Housing Digest, January 3

Village at Crystal River would bring a modern commercial development to Carbondale
CARBONDALE, Colorado — If voters here preserve the recent governmental approvals of the Village at Crystal River project, they will be endorsing a development plan that dates back to 2008.

On Sept. 10 of that year, developer Rich Schierburg submitted his planned unit development (PUD) application to the town, kicking off what has, so far, been a contentious process of reviews and public hearings over the past three years.

Pro, con groups woo voters in Village at Crystal River debate
CARBONDALE, Colorado — Two groups are vying for voter support in the upcoming election on the Village at Crystal River (VCR) mixed-use development proposal.

Ballots for the special election are to be mailed out by Jan. 9, and are due back at the Garfield County Clerk's office by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Today is the last day for town residents to register to vote.

AG: Loan Co. Took $500K In Fees, Didn't Give Loans
DENVER -- A statewide grand jury has indicted Jill M. Evans, and her company, Paramount Mortgage of Colorado Ltd., on charges of defrauding more than a dozen people across the country out of thousands of dollars in fees for mortgages and loans she never delivered.

Construction spending increased 1.2 percent in November, led by gains in housing
WASHINGTON — Construction spending jumped in November as builders spent more on single-family homes, apartments and remodeling projects.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that spending on construction projects rose 1.2 percent in November, following a revised 0.2 percent drop in October. The increase was the third in four months and the largest since a 2.2 percent rise in August.

Economists Don't Foresee Home Price Appreciation Until After 2013
Home prices in the U.S. are expected to post a decline of 1.57 percent for the fourth quarter of 2011, after falling 0.4 percent through September, according to more than 100 economists and housing experts surveyed by Zillow.