The expanding investigation into Florida’s foreclosure crisis has turned up a new problem that may involve a number of cases: Individuals hired by law firms to notify struggling homeowners when their foreclosure cases are to be heard in court may have filed faulty or false documents. Foreclosure defense attorneys and consumer advocates say they have …
Category Archives: General
Man will plead guilty in multi-million dollar mortgage scheme
A man involved in a mortgage scheme first uncovered in a Tampa Tribune investigation four years ago has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire, mail and bank fraud. Chad Evans’ Clearwater companies, Shorefront Ventures LLC and Tye Funding LLC, were used to lure "straw buyers" to participate in fraudulent …
Continue reading “Man will plead guilty in multi-million dollar mortgage scheme”
The Trouble with Condos
In the housing meltdown, even outside the usual housing bust hotspots, some condominium owners are faring even worse than owners of single-family homes. In some gentrifying neighborhoods of Boston, for instance, where condo conversions of the city’s storied triple-decker row houses were rampant in the last decade, many owners now find they can’t sell their …
It’s a great time to buy, sort of
Home sellers continue to battle foreclosure-laden banks for the attention of home buyers, some of whom find themselves in a better position than they have been in decades. Yet some are hesitant to buy, thinking (fearing?) that prices will go lower and they could soon find themselves in a negative-equity position if they borrow money …
Orlando condos among cheapest in state [Central Florida]
The midpoint for Orlando condominium prices last month remained below $50,000 and was 40 percent below the statewide median price, according to a report released this week by Florida Realtors. Condo prices in Central Florida have been depressed for more than a year, with the metro area’s median price in September down 5 percent to …
Continue reading “Orlando condos among cheapest in state [Central Florida]”
Title insurer tightens reins on lenders
Title insurer tightens reins on lenders The country’s largest title insurer said that banks and other lenders must vouch for the accuracy of their mortgage documents before the firm will write insurance for a foreclosure sale. Fidelity National Financial announced the policy change — the strongest move yet by a title insurer to protect itself …