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winknews.com | “RealtyTrac® (www.realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for real estate data, today released a report showing that as of June owners had vacated 167,680 foreclosure properties nationwide, representing 20 percent of all U.S. properties in the foreclosure process. These owner-vacated foreclosures are in addition to 544,274 bank-owned homes nationwide that have been foreclosed onRead more

  Article By: Alexander Dobrev | “House Bill 87, also known as the Florida Fair Foreclosure Act, has successfully made its way through both chambers of the legislature, ordered “enrolled” as of the date of this writing, and should be on its way to the Governor’s desk in the very near future. So what does thisRead more

By Lauren Carroll, Times Staff Writer | “Homeowners facing foreclosure should prepare for speedier judgment than they might expect. Last week, Gov. Rick Scott approved legislation intended to expedite the foreclosure process, which led the Pinellas-Pasco Circuit to make changes that will affect lenders and buyers. Currently, the average Florida foreclosure case lasts about 900 days. ChiefRead more

Reported by: Amanda Warford | JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — “Look around, there’s probably a foreclosure in your neighborhood, and those homes can sit empty for years due to a huge backlog in Florida courts. Since 2008, when the average foreclosure took five months, the process has been known to last as long as 814 days. This week, Gov.Read more

By Dan Levy & Heather Perlberg | “Home repossessions in the U.S. jumped 11 percent in May after declining for the previous five months as rising prices and limited inventory for sale across the country spurred banks to complete foreclosures . Lenders took back 38,946 homes, up from 34,997 in April, according to Irvine, California-based data firmRead more

By Marianela Toledo | Florida Watchdog | “MIAMI —It’s a great law for the economy, banks and bargain hunters. But it may be a raw deal for homeowners struggling to hang on to their homes. A NEED FOR SPEED: New law accelerates the foreclosure process in Florida. The proposal sponsored by Florida State Rep. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, looksRead more

By Michael Estrin of Bankrate.com “You dream of taking ownership of a vacant home by living in it. Then legal reality sets in. Describing himself as a “savvy investor,” a man used an arcane property-law doctrine known as adverse possession to squat in a vacant Dallas-area home. Kenneth Robinson’s gambit cost him $16 in filing fees paid to theRead more

By: Amy Green | May 13, 2013 | WMFE – A consumer advocacy group is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to veto legislation aimed at accelerating the foreclosure process. Advocates say the bill should focus on banks and funding for judges, not homeowners. The bill allows more parties – like homeowners and condominium associations –Read more

  Written by: Brian O’Connell | Daren Blomquist, a vice-president at RealtyTrac, sees an interesting trend in the U.S. real estate market: The emergence of the “zombie” home. Blomquist laid it out in a recent “state of the real industry” presentation in Las Vegas describing how zombie homes are rising, bringing down the value of neighboring homes inRead more

“Florida Senator Bill Nelson wants the U.S. bailout program overseer to determine why Florida is missing out on many intended benefits for homeowners facing foreclosure that was suppose to come from the so-called Hardest Hit Fund. In a letter accusing Florida officials of “mismanagement” and “inaction,” Nelson is seeking an investigation by the special inspectorRead more