Walking away from Florida mortgage doesn’t always clear debt

Walking away from Florida mortgage doesn’t always clear debt You think banks are powerless to retaliate if you walk away from your Florida mortgage? Think again. Despite dozens of Web sites touting Florida as a prime “walk away” state — mail in the house keys and live debt free — foreclosed homeowners have learned that …

Indicted: Fake Roman Catholic priest that took Trump Tower Tampa for $150,000

Indicted: Fake Roman Catholic priest that took Trump Tower Tampa for $150,000 I’ve written several stories about Father Barney Canada, a convicted confidence man who took Florida developers for at least $1 million in loan application fees. One victim was Trump Tower Tampa, whose developer, SimDag Robel LLC, gave the “clergyman” $150,000 for a loan …

2009 brutal for South Florida condo sales, but signs encouraging

2009 brutal for South Florida condo sales, but signs encouraging Miami’s skyline at dusk tells the story of the condo crisis in stark relief: Some of the luminous towers beam with life, others flicker half-full, and still others are completely dark, mired in legal disputes over past-due loans and stalled sales. South Florida’s condo market …

Fifth Third works to turn around troubled Florida loans

Fifth Third works to turn around troubled Florida loans The more Mike Trombley heard about the Cay Club development in Clearwater, Fla., the more he liked the idea of investing in it. The sales pitch he got in late 2004 was the clincher: Buy now and get in on a luxury 5-star resort featuring renovated …

Miami’s Fisher Island Enjoying an Uptick in Uber-Lux Condo Sales

Miami’s Fisher Island Enjoying an Uptick in Uber-Lux Condo Sales According to several local real estate professionals, the ultra-wealthy residential island community of Fisher Island is experiencing a strong increase in sales activity in the latter half of 2009, amidst a tough real estate economy for most. Fisher-Island-and-South-beach-Miami-Florida.jpg Phyllis Winick, on-island broker of Fisher Island …

The cat’s out of the bag as to names of delinquent neighbors

The cat’s out of the bag as to names of delinquent neighbors Q: We have been advised that two owners in our condo association have not paid their assessments. Their names and addresses were listed in the notice sent to all owners. We were advised the board has spent over $8,000 in legal fees for …