Fla. Legislature: Foreclosure fight develops

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Feb. 10, 2010 – The Main Street versus Wall Street fight that has consumed national politics for much of the last year has made its way to Florida with two lawmakers pushing a proposed “Foreclosure Bill of Rights” while bankers are shopping a bill to do away with legal proceedings in foreclosures altogether.

The battle is playing out on the watch of Senate President Jeff Atwater, a banker by trade, who suggested that any pro-bank legislation that puts people out of homes more quickly would likely be a long shot.

Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, and Rep. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, announced Tuesday their “homeowners’ defense legislation” (SB 1778), which they say would pre-empt the possible eviction of tens of thousands of Floridians from their homes by requiring mediation, and for home loans to be renegotiated at current values. They said they filed the measure in response to an initiative, backed by the Florida Bankers Association, which would create a non-judicial foreclosure system that speeds up foreclosures to 90 days.

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Christine Selzler
www.sellingpolkcounty.com

Posted at 07:02PM Feb 10, 2010 by Christine Selzler in A. Real Estate News  | 

Homebuyer job No. 1: Check credit report

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Feb. 4, 2010 – Federal law allows Americans to obtain one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. Anyone who needs a mortgage to buy a home should consider ordering the reports first – before they start a home search.
 
“People who got caught up in the hectic pace of holiday shopping may not have taken steps to protect their personal information,” says Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson. “Most credit card bills are now coming due, so it’s the perfect time to make sure there are no unauthorized charges on their accounts or other fraudulent activity that could impact their credit.”

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Christine Selzler
www.sellingpolkcounty.com

Posted at 10:18AM Feb 05, 2010 by Christine Selzler in A. Real Estate News  | 

Florida consumer confidence rises

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jan. 27, 2010 – Florida’s consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in January by five points to 74, possibly a sign of post-holiday relief, according to a new University of Florida survey.

“The sharp rise was somewhat of a surprise,” says Chris McCarty, survey director of UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “In the past, we have seen similar jumps in the January index, perhaps in response to the financial stress associated with the holidays and the economic turbulence of the past year.”

This month’s increase in consumer confidence was broad-based across age and income levels, pushing the index to its highest level in more than two years.

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Christine Selzler
www.sellingpolkcounty.com

Posted at 03:53PM Jan 27, 2010 by Christine Selzler in A. Real Estate News  |