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The other day I was changing a flat on my car and the damn jack gave way causing the car to come crashing down on my left hand.  Not only was there some serious bleeding, but it felt like my entire hand was crushed.  Not to worry.  After extricating myself from underneath the car IRead more

By Alexandra Clough – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer “The red-hot housing market just put up a warning flag. Existing home sales dropped in February from the previous month, and the National Association of Realtors isn’t sugar-coating the news. Although Chief Economist Lawrence Yun cited winter blizzards and stock market declines as factors, the mainRead more

By Jeff Ostrowski – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer “Amid growing concerns about a housing affordability squeeze in Palm Beach County, a glimmer of hope emerged from this year’s legislative session. State lawmakers approved $200 million for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, a program that offers mortgages and down payment assistance to middle-incomeRead more

  “The Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott didn’t see eye to eye on much during the 2016 session, but they both acknowledged education spending should go up. Even then, however, they couldn’t agree on how to do it. Scott wanted to pay for it almost entirely by increasing a share of property taxes knownRead more

Article: housingwire.com “‘Rising rents’ are quickly encroaching upon ‘a life event’ as the top reason homebuyers will look to purchase a home. As it stands, one in four homebuyers is looking to purchase because their rent is too high, according to a Redfin survey of 750 homebuyers this month. Redfin noted that this is upRead more

Article: housingwire.com “It’s official. Confirming plans that HousingWire brought to light late last year and further revealed earlier this year, Nationstar Mortgage will indeed be launching a massive rebranding later this year and changing its name to Mr. Cooper. Nationstar CEO Jay Bray confirmed the company’s plan to rebrand as Mr. Cooper during a callRead more

Tampabay.com Article: “ST. PETERSBURG — This Friday’s foreclosure auction of the much-maligned Mosley Motel has been canceled because its owners have filed for bankruptcy. A nuisance for some of its Historic Kenwood neighbors, the Mosley has racked up more than $40,000 in city fines. Residents had hoped a new owner would improve the property. TheresaRead more

Article via: Noah Pransky, WTSP: “TAMPA BAY, Florida – Thousands of homeowners will be eligible for restitution after Florida’s attorney general struck an eight-figure settlement with KB Home, one of the largest homebuilders in the Southeast, over widespread construction defects and problematic business practices.  The deal comes three-and-a-half years after 10Investigates first exposed shoddy construction andRead more

Article via: CBS, wtsp.com: “With Goldman Sachs recently agreeing to pay $5.1 billion to settle claims related to its role in the 2008 mortgage scandal, the firm became the latest big Wall Street bank to reach a deal with the U.S. government. As part of the settlement, $1.8 billion is to be set aside for programs toRead more

Article: “The Mortgage Professor: Down payment insurance: Does it make sense? (By JACK GUTTENTAG) Investment in a home is often the largest investment a consumer will ever make, so any measures to reduce the risk deserve careful attention. The big risk is that a major house price decline will wipe out the owners’ equity, leavingRead more