Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros to Explain What It Takes to Succeed in Today's Real Estate Market at Branford Village in Pacoima

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Cisneros, Former HUD Secretary and Executive Chairman of CityView, an institutional investment firm focused on urban real estate, will lead a media tour of Branford Village, a for-sale new home community in Pacoima, CA. Developed in conjunction with Montage Development, Branford Village is a community of 125 homes that is outselling both local and national sales trends with record visitors and the rapid sellout of each phase that has opened since April of this year. Branford Village provides homebuyers with opportunities for affordable new homeownership with available FHA financing and Equal Opportunity mortgages with interest rates currently at record lows of around 3.75%.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110929/LA77271)

Members of the press will have the opportunity to hear Mr. Cisneros speak about the contributing factors as to why  Branford Village is succeeding in the current market and to interact with him about this success as well as trends in regional and national real estate. During his tenure at HUD, Cisneros was credited with formulating policies that contributed to achieving the nation's highest ever homeownership rate. Policies set in motion by Cisneros' administration allowed homeownership to soar to more than 67 percent. Branford Village is a prime example of how those policies have allowed first-time homebuyers to enjoy the American dream of homeownership.

Stephen Ross, president of Montage Development, will also be on hand to answer reporters' questions. Mr. Ross has invited several Branford Village homebuyers to be available for interviews as well.

"The homebuyers at Branford Village are some of the smartest I've met in my years of real estate development," says Ross. "They are a diverse group of largely first-time homebuyers, including many minority households, who are highly motivated to own their own homes. They have worked hard to save their hard-earned money and maintain good credit scores.  They are in a perfect position to take advantage of the unparalleled buying and financing opportunities being offered at Branford Village."

Lunch and drinks will be served

About CityView

Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York, Dallas and San Antonio, CityView has invested in and developed more than $2 billion in real estate assets since 2003.  CityView is one of the nation's premier institutional investment firms focused on urban real estate, in-city housing, and metropolitan infrastructure and is a fully-integrated operating company with an active management approach.  CityView was founded in 2000 by Henry Cisneros, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in President Clinton's Administration, on the premise of smart capital for smart growth and currently manages multiple funds, all focused on urban solutions.  CityView has developed projects in 30 markets across 13 states and also continues to focus on metropolitan infrastructure and multi-family acquisitions.  For more information, visit www.cityview.com.

About Montage Development

Since its founding in 1996 by Steve Ross, Montage has worked to provide homeownership opportunities to more than 1,000 first-time and first-time move-up homebuyers.  This vision includes the development of multi-family apartments with the goal of future home ownership for the apartments' tenants.  The company provides housing opportunities to working families, helps to revitalize urban communities, and improves the quality of life of the families that live in and near a Montage neighborhood.  Montage believes it has a responsibility to the communities where it builds. The commitment is based on a belief in community empowerment; in providing working people with the opportunity to live the American dream of home ownership; and in creating better and safer neighborhoods. It is the very fabric of who we are and what we do. And it is why whenever we have the opportunity to leverage our skills and resources for long term community betterment Montage can be counted on to do so. For more information, visit www.montagedev.com.

SOURCE CityView