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By John Hielscher |  “In 2009, nearly half of all Sarasota and Manatee county homeowners with mortgages owed more money on their loans than their properties were worth. Thanks to rising home prices and an improving economy, the percentage of so-called “underwater” homeowners regionwide has dropped significantly. But the Sarasota-Manatee region still has one of the nation’sRead more

by TallahasseeRealEstate | Tallahassee.com “A good friend of mine who is also a real estate investor sent me an article yesterday that provides some insight as to why Tallahassee foreclosures are going nowhere fast. The recent article by 247wallst.com on “zombie homes,” pointed out that roughly one in every five of the 770,000 homes in foreclosure across the USRead more

By Michael Braga, Herald-Tribune | “Florida had the highest foreclosure rate in the U.S. in July, according to the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research. One in every 326 housing units was in foreclosure. Nine of the top 10 cities in the country – in terms of foreclosure rates – were in Florida – Jacksonville,Read more

Linda Hersey | SaintPetersBlog | “More homes sold in St. Petersburg than any other Pinellas County city in July. But Florida overall tops the nation in the percentage of underwater homes and short sales, according to new statistics. RealtyTrac, which monitors homes in foreclosure, reports that in August the Sunshine State was No. 2 in theRead more

Scott Gunnerson | FLORIDA TODAY | “Zombies are everywhere lately, it seems. TV shows, video games, even chasing runners during special 5K races. You might even have a zombie next door. The first sign of trouble: An unmaintained yard, growing wild amid Florida’s summer heat and rain. “Zombie” properties — homes abandoned by the owners, but stillRead more

Rebecca Freeman | U.S. Finance Post | “The number of foreclosures in July were down 25 percent from a year earlier according to CoreLogic. During the month of July 49,000 foreclosures were completed compared to 53,000 the previous month.That was a decrease of 8.6 percent. In July 2012 there were 65,000 foreclosures. For context, CoreLogic pointed toRead more

By Francys Vallecillo | World Property Channel | “The U.S. foreclosure inventory decreased 32 percent in July compared to last year, according to the latest numbers from CoreLogic. The inventory included approximately 949,000 homes in some stage of foreclosure. As of July, the foreclosure inventory represented 2.4 percent of all homes with a mortgage, compared toRead more

Mary Shanklin | Orlando Sentinel | “Florida led the nation last month with what one expert called an “astounding” rate of all-cash home sales: 66 percent, a new report shows. Investor groups, international buyers, landlords and those in the market for vacation homes are fueling a cash-only market that has virtually shut out entry-level homebuyers, who can’tRead more

ALEX FERRERAS | “The latest housing data from the Florida Association of Realtors has revealed that the Sunshine State’s housing market is now in recovery mode – despite the fact the state suffered massive foreclosure losses over the last 6 years. Florida is not only witnessing double-digit gains in statewide home sales, new listings, pending salesRead more

William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer | Scott and Jill Kelley’s posh home on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa is in foreclosure. CAROLINA HIDALGO | Times “Attorneys had gathered in a conference room to question the Tampa socialite who had unwittingly triggered the scandal that ended the career of CIA director David Petraeus. Jill Kelley’s house isRead more