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by Kim Miller | Palm Beach Post | “A steep drop in Palm Beach County foreclosure filings last month may be the result of the state’s new fast-track foreclosure law, which requires lenders to file specific documents with the initial case. Attorney Heather Hatch, (L), looks over documents with Louise Plasse, (R), a lawyer fromRead more

by HousingWire Staff | “Arizona and California are no longer the foreclosure laughingstocks of the nation, according to USA Today reporter Tim Mullaney. In fact, the sand states recently staged an amazing recovery on the foreclosure front. In his USA Today update, Mullaney writes: In states hit hardest by the housing bust — Arizona, California,Read more

Wayne T. Price and Lee Nessel | Florida Today | “Many area Realtors, and others involved in the housing market, say changes probably are needed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but the key will be moving slowly and cautiously. “This is a very forward-looking notion,” said Geoffrey K. Turnbull, a professor of real estate atRead more

Megan Hopkins | Housing Wire | “The Obama Administration’s foreclosure mitigation programs continue to assist million of homeowners throughout the country as housing continues to bounce back from a crisis that left too many homeowners underwater. Nonetheless, the government is staying cautious about issues in mortgage servicing. Delinquencies remain high, the Obama Administration’s scorecard revealed, especially whenRead more

Ashlyn Nelson | “U.S. housing markets may be emerging from the foreclosure crisis, but for many children, problems caused by the slide in home values haven’t ended. Foreclosure can have a lasting impact on children’s academic performance, says Ashlyn Aiko Nelson, an associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IU Bloomington. “WeRead more

by Reuters |   “NEW YORK — U.S. home foreclosure filings tumbled in June to a 6½-year low, a further sign the housing market is getting back on better footing, a report from RealtyTrac showed Thursday. Overall, 127,790 properties had foreclosure filings last month, down 14 percent from May, and down 35 percent from a year earlier. ItRead more

Dennis Bovell | Broward Palm Beach Post | “Ted Koran and his wife, Karen, have been taking in unwanted or neglected animals for the past 25 years. The couple owns The Critter Place in Weeki Wachee,Florida, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to saving animals. The two acre property, which also includes their mobile home, currently caresRead more

wftv.com | “Facing one of the largest backlogs of foreclosures in the state, central Florida’s Ninth Circuit Court has cleared 41 percent of its backlog since June 2012. However, new numbers obtained by Eyewitness News show the court entered May 2013 with 28,000 cases still pending and another 1,000 new cases filed every month. AddRead more

Robert Trigaux | Times Business Columnist | “Consumer ripoffs, scams and disputes are alive, well and changing as the nation emerges from recession, consumer protection experts said Tuesday. “There is a boundless creativity of scammers to find new ways to fleece consumers,” warns Susan Grant, the Consumer Federation of America’s director of consumer protection. Unlicensed contractingRead more

CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER | AP | BayNews9 | In this Tuesday, June 11, 2013, photo, a single house is offered for sale in Santa Monica, Calif. Sandard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller reports on home prices in May on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) “U.S. home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a yearRead more