West Delray condo owners still wait to return after Wilma

West Delray condo owners still wait to return after Wilma Elena Ecker points to what used to be her kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room. The one-bedroom condo is now just a shell divided by metal beams and a plywood roof. Ecker’s home is one of an estimated 375 units at Kings Point empty since …

Sinkhole policies may change

Sinkhole policies may change While insurers bemoan their troubles with Florida lawmakers this week, they stand to win at least one fight. The Florida House and Senate are on the verge of dramatically changing state law on sinkhole insurance. This could cut rates in half for homeowners in hard-hit Pasco and Hernando counties, where 80 …

Home sale between family has benefits

Home sale between family has benefits DEAR BOB: I am buying my first home in the next couple of months from my aunt and mother. They’re inheriting my grandmother’s home, but neither of them wants to keep it. What is the best way to go about this family purchase? –James M. DEAR JAMES: Your aunt …

Port St. Lucie wrestles with high home prices [South Florida]

Port St. Lucie wrestles with high home prices [South Florida] With 80 percent of its vast acreage carved up into single-family building lots, Port St. Lucie has served as the affordable-housing mecca for cities from Broward to Indian River counties since it was twinkle in a developer’s eye 46 years ago. Most of those years, …

Lakeland Facility Sells for $10.4 Mil. [Central Florida]

Lakeland Facility Sells for $10.4 Mil. [Central Florida] A Houston-based real estate investment trust has acquired a piece of Lakeland Interstate Business Park for $10.4 million. Weingarten Realty Investors last week finalized its purchase of a 168,400-square-foot distribution facility at the business park, according to a press release. The building, at 2125 Interstate Drive, houses …