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Linda Hersey (Editor) | Clearwater Patch “Here’s a look at the foreclosure rate for Clearwater, Pinellas County and the state as a whole. Clearwater foreclosure filings dropped by 61 percent in June compared to May, as the number of home sales continue to rise. That is the latest report from RealtyTrac, which monitors foreclosures nationwide. Find Homes InRead more

Florida Current Staff | “Florida once again led the nation in its foreclosure rate for the first six months the year, according to a report released Thursday by RealtyTrac, a California-based company that tracks foreclosed properties. The Sunshine State had one foreclosure filing — a default notice, scheduled auction or bank repossession — for every 58Read more

ILYCE GLINK / MONEYWATCH / “Starting this month, some lenders are offering certain homeowners loan modifications — without even being asked. Under a new plan created by the Federal Housing and Finance Administration, mortgage servicers must offer homeowners who are three to 24 months behind on their payments a plan to help them avoid foreclosure. The StreamlinedRead more

By Scott Blake |     Banks and other mortgage servicers are holding many homes in foreclosure without putting them up for sale, according to local market watchers.    In fact, Florida leads the nation by far in vacant homes in foreclosure, with more than 55,000 homes in foreclosure sitting empty, according to a recent report by RealtyTracRead more

TheRealDeal.com | “Tens of thousands of Florida homeowners have abandoned properties threatened by foreclosure, a dark spot in the Sunshine State’s otherwise brightening real estate market, the Palm Beach Post reported. About 55,000 Florida homes with defaulted mortgages are deserted, nearly one third of the national total and more than triple second-place Illinois, which hasRead more

By Les Christie | @CNNMoney | “The long national foreclosure nightmare is nearing its end, with foreclosure filings hitting their lowest level since before the housing bust.   Total foreclosure filings, including notices of default, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, dropped to 127,790 in June, down 35% over the past 12 months, according to RealtyTrac. Overall, filings haveRead more

SUZETTE PORTER | “Buying a home is a big deal. Whether it’s your first time or you feel like a seasoned pro, getting what you want at the best price means keeping your eye on the details from beginning to end. A lot of the process involves personal decisions, starting with what type of home youRead more

Heather Perlberg & John Gittelsohn | “Jonathan Gray, global head of real estate at Blackstone Group LP, talks about Blackstone’s investment in residential real estate and the outlook for the U.S. housing and commercial property market. He speaks with Erik Schatzker and Deirdre Bolton on Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers.” (Source: Bloomberg) The firm, which already ownsRead more

Garrett Kenny | The Canadian | “I am very pleased to be reporting on the striving property market this month. I have witnessed it first hand as the CEO of Century 21 Team Feltrim. Florida’s property market is rapidly recovering from the property bust years prior and was one of the hardest hit states during theRead more

Martha Brannigan | Miami Herald “It is a condominium association’s version of winning the lotto. A big bank missed its deadline to file for foreclosure on a million-dollar condo unit by 10 days. As a result, Peninsula Condominium Association in Aventura will get to keep the condo — a fancy three-bedroom, three-bathroom bayfront pad thatRead more