Archives

Tampa, FL - June 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today announced the availability of new guidelines to protect property from the effects of hurricanes. These guidelines have been updated based on information obtained from IBHS field research in the aftermath of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Some relief is coming for those with Chinese drywall in their homes, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says. The defective drywall has been linked to possible health problems and causes corrosion of electrical wiring, appliances and air conditioning units.

Tampa, FL - June 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- June is National Homeownership Month and the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers advice on how to keep the American dream of homeownership from becoming a nightmare

Washington, DC - June 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Representative John L. Mica (FL-7th District) announced federal grants for the Housing Authority of Daytona Beach and the Housing Authority of Ormond Beach to aid in securing housing for homeless veterans.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - May 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink today asked Governor Crist to sign into law the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which would give local governments the option of providing loans for property owners to make energy-efficiency enhancements to their homes and engage in renewable energy projects.

Tampa, FL - May 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today announced the release of its new Open for Business® Online Trainer and Advanced Track sessions, a Web-based continuity planning tool for small businesses available exclusively to IBHS members.

ORLANDO, FL - May 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of existing homes in Florida rose 27 percent in April, which means that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison for 20 months, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Another positive sign: Last month’s statewide existing-home median price of $140,100 was 1 percent higher than the statewide median price in April 2009.Existing home sales rose 27 percent last month with a total of 16,781 homes sold statewide compared to 13,244 homes sold in April 2009, according to Florida Realtors. Statewide existing home sales last month increased nearly 3 percent over statewide sales activity in March. Meanwhile, April’s statewide existing-home median price was 2.3 percent higher than March’s statewide existing-home median price of $137,000. It marks the second month in a row that the statewide existing-home median price has increased over the previous month’s median.

Tampa, FL - May 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- With weather forecasters calling for a worse-than-average 2010 Atlantic basin hurricane season, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers effective ways to protect your home or business from the damaging effects of a hurricane. IBHS also dispels some common myths about hurricane preparedness

MIAMI, FL - May 10, 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.

Tampa, FL - May 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today urged homeowners to integrate disaster-resistance into their remodeling plans this year.

ORLANDO, FL - April 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Thirteen talented seniors from public and private high schools across the state each have been awarded a $1,000 scholarship as district winners of the Florida Realtors® 2009-2010 Scholarship Essay Contest for High School Seniors.

ORLANDO, FL - April 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Ramon Cendana (age 48, of Orlando) to more than six years in federal prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme. The Court also ordered Cendana to pay in excess of $240,000 in restitution to his victims. Cendana had pleaded guilty on January 27, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - April 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) today helped expand home ownership opportunities for thousands of North Floridians living in rural areas by supporting the bipartisan Rural Housing Preservation and Stabilization Act (H.R. 5017). The legislation passed in the House today by a vote of 352-62

TALLAHASSEE, FL - April 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink today announced the appointment of Harold M. Knowles to the Board of Governors for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, effective April 21, 2010, through July 31, 2011. Citizens is one of the largest property and casualty insurance companies in the nation and the largest property insurer in Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - April 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink today released a letter to OIR Commissioner Kevin McCarty inquiring whether any additional actions may be necessary by OIR prior to hurricane season to ensure authorized property insurers are financially capable of meeting their obligations through the course of the 2010 hurricane season. A copy of the letter follows below

April 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Affordable Housing Department will hold an evaluation committee meeting to review a Request for Qualifications they held for a group home provider. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 26, from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m., in the Code Enforcement Training Room, 10119 Windhorst Road., Tampa.

ATLANTA - April 21, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding eight communities in Florida with $3 million in brownfields grants to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem properties to productive community use. Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The communities in Florida receiving brownfields assessment grants include:

Washington, DC - April 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Kathy Castor, Mayor Bill Foster and community leaders marked the groundbreaking today of new housing in the city of St. Petersburg under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Neighborhood Stabilization initiative funds will provide safe and clean affordable housing for Tampa Bay area residents.

Washington, DC - April 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a senior member of the Florida Congressional Delegation, has recently signed on to letters, along with a bipartisan group of her fellow Members of Congress, expressing their concern with the failure to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

TALLAHASSEE, FL - April 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida CFO Alex Sink’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property today announced that last month over $22.4 million in unclaimed property was returned to owners – the biggest return in state history. In February, the Bureau returned a record-setting $22 million, which has now been surpassed by the March record