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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

By Erika Engle | “Total foreclosures in the U.S. in June were down to 55,000 from 68,000, or nearly 20 percent in June of 2012, according to analytics firm CoreLogic. Prior to the 2007 housing market decline, completed foreclosures averaged 21,000 per month between 2000 and 2006, the company said. Hawaii was among the five statesRead more

Lisa Mahapatra | International Business Times | “A total of 55,000 foreclosures were completed in June, a 20 percent decline from a year earlier, according to a just-released report from CoreLogic , a financial services and analytics firm. The number of distressed homes have fallen for 19 consecutive months, as have the number of homes that are seriouslyRead 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

Francys Vallecillo | World Property Channel | “The number of completed foreclosures in the U.S. decreased 20 percent in June from the same time last year, according to the latest data from CoreLogic. The data also showed positive signs for the foreclosure inventory in the U.S. In June, there were about one million homes inRead more

Michael Braga | Herald-Tribune | “Golden Key Properties, a Rotonda West company managed by Andreas Kirchbeger, bought a 44,317-square-foot office condo complex at 942 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte out of foreclosure for $3 million. The property previously belonged to CDR of Southwest Florida LLC, a Port Charlotte company managed by Dean R. DeGross andRead more

Leah Schnurr | Reuters “Lenders completed fewer U.S. foreclosures in June than they did a year ago, while the number of properties sitting in the foreclosure pipeline also decreased as the housing market continued to improve, data from CoreLogic showed on Tuesday. There were 55,000 foreclosures finished last month, down from 68,000 in June of last year,Read more

“HARP Mortgage Lenders, a national network of mortgage professionals who are approved for the Home Affordable Refinance Program , reported that recent Florida foreclosure rates are improving, but some counties are still swimming in waves of foreclosures and HARP 2.0 may just be the solution to their problem. According to RealtyTrac (the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties and real estateRead more

Ben Hallman | Huffington Post | “Like millions of Americans who tried to stave off foreclosure in recent years, Lanette Worles says her bank repeatedly lost vital paperwork she submitted, scuttling her chance at saving her home. Now, as Worles attempts to collect on a legal settlement intended as a remedy to just this type of practice, sheRead 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