WASHINGTON - May 15, 2009 - Citizens of other countries represent an important segment of the U.S. home buying market, and now new special visa categories that allow foreign nationals to gain U.S. residency can help facilitate that process. By using these visa categories correctly, Realtors® will
...
05/15/2009
The Obama administration is expected to expand its mortgage aid program today, announcing new measures to help at-risk homeowners avoid a blemished credit record. The new initiatives are expected to promote options such as short sales or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure - methods that would allow bo
...
05/14/2009
The number of U.S. households facing foreclosure jumped 32 percent in April compared to the same month last year, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac Inc., though it rose less than 1 percent month-to-month. Florida ranked second among states with the highest rates: one in every 135 house
...
05/13/2009
WASHINGTON - May 13, 2009 - First-time homebuyers will soon have another option if they want to use their $8,000 tax credit toward a downpayment. On the tails of a Florida-created program that Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to sign into law, the federal government announced its own downpayment as
...
05/13/2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - May 12, 2009 - Sales of existing single-family homes in Florida rose 25 percent in first quarter 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the latest housing statistics from the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). A total of 31,412 existing homes sold state
...
05/12/2009
As anybody who has dealt with one knows, short sales should be renamed "long sales." But that could be changing. The chair of NAR's Conventional Finance and Lending Committee already has met with 10 mortgage bankers and servicers in Florida to address the problem.Read the full story:http://www.fl
...
05/11/2009
TAMPA - Faced with rampant mortgage fraud that has helped pull the economy into a ditch, federal authorities are in the midst of a "surge" in investigations that they expect will increase prosecutions tenfold in the next year. Read full story: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/may/07/feds-florid
...
05/08/2009
The U.S. House voted Thursday to outlaw "liar loans," ballooning mortgage payments and other bank practices that prey on consumers. Under the bill, banks would have to verify a person's credit history and income, and make a reasonable effort to determine that a loan can be repaid. However, the Se
...
05/08/2009
Trying to curb home foreclosures, the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to make it easier for homeowners with risky credit to switch to a lower-cost mortgage backed by the government. The bill also reduces fees that banks must pay for the government to insure deposits. While both steps put taxpayer mon
...
05/07/2009
We had added a blog this past weekend entitled Turning short sales into big profit. And this has created a buzz throughout our industry and the community in the Tampabay Area. And we came across follow on story that we thought you would definitley like to read. Below is a link to the page. http:/
...
05/07/2009
