News
El Nino Fuels the Need to Prepare for a More Active Tornado Season, says IBHS
March 16, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
Tampa, FL - March 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — With an El Nino winter almost behind us, it is time to start preparing for what forecasters predict will be an active spring for tornadoes, warns the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
Attorney General McCollum Hosts South Florida Community Forum on Housing Issue
March 15, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
MIAMI, FL - March 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Interagency Mortgage Task Force today hosted a community forum in Miami to discuss the housing crisis. The event was designed to present a comprehensive approach for dealing with housing-related issues and provide information and assistance to consumers. Participating agencies included state agencies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities
CFO Sink’s Unclaimed Property Bureau Delivers $22 Million in February, Setting State Record
March 8, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
TALLAHASSEE, FL - March 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Florida CFO Alex Sink’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property today announced that last month marked the largest amount of unclaimed property returned to owners recorded in state history, totaling over $22 million. So far this fiscal year (July 1, 2009 through March 8, 2010) unclaimed property payments have totaled $121.4 million, with the Bureau of Unclaimed Property on pace to return more than $180 million by fiscal year end, which would also be a new annual record.
McCollum: Be Wary of Scams Associated With Foreclosure Rescue, Loan Modification Offers
March 8, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
TALLAHASSEE, FL - March 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — As part of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued a consumer advisory on foreclosure rescue services and foreclosure-related loan modification offers, one of the most frequent subjects of complaints to the Attorney General’s Office during 2009. With a second wave of mortgage fraud and foreclosure rescue fraud predicted for 2010, the Attorney General warned homeowners that disreputable companies and individuals will likely continue trying to capitalize on the current economic climate and consumers’ credit and mortgage concerns.
CFO SINK’S UNCLAIMED PROPERTY BUREAU DELIVERS $22 MILLION IN FEBRUARY, SETTING STATE RECORD
March 8, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
TALLAHASSEE, FL - March 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Florida CFO Alex Sink’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property today announced that last month marked the largest amount of unclaimed property returned to owners recorded in state history, totaling over $22 million. So far this fiscal year (July 1, 2009 through March 8, 2010) unclaimed property payments have totaled $121.4 million, with the Bureau of Unclaimed Property on pace to return more than $180 million by fiscal year end, which would also be a new annual record
STEARNS PARTICIPATING IN GRAND OPENING OF THE HONOR CENTER SERVING HOMELESS VETERANS IN GAINESVILLE
March 5, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
March 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — “One of the major tragedies in our nation is homelessness among our veterans,” stated Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Sixth). “There are over 130,000 homeless veterans, and we have a duty to provide shelter and care, especially to those who are disabled and with special medical needs. The opening of the HONOR Center in Gainesville represents a major step forward in serving these veterans.”
Orange City Landlord and Manager to Pay $100,000 in Civil Penalties as Part of Settlement of Justice Department Housing Discrimination Lawsuit
March 2, 2010 Posted by USDOJ
WASHINGTON, DC - March 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — The Justice Department today announced that landlord James Stevens, his company Fountain View Apartments Inc., and his former rental manager, Mildred Chastain, have agreed to pay $415,000 in monetary damages and civil penalties to settle a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that they discriminated against African Americans and families with children at Fountain View Apartments, a 42-unit apartment complex in Orange City, Fla.
Recent Earthquakes Should Prompt U.S. to Prepare Now, Says IBHS
March 1, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
Tampa, FL - March 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — The tragedies of the recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti serve as a reminder that parts of the United States are highly vulnerable to the devastating effects of this unpredictable natural disaster.
Florida’s Existing Home, Condo Sales Rise in January 2010
March 1, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
ORLANDO, FL - March 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Florida’s existing home sales rose in January, marking 17 months that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.Existing home sales increased 24 percent last month with a total of 10,465 homes sold statewide compared to 8,444 homes sold in January 2009, according to Florida Realtors. January’s statewide sales of existing condos rose 81 percent compared to the previous year’s sales figure
Florida Realtors Announces New Scholarship Program
February 23, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
ORLANDO, FL - February 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Do you have kids currently in college, or maybe one who is about to graduate high school? Are they interested in a possible real estate-related career? Then find out more about the Florida Association of Realtors® Education Foundation Inc., a new not-for-profit corporation established to provide real estate-related educational scholarships and grants. But act fast: The application deadline for this year’s program is March 15
Kendrick Meek and the Housing Market: Main Street Must Prosper Again
February 23, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
WASHINGTON, DC - February 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Kendrick Meek today released the following statement regarding President Obama’s decision to use funding from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to support Florida homeowners and stabilize the housing market
Florida’s Existing Home, Condo Sales Up in 4Q 2009
February 11, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
ORLANDO, FL - February 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Salesof existing single-family homes in Florida rose 44 percent in fourth quarter 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the latest housing statistics from Florida Realtors®. A total of 43,926 existing homes sold statewide in 4Q 2009; during the same period the year before, a total of 30,610 existing homes sold. It marks the sixth consecutive quarter that Florida has seen higher existing year-to-year home sales, according to the state association.Statewide sales of existing condominiums in the fourth quarter rose 93 percent compared to the same time the previous year. This marks the fifth consecutive quarter for increased statewide sales in both the existing home and condo markets compared to year-ago levels.
Florida Realtors: Open Doors to Your Dreams Plan for Florida Open House Weekend April 10-11
February 10, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
ORLANDO, FL - February 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Meet the neighbors and find your Florida dream home at the same time by taking part in Florida Open House Weekend, set for April 10-11, 2010. Realtors will host open houses on behalf of home sellers in neighborhoods and communities across the Sunshine State, giving buyers a rare opportunity to visit many homes for sale in just one weekend. This first-ever statewide open house weekend is sponsored by the 115,000-member Florida Realtor
California Company Sued for Foreclosure Rescue Fraud
February 4, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
TALLAHASSEE, FL - February 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has filed a lawsuit against a California company providing loan modification services to homeowners facing foreclosure. According to the lawsuit filed today in Orange County, 21st Century Legal Services, Inc. allegedly charges consumers up-front fees in violation of Florida’s Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act.
Seminole County Man Gets Prison Term for Mortgage Fraud
February 3, 2010 Posted by Florida RealEstateRama
TALLAHASSEE, FL - February 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Bill McCollum and Office of Financial Regulation Commissioner J. Thomas Cardwell today announced that a Seminole County man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to a criminal racketeering scheme that involved mortgage fraud in home purchasing. Upon his release from prison, Stanford Morgan, president and owner of Homes for Sale by Owner, Inc., must also pay full restitution, including $200,000 to an investing couple in one transaction and compensation to the lending institutions he defrauded in other transactions. Morgan was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
