Florida RealEstateRama

The Miami real estate market recorded its highest number of single-family home sales of any month in history in June and is on pace to set another all-time annual sales record, according to a new report by the 36,000-member MIAMI Association of REALTORS® (MIAMI) and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system. The Miami market registered 1,390 single-family home sales in June, beating its previous record of 1,317 in June 2005

Executive Director Christopher Metzger, Executive Director Richard Etner, Jr., and Senior Director Christopher Thomson represented Saul Galinski’s MSG Dania Beach, LLC in the purchase of Bridge Development’s building. The transaction was valued at more than $22 million, or $118 per square foot.

Robert Goldfinger, Darron Kattan, Kevin Kelleher and Zachary Ames of Franklin Street represented both the seller, a private partnership based out of Tampa, and the buyer, South Tampa Apartments, LLC, an institutional real estate firm based out of Michigan, in the transaction

Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices and tightening inventory in June, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Closed sales of existing single-family homes statewide totaled 27,729 last month, up 19.6 percent over June 2014

South America’s largest nation continues to be the top foreign country searching for South Florida real estate on the MIAMI Association of REALTORS® (MIAMI) website, according to new statistics from the nation’s largest local Realtor group. For the 12th consecutive month, Brazil led all global consumers using MIAMI’s search portal, Miamire.com, in May 2015.

The Lake County Solid Waste Division is encouraging Lake County residents to dispose of toxic materials in a safe and environmentally sensitive way at an upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Collection event

Program change control/management is the process of controlling and managing changes introduced in an information technology infrastructure. It ensures efficiency in service operations by standardizing procedures, aids information management by recording all changes to service assets, and promotes business benefit by minimizing the risk of disruption to the production environment

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced that Tampa was selected as one of only 27 communities nationwide to participate in ConnectHOME, which promotes locally tailored solutions to help bridge the gap in digital access for working-class households by addressing the barriers they have to high-speed broadband.

The six-story, 600-space garage, located at 37 South Hogan Street, opened on July 1, 2015. The garage is adjacent to the SunTrust Tower, a building acquired for $31 million in April 2015 by a joint venture between Mainstreet Capital Partners and CarVal Investors. Mainstreet Capital Partners is a Fort Lauderdale-based real estate investment and management firm and CarVal Investors is a leading global alternative investment manager

A Miami-area real estate developer and owner of a mortgage company, his business partner and a senior mortgage underwriter each pleaded guilty to a mortgage fraud scheme involving federally insured mortgages that caused losses of $64 million to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Including these defendants, 25 individuals have pleaded guilty to offenses related to this scheme to date.

Cushman & Wakefield today announced Todd Barfield and Melissa Moore have joined the firm's Central Florida operations. Mr. Barfield and Ms. Moore join Cushman & Wakefield from Barfield & Associates and will be operating out of Ocala, Florida.

Avison Young today announced the completion of the sale of Cypress Creek Tower, a 61,917 square-foot five-story office building at 800 West Cypress Creek Road in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, which sold within just six weeks of being listed. Avison Young’s Michael T. Fay, Principal and Managing Director, Miami, and John K. Crotty, CCIM, Principal also with Avison Young, represented the seller, LNR, during the $6,037,500 disposition to COLE International Investments, LLC.

Avison Young unveiled the newly renovated Sunforest I, a 107,000 square-foot, three-story suburban office building located at 5130 Eisenhower Boulevard in Tampa’s Sunforest Business Park, which recently underwent a $5 million capital improvement initiative bringing the property to the highest standards of modernization.

The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud today announced the arrest of Cledith E. Oakley III, owner of Asset, Insurance & Mortgage Services, Inc. or AIMS in Boynton Beach, on charges of grand theft and insurance fraud after it was discovered that he stole the identity and information of his business partner in an effort to conceal commission profits made from the sale of fraudulent life insurance policies

The outside eastbound lane of East Columbus Drive is closed between North 29th and North 31st streets while the Tampa Water Department repairs a water main break. Barricades and signs are located in the area to assist with traffic flow. Please use caution when traveling in the area

U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, along with Reps. Jim Himes (CT-4), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) and John Delaney (MD-6), today introduced the Private Investment in Housing Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation that would provide the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the authority to establish a demonstration program and enter into budget-neutral, performance-based agreements that result in the reduction in energy or water costs for multi-family housing.

Both eastbound lanes of West Cypress Street are closed between North Lois and North Clark avenues while the Tampa Water Department performs maintenance work. Barricades and signs are located in the area to assist with traffic flow. Please use caution when traveling in the area.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Nadine Gurley of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Timothy A. Mowery of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) made the announcement.

When Ron and Dot Gilbert heard a “pitiful cry” coming from the side of their Leesburg home, they didn’t mind ripping apart their hedges and flower garden to find the source: a tiny female kitten they rescued, shivering from hunger and fear. However, when the sound of furious meowing continued emanating from underground, the elderly couple knew they needed professional assistance.

McCraney Property Company, a leading developer of modern high-finish industrial properties, announced plans for a 1,125,330-square-foot development project, Bent Oak Phase II, to complete its Bent Oak Industrial Park. The success of its 703,920 square foot Bent Oak Phase I, comprised of two class A industrial buildings on 39 acres, prompted the company to purchase the directly adjacent 66 acres – the largest remaining parcel of land at the intersection of Taft Vineland Road and the Florida Turnpike in Orange County – for the construction of the new development