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Jann Swanson | Mortgage News Daily | “After spiking 8 percent in January, foreclosures filings have resumed their downward spiral RealtyTrac said today.  Its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for February notes that filings, including default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions or completed foreclosures, decreased by 10 percent from January and were 27 percent below levels one yearRead more

Greg Allen | NPR | “It’s taken several years, but in many parts of the country, home prices are nearly back to where they were at the peak. In places like Florida, where the housing recession hit hard, home prices rose last year by one-fifth or more. A major factor in the price rise is hedgeRead more

WCTV | “Bob Wallerius walks with a noticeable limp. He’s had 40 surgeries after a bad traffic accident. On the day he spoke to Eyewitness News, a foreclosure sale was scheduled for his northwest Tallahassee home. “Had to go to bed one more night not be able to sleep and wake up trying to haveRead more

Pam Bondi | The Tampa Tribune | Opinion Page | “The U.S. House’s vote Tuesday night was a move in the right direction to stop the short-sighted implementation of the Biggert-Waters Act, which has dire consequences for Floridians, who would bear the brunt of the financial burden, and our housing market. Traveling throughout Florida asRead more

Associated Press | “The House approved legislation Tuesday night to roll back a recently enacted overhaul of the federal flood insurance program, after homeowners in flood-prone areas complained about sharp premium increases. The bill would allow sellers to pass along their subsidized, below-market insurance rates to new buyers and lower the limit on how muchRead more

John Hielscher | Herald Tribune | “Florida held the nation’s top spot again in January for both the most completed foreclosures and the highest percentage of distressed properties. A total of 116,000 foreclosures were completed in Florida during the 12-month period ended last month, more than twice as many as any other state, data provider CoreLogicRead more

Alexander E.M. Hess, Michael B. Sauter and Thomas C. Frohlich | 24/7 Wall St. | USA Today “Last December, 16.2% of all home sales involved distressed properties, according to a recent report. These homes were sold at an average discount of nearly 40% when compared to conventional, non-distressed homes. Housing data site RealtyTrac recently releasedRead more

Rich Shopes | Tampa Bay Times | “The county’s community development office on Tuesday rolled out a new interest-free loan program aimed at helping low-income seniors burdened by big tax bills. The program, which is intended to curb foreclosures from delinquent taxes, is funded by a $300,000 state housing grant. It’s aimed at low-income folksRead more

Michael Sasso | The Tampa Tribune | “The median sale price of an existing home in the Tampa Bay area rose by 16.2 percent in December when compared with a year earlier, new figures from Florida Realtors show. Last month, the median sale price of a single-family home in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area was $158,000.Read more

Francys Vallecillo | World Property Channel | “The total number of completed foreclosures in the U.S. dropped 24 percent in 2013, compared to 2012, according to the latest report from CoreLogic. There were 620,111 homes lost to foreclosure nationwide in 2013, compared to a total of 820,498 homes in 2012. Foreclosure numbers have been droppingRead more