During the boom years, as big housing developments mushroomed throughout the country, developers worked with local governments to raise billions of dollars for roads, sewers and sidewalks through a municipal-debt security known as “dirt bonds.” Now, as those bonds get tested by the worst housing downturn since the Great Depression, dirt-bond investors are getting a …
Category Archives: General
Residents of foreclosed mobile home park fight to control their future
After his wife died, retired plumber Leonard Selinsky tried to simplify his life by moving into Sunset Village, a mobile home park in Glenview with tidy homes and friendly neighbors.His new home is no trailer – it’s a two-story Cape Cod with three bedrooms and an attic. “I love my house," he said. "This is …
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Risky retirement
Holly says she is done with work. She wants to retire and sell her $400,000 home, which is mortgage-free. Jeff, her husband, still has a lot of years before he wants to retire from his IT job. But here’s the real catch to their situation: They’re both in their late 30s, and Holly says she …
Diane Pearson, who fought North Port code fees, could now lose home to foreclosure
A single mother who was instrumental in reversing North Port’s harsh code-enforcement policies could now lose her home to foreclosure. Last year, North Port tried to collect $27,000 in fines from Diane Pearson because a car in her driveway did not have a license plate. Pearson’s court battle became a rallying cry in North Port …
Phoenix condominium project flourishing
Less than 18 months after acquiring the former Century Plaza high-rise condo tower in central Phoenix, the owners of One Lexington condominiums said they have sold out 85 percent of the project, an average of about one unit every three days. Developers Rob Macdonald and Robert Hubbard, of British Columbia-based Macdonald Development Corp., said it’s …
Making garage doors stand up to hurricanes
Did you know your garage door may be the most vulnerable part of your home to hurricane damage? That’s because it is typically the largest opening in a home. If left unsecured, the garage door is susceptible to 100-plus-mph winds that can cause it to buckle, allowing wind to penetrate the garage, potentially rip apart …
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