Couple may face prison time in Southwest Florida real estate scam

Couple may face prison time in Southwest Florida real estate scam A decade ago in New York, where Wall Street held the promise of riches, Ronald Luczak started selling securities. He ended up in jail instead. He was one of 13 defendants in a stock-trading scam, pleading guilty to a federal fraud charge and receiving …

Joe Adams: New laws tackle flags, receiverships, liens

Joe Adams: New laws tackle flags, receiverships, liens Today’s column is the 12th installment of our annual review of legislation affecting community associations. We shift gears today and discuss some new laws aimed specifically at homeowners’ associations: • Flags: Section 720.304(2) of Florida’s statute applicable to homeowners’ associations has been amended effective July 1, 2008, …

Condo-Minimum

Condo-Minimum With the condo glut growing as new towers are finished, and buyers walk away from presale contracts, developers increasingly are resorting to auctions to unload units at steep discounts. Unlike ubiquitous foreclosed-home auctions, these events seek to establish market prices for untainted, often upscale properties. In an aggressive test of the strategy, 39 luxury …

Associations look to cash advance for help

Associations look to cash advance for help – Forbes.com/a> Two years ago, Captiva Lakes Villas in suburban Miami was struggling to pay its water and garbage collection bills, and its condo association was mired in a $60,000 budget shortfall. Like other homeowner associations around the country, Captiva Lakes Villas saw many members, some with unmanageable …

Assemble across-the-board insurance coverage for your home

Assemble across-the-board insurance coverage for your home As some Central Florida homeowners continue to pick up the pieces left from Tropical Storm Fay, others are keeping an eye on Ike and Josephine — and hoping their insurance policies have them covered against every peril. Basic homeowner’s insurance is just that — basic. It doesn’t cover …