News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 4, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Phil Kean, president of Phil Kean Design Group in Winter Park, Fla., has been honored as the Custom Builder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

WASHINGTON, DC - January 31, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congressman Joe Garcia released the following statement on the passage of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, S.1926, in the Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 29, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) has introduced twelve bills aimed at continuing certain tax deductions and credits for one year. These provisions, which save Americans money and boost the economy, have already expired or will expire this year.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - January 27, 2014 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that more than 1,700 Floridians will receive checks totaling more than $2.5 million next week. Under the National Mortgage Settlement, which Attorney General Bondi took a leading role in obtaining, eligible claimants will each receive a check in the amount of $1,480. The checks are being sent to claimants who lost their homes to foreclosure and who filed a claim under the National Mortgage Settlement. The $2.5 million total value of the distribution is second only to California's and is the latest distribution by the settling banks to eligible foreclosed homeowners. The total distribution to date to foreclosed homeowners in Florida under the settlement is approximately $109.5 million to 74,000 Floridians.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 16, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, II praised House and Senate negotiators for including a provision yesterday in the 2014 Omnibus Spending bill delaying flood insurance rate increase due to reforms in FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Southerland voted for the amendment in June and signed a letter to House leadership in September urging the language be included in the 2014 spending bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 15, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced today that relief from flood insurance rate increases is contained in the 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which likely will be voted on by the House of Representatives tomorrow.

TAVARES - January 10, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- All offices of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, Clerk of Courts, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections and Tax Collector will be closed Monday, Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Offices will reopen with regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - December 19, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Ocwen Financial Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia, and its subsidiary, Ocwen Loan Servicing, have agreed to a $2.1 billion joint state-federal settlement with Attorney General Bondi, 48 additional states, the District of Columbia, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The settlement resolves allegations of mortgage servicing misconduct by Ocwen and two companies later acquired by Ocwen, Homeward Residential Inc. and Litton Home Servicing LP. Ocwen specializes in servicing high-risk mortgage loans.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 17, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- A former repair contractor of a Florida property management company was sentenced to serve time in prison for his participation in a wire fraud scheme related to housing repairs made under a contract between Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Justice announced today

TAVARES - December 16, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- All offices of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, Clerk of Courts, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector and Property Appraiser will close Wednesday, Dec. 25 and Wednesday, Jan. 1 for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday.

CLERMONT - December 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The 3rd Annual WinterFair, being held Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Florida Scrub-Jay Trail, 11490 Monte Vista Road in Clermont, welcomes families to share in the excitement of a country, down-home holiday season in a fun, festival-like atmosphere.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - December 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statement on the National Mortgage Settlement Monitor’s Second Compliance Report concerning the Monitor’s review of the five banks’ compliance with the settlement’s servicing standards

BOSTON - November 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Two Florida men were convicted yesterday for defrauding homeowners in Massachusetts and elsewhere in a home loan modification scam.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) announced today that St. Cloud’s Transition House, Inc. has received two federal grants from The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Transition House’s grants, which total $48,784, will help the community organization provide greater services for homeless veterans in Central Florida. The grants are a part of a national VA program to provide supportive housing and associated services to help homeless veterans achieve residential stability

CLERMONT - November 11, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Solid Waste Division, in partnership with the city of Clermont Police Department, is encouraging Lake County residents to dispose of unwanted household hazardous materials and medications in a safe and environmentally conscious way at an upcoming collection event. The county’s Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Unit will be collecting items from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Nov. 14 in the Lowe’s parking lot, 1501 Sandy Grove Ave., Clermont.

LADY LAKE - November 1, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- 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. The county’s Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Unit will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 7, in the parking lot of Lady Lake Public Library, 225 Guava St., Lady Lake.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 30, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15) introduced H.R. 3298, the Disaster Savings Accounts Act of 2013. This bill will allow individuals to set aside up to $5,000 annually in a tax-free account to use for disaster mitigation expenses.

UMATILLA - October 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- 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. The county’s Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Unit will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Oct. 24, in the parking lot adjacent to the Umatilla Fire Department, 1 Cassidy St., Umatilla

Miami, FL - October 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a senior member of the Florida Congressional delegation, announced a constituent service day on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at Homestead Air Reserve Base (HARB) in Homestead from 10am to 3pm in the Conference Center for HARB personnel and their families. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s congressional aides and district chief of staff will be on hand and prepared to meet with constituents regarding issues such as Social Security, immigration, Veteran's Administration, Medicare, housing, U.S. Academy nominations, tours of the U.S. Capitol, and any other issue related to the federal government. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - October 16, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of his ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with the National Mortgage Settlement, National Monitor Joseph A. Smith, Jr. today reported a total of $15.35 billion in consumer relief credits nationally as of Dec. 31, 2012.