Florida RealEstateRama

ith Hurricane Season in full swing, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) took to the House floor to highlight the importance of being prepared in case disaster strikes. He introduced legislation today, the Strengthening Homes and Eliminating Liabilities Through Encouraging Readiness (SHELTER) Act, to provide tax credits for families and businesses who invest in hurricane readiness. Please see below for his remarks.

As the Trump Administration reviews its policy towards Cuba, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) urged U.S. State and Treasury Department Secretaries Rex Tillerson and Steven Mnuchin to prioritize seeking compensation for Americans whose property was stolen by the Cuban government.

Opening the doors to homeownership is a top priority for Florida Realtors® . Across the state and throughout the U.S., Realtors continue to promote housing opportunities and the removal of barriers to homeownership in recognition of June as National Homeownership Month.

U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, today spoke at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) facility at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, today urged U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney to protect seniors from potential eviction under reverse mortgage rules. The senators urged the Administration to keep existing safeguards in place to protect seniors from losing their homes and requested verification of the Administration’s plan to do so

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the recent arrest of Leon “Chuy” Jimenez, owner of Chuy Construction Inc. (Chuy Construction) after a fraud investigation revealed that Jimenez allegedly operated a shell construction company for the sole purposes of selling the company’s workers’ compensation certificate. A shell company conducts no significant business operations and is used as vehicle to conduct fraudulent financial scams, such a workers’ compensation fraud

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14), vice ranking member of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has oversight over the U.S. Department of Energy, EPA and clean energy policy, released the following statement regarding President Trump's announcement that he is quitting the landmark Paris Climate Accord

Maria Wells, 2017 president of Florida Realtors® and broker-owner with Lifestyle Realty Group in Stuart, issued the following statement regarding Governor Rick Scott’s signing of HB 7109 today

Lake County Solid Waste is encouraging Lake County residents to dispose of toxic materials in a safe and environmentally sensitive way at two household hazardous waste collection events. The county’s mobile unit will be on site from 9 a.m. – noon on the following dates and locations

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) issued the following statement after the Department of Transportation announced Positive Train Control grant awards for FY17. Diaz-Balart is Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee.

Rising median prices and constrained inventory remained a prevailing trend in Florida’s housing market in April, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. The trend resulted in a loss of momentum for home sales: Sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 23,829 last month, easing slightly (-1.2 percent) when compared to April 2016

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after introducing the Taxpayers Require Urgent Mandatory Protection from Egregious Debt Act of 2017 (the TRUMPED Act) (Please find attached a copy of the legislation):

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson issued the following statement in response to the White House budget: “The Trump budget is an all-out assault on the poor. Once again, the administration has prioritized the needs of the rich over the poor

Tony Lopresto, Lake County’s former Building Services Supervisor, has been named the county’s new Building Services Division Manager. His role includes overseeing the technical, financial, and administrative functions of the Building Services Division under the Economic Growth Department

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution today secured the conviction of three Immokalee men, also known as the ninja robbers, in connection to a home invasion robbery and an attempt at a second home invasion. After a two-week trial involving charges including home invasion robbery, kidnapping, carjacking with a firearm and armed burglary of a conveyance, an Orange County jury found Henry Contreras, 51, his son Johnathan Contreras, 30, and Andres Perez, 47, guilty of all charges.

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Chairman of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the passage of H.R. 244, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017.

Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices and increased pending sales in March, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 25,921 last month, up 9.3 percent compared to March 2016

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14), elected officials, activists and experts stood together on the shore of Tampa Bay on the seven-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon blowout, to speak out in strong opposition to President Trump’s elimination of the Tampa Bay Estuary program, clean water, clean air and NOAA coastal resource initiatives under his proposed budget

As the opioid epidemic continues to race across the country at devastating rates, Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) is pushing to get illicit drugs off the streets and bring funding home for Florida to help combat the issue. The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) endorsed Rooney’s legislation H.R. 1781, The Comprehensive Fentanyl Control Act of 2017, while the Department of Health and Human Services granted Florida millions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic.