Florida RealEstateRama

Winter Garden, - August 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Representatives Daniel Webster (R-FL), John Carney (D-DE), Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), and Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV) announced the introduction of H.R. 2929, the “Creating Homeownership Opportunities Act,” bipartisan legislation that would create a pre-tax savings program -- similar to a Health Savings Account -- for the purpose of saving toward a down payment on a first home.

Tallahassee, FL - August 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) today appointed former State Representative Gary Aubuchon to the Board of Governors for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Aubuchon’s appointment is effective today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 31, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) has passed an amendment that increases funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Limited English Proficiency (LEP) translation program by 50%. Grayson successfully amended H.R. 2610, the ‘Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014’ last night on the House Floor.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 12, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) welcomed news that the Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded grants to United Way of Broward in Fort Lauderdale and Faith, Hope, Love, Charity, Inc. (Stand Down House) in Palm Springs. Both of these community organizations serve homeless and at-risk veterans as well as their families in South Florida

Tampa, FL - June 28, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- – Jonathan Hipp, President & CEO of Calkain Companies and Dan Shannon of Morgan Stanley literally rolled out the red carpet for the exclusive event An Evening of Giving, Networking and Beautiful Fast Cars held on June 20 at Ferrari of Washington in Dulles, Virginia. Over $5,000 was raised to benefit local charities Backpack Buddies of Loudoun County, Humane Society of Loudoun County, and the Virginia Chapter of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - June 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statement on the National Mortgage Settlement Monitor’s Report concerning the Monitor’s review of the banks’ compliance with the settlement’s servicing standards.

Washington, DC - June 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Cong. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) is pleased that the House has passed the Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act (H.R. 2167) which provides more protections for seniors using the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Reverse Mortgage loan protection program.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - June 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi announced today that more than 72,000 eligible Floridians who lost their homes due to foreclosure between 2008 and 2011 and who submitted valid foreclosure claims through the national mortgage settlement will receive checks this month for approximately $1,480. The $1,480 payment amount is uniform for all eligible claimants throughout the country. To be eligible, borrowers must have lost their homes to foreclosure between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2011, suffered certain foreclosure abuses, and had mortgages serviced by Ally/GMAC, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase or Wells Fargo. This direct relief provided to eligible claimants is one of the facets of the $26 billion settlement entered last year between 49 state attorneys general, the federal government and the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers

TALLAHASSEE, FL - June 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi today joined Governor Rick Scott for the signing of Senate Bill 1852, which appropriates the remaining $200 million of Florida’s portion of the national mortgage settlement for housing-related purposes. The $200 million is part of the total estimated $8.4 billion in relief that Attorney General Bondi obtained for Floridians. The funds will be used in accordance with the settlement agreement, which includes: legal assistance, housing-related counseling, housing rehabilitation, housing assistance for the homeless, and housing assistance provided to the elderly and people with disabilities

TALLAHASSEE, FL - June 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi will join Governor Rick Scott for the signing of Senate Bill 1852, which appropriates the remaining $200 million of Florida’s portion of the national mortgage settlement for housing-related purposes.

MIAMI, FL - May 30, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) announced that the Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development and the Broward County Housing Authority will receive over $1.2 million in federal funding to provide housing and case management to 145 homeless veterans in South Florida.

WASHINGTON, DC - May 23, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance announced its newest addition today: Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15). Ross replaces outgoing member Rep. Jim Renacci, who moved to the Committee on Ways and Means.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Floridians have received nearly $9 billion in relief under the national mortgage settlement, as reported by the five largest mortgage servicing banks that are parties to the settlement. According to the latest Settlement Monitor’s report released today, more than 111,000 Floridians have received more than $8.6 billion in relief, with an additional $315 million in principal reduction, in the form of loan modifications, underway.

TALLAHASSEE - May 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s Department of Financial Services is hosting a series of free disaster preparedness webinars for small business owners as a part of Small Business Week, which began on May 19, and ahead of the start of the 2013 Hurricane Season. The webinars are part of CFO Atwater’s “Protect Your Home Base” initiative and are aimed at helping small businesses plan and prepare for a natural disaster

WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Broward County 2013 Point-in-Time Count, conducted in a 24-hour time period on January 24-25, identified that 2,810 individuals and families were homeless according to the federal definition of homelessness: they were living in places not meant for human habitation, emergency shelters or transitional housing programs. The count is required by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Florida's Office on Homelessness

TALLAHASSEE - May 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today asked Floridians to check for unclaimed property prior to his Bureau of Unclaimed Property’s Statewide Auction, an annual sale of unclaimed safe deposit box contents turned over to the state. The auction, which is open to the public, will be held June 8, in Tampa, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel

Miami, FL - May 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- CBRE is pleased to announce that Melinda Sherwood has been retained as Manager of Communications and Media for the Florida region. In this role, she will have overall statewide responsibility for communications, public relations and media management. She will serve as the regional liaison for Florida’s public relations efforts

ORLANDO, FL - May 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Tuesday evening, April 30, 2013, more than 135 Winter Park residents and their guests gathered at Interlachen Country Club to enjoy camaraderie, cocktails and canapés, and to focus on a very serious message – the realities of homelessness in Central Florida. The event was hosted by a committee of 11 community leaders,* chaired by Rick Wack of Mediation Services of Central Florida, Inc., in partnership with Coalition for the Homeless. It was underwritten by an anonymous donor, a generous expression of endorsement for the cause.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced today the arrests of Derek Shawn Kellog, 31, Crawfordville; Corey Jermaine Brownlee, 30, Jacksonville; and Sean McCaslin, 49, Tallahassee; employees of Roofmasters, Inc., for acting as unlicensed public adjusters while soliciting homeowners for roof repairs in the Tallahassee area.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 7, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statement regarding the National Mortgage Settlement Servicing Standards