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SPRINGFIELD, IL - May 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Illinois housing market saw positive indicators nearly across the board in April with upward momentum in home prices and sales jumping 34.4 percent on the heels of the homebuyer tax credit deadline. According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® latest report, statewide total home sales (which include single-family and condominiums) in April 2010 were up 34.4 percent, totaling 10,323 homes sold compared to April 2009 sales of 7,683 homes. The median price in April 2010 was $157,450, up 5.0 percent from $150,000 in April 2009. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

CHICAGO, IL - May 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new round of more than $1.4 million in federal grant money will enable thousands of homeowners across Illinois to receive free foreclosure counseling, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced today.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), General Eric Shinseki, to discuss how to meet the needs of the estimated 1,500 veterans that go homeless every night in Illinois. Secretary Shinseki is scheduled to testify tomorrow at a joint hearing of two Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on his plan to reduce the number of homeless veterans in the United States by half over the next two years and completely by 2014

SPRINGFIELD, IL - May 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- May 17, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the availability of $13.1 million in federal stimulus funds through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program to help local governments with populations under 35,000 implement energy efficiency and conservation efforts

Washington, D.C. - May 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Bill Askew, Senior Policy Advisor, for the Financial Services Roundtable testified before the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The hearing was titled “Commercial Real Estate: A Chicago Perspective on Current Market Challenges and Possible Responses.”

Washington, DC - May 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Bill Foster (IL-14) introduced H.R. 5278, legislation to designate a Dixon post office as the Ronald W. Reagan Post Office

SPRINGFIELD, IL - May 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Buyers were out in force in the first quarter led by low interest rates and homebuyer tax credits. According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) first quarter 2010 report, Illinois home sales (which include single-family homes and condominiums) totaled 21,242 in the first quarter, up 23.5 percent from 17,194 home sales in the same period a year ago. The first quarter statewide median home sale price was $144,600, off 0.3 percent from $145,000 in the first quarter of 2009. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for les

May 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) today voted for the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, legislation that would create nearly 170,000 jobs by investing in the clean energy economy. The bill would provide rebates to homeowners who install energy-saving products and reduce energy use in their homes.

CHICAGO, IL - May 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today unveiled legislation that will provide extensive and much-needed property tax relief to millions of taxpayers while also pressing for greater citizen participation and openness in the tax assessment process.

Housing leaders welcome feedback from lending community. CHICAGO, IL - April 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new statewide Lender Advisory Council will provide key feedback to Illinois’ affordable housing leaders as they work together to deliver homeownership opportunities for Illinois residents, Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Executive Director Gloria L. Materre said today.

CHICAGO, IL - April 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today attended the third annual Illinois Warrior Summit resource fair and encouraged Illinois’ veterans to access available state and federal services. The event is a first-of-its-kind welcome home celebration for servicemembers returning from deployment and provides them with information about housing, healthcare, education, jobs and other benefits

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN - April 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- On the eve of Earth Day, Governor Pat Quinn today visited the award-winning, solar-powered Gable Home on the University of Illinois’ Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus. The university came in second in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon thanks to the home’s modern design and innovative energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies.

SPRINGFIELD, IL - April 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Illinois housing market posted its seventh consecutive month of year-over-year home sales increases in March as the spring market heats up and the April 30 federal homebuyer tax credit deadline nears. According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® latest report, statewide total home sales (which include single-family and condominiums) in March 2010 were up 32.8 percent, totaling 9,487 homes sold compared to March 2009 sales of 7,142 homes. The median price in March 2010 was $148,500, down 0.3 percent from $149,000 in March 2009. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Senator Roland W. Burris today announced that $25 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Department of Energy will be awarded to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning for energy efficiency building retrofits.

CHICAGO, IL - April 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today launched the final phase of Illinois’ ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program and encouraged residents to take advantage of a 15 percent rebate on energy efficient home appliances during Earth Week.