Larry Tolchinsky | January 24, 2012
Florida home owners concerned about foreclosure and pondering a short sale should get busy and get that short sale process started. Why? There is a countdown to the expiration date of a federal law that will impact them badly if they wait until after the end of 2012 to close on that short sale of [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | January 17, 2012
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) implemented the federal Servicing Alignment Initiative last year and, in 2012, this new federal incentive plan should boost the number of short sales here in Florida, which is great news for home owners wanting to avoid a foreclosure. What is the Servicing Alignment Initiative? The Servicing Alignment Initiative is [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | January 3, 2012
The former chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (1987-97) and the current chief economist for Florida Realtors | Orlando gave his take this week on the current Florida real estate climate in an article written by Orlando Sentinel staff writer Mary Shanklin. You can read the full article, entitled “Talking With … John [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | December 29, 2011
The Pew Research Center is one of the country’s most respected research firms, and here at year end, many are listening to what Pew is reporting regarding Americans’ take on the foreclosure crisis and people not paying their mortgages. What has Pew discovered? In answers to a Pew survey, thirty-six percent (36%) of Americans said [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | December 20, 2011
The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeals just issued an opinion that is a very big deal for Florida homeowners everywhere – but especially those who are facing foreclosure as well as those with underwater mortgages who are wondering what their future holds. In Robert McLean v. J.P. Morgan Chase, as Trustee, Florida’s homeowners won [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | December 15, 2011
Florida home owners – especially those in trouble on their home loans and considering foreclosure, short sale, or what to do about their underwater mortgage – need to know the difference between some of the documents that they signed long ago when they bought their home. Note, Mortgage, Deed of Trust: what are they, what [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | December 13, 2011
Florida may be known as a tourist mecca, what with Miami’s metropolitan nightlife and Orlando’s Disney World, but the truth is that Florida is made up of lots and lots of families who love their Sunshine State. We’re proud of our roots and there’s no time like the Holiday Season for families all over Florida [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | December 1, 2011
Go down to any real estate records office anywhere in Florida, and get ready for a history lesson. Florida land ownership goes back to the days of Spanish land grants – and because land ownership has always been so important to people, there have always been careful records kept of who owns what tract of [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | November 29, 2011
Appraisal fraud is a big, big problem both in Florida and across the country. Now, it may be that this hole in the dam that is ForeclosureFraud may start to get fixed — there seems to be some movement towards fixing appraisal fraud and appraiser negligence. Appraisal Fraud Insurance Coverage Announced – For Lenders and [...]
Larry Tolchinsky | November 17, 2011
There are growing media reports that the FHA is in big financial trouble. Is this true? What does this mean for South Florida – particularly Florida homeowners or those facing foreclosure problems in the Miami area? We’ve all heard about the FHA, but what is it? FHA stands for the Federal Housing Administration, and it [...]
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