C., which is not included on the official list of top states due to its status as a federal territory, is notable as it continues to lead the nation with 29.44 square feet of space per resident certified in 2014. Maryland and Virginia finished third and fourth respectively, and both states increase...

By MIKE BONTS REAL ESTATE WIR E Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11.6% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000 units, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.  This is the highest monthly sales rate since June of 2008. “This uptick is in line with what our builders are telling us in surveys and on the ground — that they are seeing increased traffic and more serious buyers in the market for single-family homes,” said NAHB Chairman Tom Woods. “After a slow start to 2014 precipitated by bad weather conditions, new home sales have ramped up in the second half of the year,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “We can expect this momentum to continue into 2015 with the release of pent-up demand, particularly as existing homeowners are trading up.” The inventory of new homes for sale rose to 219,000 in December, which is a 5.5-month supply at the current sales pace. ...