Southwest Fl Real Estate Articles & Information

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Fed review for robo-signing extended	2/15/2012 2:06 AM
Ex-homeowners can submit their 2009-2010 foreclosure for federal review if done by one of 27 participating lenders.
NAR to Administration: Don't harm housing	2/14/2012 2:24 AM
Budget proposal has a cap on IRS mortgage interest deductions and impacts capital gains on some real estate investments.
Florida: Balmy breezes, sunsets and romance	2/14/2012 2:28 AM
In honor of Valentine's Day, Amazon listed the U.S.'s top 20 romantic cities, and Fla. has more than any other state.
HUD gives Fla. $49.6M for affordable housing	2/13/2012 2:26 AM
Nationwide, HUD granted a total of almost $1.8 billion, with the top amount, $321.5 million, going to New York.
Foreclosure settlement: Fla. to get $8.4 billion	2/10/2012 2:54 AM
About $170M for foreclosure victims, rest for underwater owners; will take up to 9 months to identify beneficiaries.
HUD: $7.5 million to fight housing discrimination	2/10/2012 3:00 AM
Only two Fla. enforcement groups received funds: Jacksonville and Broward County will split about $100,000.
Florida's existing home, condo sales up in 4Q 2011	2/9/2012 3:16 AM
Existing home sales rose 7%, condo sales 4%. Home prices down 1%, condos 4%. NAR: sales up 5.9%, prices down 4.2%.
SBA 504 loans hit record low interest rate for February	2/9/2012 3:23 AM
Interest rates for commercial investment or upgrades estimated at 4.7% or 3.81% for 10-year loans.
Realtor University Approved for Master of Real Estate degree program	2/9/2012 3:31 AM
The Master of Real Estate degree, available online, includes five areas of concentration. First course starts Feb. 27.
Trulia: 1 in 3 home searches cross state lines	2/9/2012 3:26 AM
Trulia analyzed users' locations and where they searched for a home. Of the top 10 desired locations, seven are in Fla.

RISMedia » Today’s Top Story – Consumer
The Art of Starting Over: Save a Business Conversation Gone Wrong	2/15/2012 3:40 PM
Has this ever happened to you? You’re talking to a client, or perhaps your boss, and you realize the conversation has gotten off on absolutely the wrong foot. You may have learned new and unexpected information from the other person …
Remodeling Looking up in 2012	2/13/2012 4:00 PM
Homeowners are ready to make 2012 a banner year for remodeling and the latest cost-for-value research suggests that getting the most bang for every buck is more important than ever. The Remodeling Market Index (RMI) hit a five-year high at …
Feedback: Some People Can’t Handle the Truth	2/12/2012 12:06 PM
Are you the type of individual who values sincere feedback and welcomes constructive criticism from customers, associates, and family members? Sometimes getting feedback can be an unpleasant experience, especially when it hasn’t been requested. Without timely feedback, it’s utterly impossible …
First-time Unemployment Claims Sink to Early-Recession Levels	2/10/2012 11:02 PM
(MCT)—In another sign that the job market is gaining momentum, the number of workers filing for unemployment benefits fell further last week—down to levels last seen in the early months of the recession. The Labor Department said Thursday that first-time …
List of Improving Housing Markets Expands to Nearly 100	2/9/2012 3:19 PM
The list of housing markets showing measurable improvement expanded by 29 metros in February to include a total of 98 entries on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released recently. Thirty-six states are now represented …
Builder Confidence for the 55+ Housing Market Ends Fourth Quarter on an Upswing	2/8/2012 4:01 PM
Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for single-family homes rose four points to 18 compared to the same period a year ago, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 55+ Housing Market Index (HMI). “We are …
Obama Moves Forward with Foreclosure Prevention	2/6/2012 4:01 PM
Last Wednesday, February 1, President Obama announced the details of a plan to help homeowners refinance their mortgages in hopes of bolstering the housing market. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this proposal will allow buyers …
Don’t Forget a Home Inspection with a New Construction Home	2/5/2012 12:03 PM
Every home—whether it’s a resale or new—has some kind of an issue, and the reality is that there is no “perfect” house. Many homebuyers embark on their search for a home with the belief that new homes should be flawless, …
Information Is Power…Again	2/3/2012 11:03 PM
Setting yourself apart from your competition is becoming increasingly difficult. The emergence of social media into the business world has created platforms where constant, ongoing contact is possible. As a result of this desire to be in constant contact, many …
Facebook Files for Initial Public Stock Offering	2/2/2012 3:51 PM
(MCT)—Facebook has filed papers for what’s expected to be the largest initial public offering ever to come out of Silicon Valley and one of the largest in U.S. history. Ending months of breathless speculation, the 8-year-old social networking company has …

Home Buyers & Sellers » Homeowners
Congressmen propose extension on closing date for federal tax credit	6/16/2010 5:00 AM
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would support a measure to give additional time for first-time home buyers to close on their purchases and still receive a tax credit for up to $8,000. Repeat buyers were also eligible for a credit of up to $6,500. Buyers had until April 30, 2010 to have a [...]
Home improvements have begun at the White House	6/14/2010 5:00 AM
There are many homeowners across our country postponing the sale of their home due to the precariousness of the housing industry. Because a home sale is not imperative, some owners are choosing to make home improvements, either by their own hand or by hiring professionals. The White House, which theoretically will never be for sale, is [...]
Real estate markets on Gulf shores impacted by BP oil spill	6/11/2010 5:00 AM
When viewing news footage of the marine and wildlife damage due to BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it’s easy to make the connection between that carnage and the loss of income to those who make their living directly from the water. Shrimpers, oyster harvesters, commercial fishers - among others - have been unable to work their trade and are [...]
Increased consumer confidence could lead to higher home prices	6/10/2010 5:00 AM
According to The Conference Board, economic confidence is as high as it’s been since August 2007 - four months before the start of the recession. Americans are optimistic again. As the theory goes, confidence matters to the economy because as confidence increases, consumer spending follows. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of [...]
April 2010 shows a rise in new home construction	6/8/2010 5:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a report last month stating new home construction rose nearly 41 percent, when compared to the same time frame a year ago. Privately owned housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 672,000, which is 5.8 percent above the March estimate of 635,000. That rate is the highest since October 2008. New construction of [...]
Survey finds U.S. homeowners optimistic regarding home values	6/4/2010 5:00 AM
In a May 2010 survey conducted by Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan, better than 16 percent of homeowners feel their homes have increased in value during the last year, which is the highest number in nearly two years. The flip side of that coin is 43 percent of homeowners said their home decreased in value over the same time period. [...]
Home affordability at its peak	6/3/2010 5:00 AM
With low home prices and mortgage rates trolling near their all-time best levels, it’s no surprise that home affordability is extraordinarily high in most U.S. markets. According to the National Association of Home Builders quarterly Home Opportunity Index, more than 72 percent of all new and existing homes sold between January-March 2010 were [...]
Tax credit boosts U.S. existing homes sales 7.6 percent in April	5/26/2010 5:00 AM
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes sales for the month of April exceeded expectations, in part due to the home buyers tax credit offered by the Obama administration. The tax credit program for first-time and repeat home buyers expired April 30. Home sales rose 7.6 percent over the previous month. “The upswing in April [...]
Fixed-rate mortgages are first-rate with refinancing homeowners	5/24/2010 5:00 AM
In its quarterly report published earlier this month, Product Transition, Freddie Mac related that in the first quarter of 2010, fixed-rate mortgages were the loan of choice by 95 percent of homeowners refinancing. Of those new mortgages, most were 30-year fixed-rate, although many chose 15-year or 20-year contracts. Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist Frank [...]
Settlement is reached in first Chinese drywall lawsuit	5/21/2010 5:00 AM
Nearly 18 months after the first reports of tainted Chinese drywall emitting foul smells and corroding electrical wiring, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co (KPT) has reached a joint settlement with Beazer Homes USA, Inc. Defective drywall, manufactured by KPT, had been used in some of the homes built by Beazer in southwest Florida. Beazer, among many other builders, was unaware of the [...]

Naples Daily News Stories: Bonita
Naples attorney re-elected to Florida Bar Board of Governors	2/15/2012 9:24 PM
Naples attorney Laird Lile has been elected to another two-year term on The Florida Bar Board of Governors and four lawyers are running for a seat in this five-county judicial circuit.
Southwest Florida college presidents, school superintendents agree on integrated education plan	2/15/2012 7:30 PM
The Alliance of Educational Leaders unveiled a plan to raise reading and math levels, increase graduation rates, and strengthen communication with the business sector and legislators during a meeting at Hodg
Bonita Springs gets first look at new city district maps	2/15/2012 1:00 PM
tmiguel@naplesnews.com 239-263-4825
RSW getting first full-body scanner	2/15/2012 12:08 PM
Some passengers at Southwest Florida's main airport will soon be getting a different once-over by security.
Lee Memorial to pay $400,000 for Medicare overbilling allegations	2/14/2012 5:15 PM
The federal government alleged the hospitals performed the procedures on an inpatient basis to garner higher Medicare reimbursement rather than in a less costly outpatient basis. The procedures, in many case
Naples businessman Brian Owens joins crowded congressional race	2/14/2012 4:54 PM
Brian Owens, 69, built a career at Prudential selling insurance policies at first and then rising to become an executive at the company. He said his business savvy and his political inexperience would be ass
Deputies: Traffic stop leads to DUI, drug arrest	2/14/2012 11:35 AM
A traffic stop led to the arrest of a Fort Myers woman, accused of DUI and possession of drugs and marijuana with intent to sell.
Police searching for FGCU flasher caught on camera	2/14/2012 6:26 AM
Police are looking for a man they say exposed himself to an FGCU student. And it was all caught on camera.
Bonita fire officials agree to audits in effort to provide ambulance service	2/13/2012 9:09 PM
“The request for the audit appears to be political tactic on the part of the county,” said Bonita Springs Fire Commissioner Steve Lohan. “They think if we have to spend more money, we’ll go away. But the peo
Former condo board president, vice-president guilty of grand theft	2/13/2012 6:58 PM
Charles Bennett, the former president of the board, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison followed by 25 years of probation. Ken Marwick, the former vice president of the board, was sentenced to 2 years in