First-time homebuyers: For many, $8,000 tax credit proves nearly impossible to get

First-time homebuyers: For many, $8,000 tax credit proves nearly impossible to get This summer, Brian Smith decided he should buy a house. The 35-year-old was in the break room at his Maitland office talking to a friend about the idea, and the timing seemed perfect. Prices were at record lows; “for sale” signs were common, …

Fraud case tied to escrow checks [Central Florida]

Fraud case tied to escrow checks Mark Brady seemed to have it all during the real estate boom — two title companies, BMWs, a Hummer, powerboats, a $2 million home on Merritt Island, an oceanside condominium in Cape Canaveral and three other riverfront properties. Then, two days before Christmas, Brady was arrested — charged with …

First-time homebuyers buoy market

First-time homebuyers buoy market The housing market is getting a much-needed boost as first-time homebuyers rush to take advantage of an $8,000 federal tax credit that is set to expire Dec. 1. The incentive is helping to slow the decline in home sales. In August, sales were down 1 percent over the comparable period last …

First-time home buyers scramble to beat deadline for $8,000 tax credit

First-time home buyers scramble to beat deadline for $8,000 tax credit Ashley Johnson took a whirlwind tour of roughly 40 homes this summer. The 26-year-old was staring down a deadline: Buy a home by the end of November in order to get $8,000 in free money from the federal government. Who qualifies: First-time buyers and …

Some deadbeat landlords must forfeit rents to condo associations

Some deadbeat landlords must forfeit rents to condo associations Each month, Judd Tyler, the president of his townhome association, discovers his community doesn’t have enough money to pay all of its bills. So the townhome board took action. It is among the first in the area to obtain a court order to force delinquent landlords …

Miami-Dade property tax appeals flood in from condo associations

Miami-Dade property tax appeals flood in from condo associations With the deadline to appeal property taxes a week away, local appeals firms are hard at work, with many more cases coming from condo associations seeking appeals on behalf of unit owners. With condo values dropping steeply, many condo associations are filing class appeals on behalf …