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NBC 6 South Florida | “Two people were arrested in connection with an $8 million rental fraud scheme that involved dozens of victims in Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, authorities said Monday. Robert Allen Tribble Jr., 50, of Jupiter filed fraudulent quit-claim and warranty deeds to take control of homes in foreclosure, the FloridaRead more

Ted Jackovics | Tampa Tribune Staff | “Florida will need a few more years to climb completely out of the hole left by the recession, but various economic indicators are gradually returning to typical growth levels, the Legislature’s research office said in its latest report. Trends are positive for two key elements of Florida’s economy: Personal income growthRead more

JANN SWANSON | MortgageNewsDaily “In its monthly e-magazine Foreclosure Report RealtyTrac takes a look at the current and potential impact of legislation designed to rescue the nation’s flood insurance program.  Within that legislation RealtyTrac says there may be looming another demonstration of the theory of unintended consequences. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by an act ofRead more

MIKE SCHNEIDER | ASSOCIATED PRESS | Some of the nation’s most important events of the young century have happened in Florida or had a strong connection to the state, which is expected to surpass New York in population in 2014. Here is a list of 10 of them: 1. The 2000 presidential contest between George W. BushRead more

Christopher O’Donnell | Tampa Tribune | “Two years ago, Shanoah Washington’s home on Preston Street in the Melrose Mercy neighborhood was a gutted shell. Thieves had ripped out the air handler and plumbing. Gone, too, were windows, electrical wiring and most of the kitchen. The home attracted the attention of St. Petersburg City Council ChairmanRead more

By Josh Salman | Herald-Tribune “New home defaults throughout Southwest Florida have returned to the pace experienced before the market’s crash. Although the local court system continue to grapple with a backlog of 11,880 old foreclosure cases, the flow of loans becoming delinquent has slowed to a point that recalls 2006 — the height of last decade’sRead more

“Realty Trac has released new data from July showing the Florida counties with the highest foreclosure rate.” See slideshow here

By John Hielscher | Herald-Tribune | “A popular tax break that has saved struggling Southwest Florida homeowners millions of dollars is slated to expire at the end of this year. The tax deduction on forgiven mortgage debt has been available for the past seven years, one of a number of measures intended to ease financial pressure broughtRead more

ROBERT JABLON | Associated Press | “The Los Angeles city attorney sued Wells Fargo and Citigroup on Thursday, alleging the companies engaged in mortgage discrimination that led to a wave of foreclosures in minority communities during the housing crash. The twin lawsuits, filed in federal court, are the latest fallout from the 2008 collapse of theRead more

Kenneth Harney | U-T San Diego | “Why have many of the local housing markets that were hit hardest during the bust — especially in California — bounced back so vigorously and quickly, with prices close to or exceeding what they were in 2005 and 2006? And why have many others along the East CoastRead more