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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

By Michelle Conlin and Peter Rudegeair | (Reuters) – “Six former Bank of America Corp employees have alleged that the bank deliberately denied eligible home owners loan modifications and lied to them about the status of their mortgage payments and documents. The bank allegedly used these tactics to shepherd homeowners into foreclosure, as well asRead more

WJHG | “A fast-track foreclosure will shorten the length a homeowner has to fight a bank. Governor Scott signed the Republican-driven bill and it is now the law in Florida. “It’s going to make sure we have a timely foreclosure process. So our families make sure they can keep their homes,” said Governor Rick Scott. Scott saysRead 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 JACKIE CALMES | WASHINGTON — “Despite signs of revival in housing, the Obama administration announced on Thursday an extension of its principal program for helping distressed homeowners to get mortgage modifications and avoid foreclosure. Jacob J. Lew, the Treasury secretary, and Shaun Donovan, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the Making Home Affordable program, whichRead more

By Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel | A homeowner-advocacy group is pressuring Florida Gov. Rick Scott to veto a bill that would expedite foreclosures in the state starting July 1. The new state law would allow banks to complete foreclosures without court hearings, unless a homeowner requests to have a specific case heard by a judge.In the past, allRead more

WinkNews | WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) wants federal regulators to investigate and crack down on the mortgage industry’s inaccurate reporting of short sales as more financially harmful foreclosures in many consumers’ credit reports. The Florida Democrat represents a state that continues to be one of the worst in the nation for theRead more

Julie Schmit, USA TODAY | Foreclosure activity in April fell to its lowest level in 74 months, but action is ramping up in some states, says a national foreclosure tracker. In April, one of every 905 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing, market watcher RealtyTrac says. That was the lowest level since February 2007Read more

By ASSOCIATED PRESS |   “TALLAHASSEE — With tens of thousands of foreclosure cases clogged in the state’s courts, the Florida Supreme Court is signing off on a plan to use lawyers — and not judges — to handle them. The court on Thursday issued an order that will allow chief judges across the state to use “generalRead more