City Properties Journal

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The American Dream Down Payment Act authorizes $200 million in grant aid for each of the coming four years to low-income, first-time home buyers. It certainly is a dream come true for many people who have harbored the fantasy of buying a home but were not able to get the cash for it.It is a joint government and banking program to help people put together that initial down payment which is crucial in buying a home. Such ventures also uplift the economy of the country, when loans are more accessible to people and first time home buyers.

Interest rates are hitting an all-time low, and assistance professionals are urging you to come forward and avail of this opportunity. Not only do these grants help in that down payment, but also are tremendously useful when closing the mortgage. The sooner you pay it off, the better. Even bad credit doesn’t go against you if you are a first-time home buyer, in the sense that you haven?t had housing ownership in your name within the last three years.

EcoBrokers are licensed real estate agents who are up-to-speed with the green real estate market. They are familiar with energy-efficient and environmentally sound building because of the ARELLO-certified training program they undergo. They differentiate themselves with their designation, which means that they are knowledgeable about Energy Star homes, sustainable design, and air quality issues, topics that are discussed during training. To find your local EcoBroker, properties and more information about green real estate, visit ecobroker. com. The website also gives information on Affiliates, suppliers of green products and services. EcoBroker is an Educational Partner of the Built Green voluntary program.

The CPAT or City Property Advisory Team is a unit of specialized advisors that services the business and property industries of the city. The unit acts as a facilitator for the departments of the City of London, the property industry and ultimately the end users which include supplying information relative to the properties and opportunities for development in the City and to provide support and advice to help hurdle obstacles that may arise from the process.

The primary objective of CPAT is to make sure that businesses find and retain premises in the city that can respond to their need with the assistance of key establishments that will allow them to stay and grow within the city.

The Lake City Council heard from landlords and authorized the negotiations for the control of Annie Mattox Park and Richardson Community Center to the county. The action was recommended by a subcommittee which did not specify if the transfer would be covered by a long term lease.

The two facilities which are currently being administered by the city have been allocated with a $350,000 budget for improvements. The Richardson Center is owned by the city while a portion of the Annie Mattox Park owned by an independent board is leased to the city. The city and the county have undergone major renovations with the Annie Mattox amenities which includes a lighted football field.

There are currently six companies (five national management companies and the State Fair Board Inc.) that are interested in managing Oklahoma City’s Myriad Convention Center, the planned MAPS indoor sports arena and the Civic Center Music Hall. All these companies have submitted their letters of interest to the city officials for their intention to act as property managers for the estates.

According to the memo from City Manager Don Bown, three of the five national companies have stated that they are willing to invest in the indoor sports arena if the structure of the contract were beneficial to them. The Civic Center and the Myriad are currently being managed by the Oklahoma City Public Events Department.

Established in 1987 in Austin, Texas, the City Properties (locally owned and operated) has built a solid foundation in the sales of residential properties as well as in the property management service. Professionalism and integrity have been their trademark and allowed them to build a customer base of satisfied and loyal patrons that have real estate needs.

The company is affiliated with the Austin Board of Realtors, Texas Apartment Association and the Austin Better Business Bureau. The services extended by City Properties to their customers include:

• Buyer representation in purchases
• Seller representation in market listing
• Property management
• Commercial brokerages
• Relocation and
• Consulting Services

Formed in the year 2000 as the body that is tasked to oversee the implementation of the City’s Heritage Preservation Ordinance, the Heritage Preservation Commission through the ordinance can provide various tax incentives for historic property owners (residential and non-residential properties).

There are also Federal Tax Credits (10% to 20% of restoration costs) that are given to restoration efforts of property owners depending on the historical significance of the property. Administration is done by the Texas Historical Commission in coordination with the National Park Service. Funding of restoration projects can be done thru a low interest financing that is offered by the Citizens National Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas or Vintage Bank.