Florida RealEstateRama

February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to encourage first-time homebuyers into the market, Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Department has $1 million in funding available to help qualifying households purchase their first home. The funds are available through the County’s First Time Homebuyer (FHTB) Program from State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program Funds. The Program helps low to moderate-income homebuyers with closing costs and down payment assistance. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

ORLANDO, FL - February 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida’s existing home and existing condo sales rose in January, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Existing home sales increased 14 percent last month with a total of 12,151 homes sold statewide compared to 10,702 homes sold in January 2010, according to Florida Realtors. January’s statewide sales of existing condos rose 36 percent compared to the previous year’s sales figure.Seventeen of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing home sales in January; 16 MSAs had higher condo sales.

February 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- HillsboroughCountyhomeowners have until March, 31, 2011, to apply for a Sinkhole Assistance Grant. The Grant is to provide qualified homeowners with financial assistance to recover from the damages of sinkhole impacts from January 2010 through March 2010, and to assist them in the maintenance and support of their families.

ORLANDO, FL - February 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Meet the neighbors and find your Florida dream home at the same time by taking part in Florida Open House Weekend, set for March 26-27, 2011. Realtors will host open houses on behalf of home sellers in neighborhoods and communities across the Sunshine State, giving buyers a rare opportunity to visit many homes for sale in just one weekend. Sponsored by the 115,000-member Florida Realtors®, the 2011 statewide open house plans to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event.“It’s a home shopper’s dream,” says 2011 Florida Realtors® President Patricia Fitzgerald, manager/broker-associate with Illustrated Properties in Hobe Sound and Mariner Sands Country Club in Stuart.

Tampa, FL - February 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Julie Rochman, CEO and president of the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) will be a guest speaker at Engineer News-Records’ Mitigating Disaster Through Design and Construction conference March 2-3 in Washington, D.C

Tampa, FL - February 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the International Code Council (ICC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which will increase the role IBHS building science data plays in the creation of new building codes by the ICC

February 11, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Deadline to submit a Multifamily Rental Housing New Construction and Rehabilitation RFP is Friday, February 25, 2011, no later than 3:00 p.m. A Technical Workshop will be held on February 14, 2011, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. at the Affordable Housing Department, 1208 Tech Blvd, Ste 300, Tampa, FL 33619.

ORLANDO, FL - February 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of existing condominiums in Florida rose 6 percent in fourth quarter 2010 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the latest housing statistics from Florida Realtors®. A total of 17,231 existing condos sold statewide in 4Q 2010; during the same period the year before, a total of 16,229 units changed hands.Thirteen of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported higher existing condo sales in the fourth quarter, according to Florida Realtors. The statewide existing-condo median sales price was $86,400 for the three-month period; in 4Q 2009, it was $105,600 for a decrease of 18 percent. The statewide existing-condo median price in the fourth quarter was nearly 2.9 percent higher than it was in 3Q 2010.

MIAMI, FL - February 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- ST Residential, a world-class asset management company with a $4.5 billion real estate portfolio nationwide, launched its South Florida portfolio at an exclusive event sponsored by Ocean Drive Magazine. The event was held at one of their luxury properties, Mint at Riverfront

ORLANDO, FL - February 1, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Barry Grooms, sales associate, RE/MAX Alliance Group in Bradenton, has been installed as District 13 vice president of Florida Realtors®, the state's largest professional association. Grooms will serve his fellow professionals in District 13, which encompasses Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte counties. He is a member of the Manatee Association of Realtors."I see great opportunities in the international market, as buyers from other countries have confidence in America," says Grooms, who is active in residential and commercial brokerage. "Foreign buyers recognize that now is the time to buy in Florida."

Tampa, FL - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Timothy Reinhold, PhD, senior vice president of research and chief engineer for the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) has been named an Engineering News-Records’ Top 25 Newsmaker for 2010. According to the Engineering News-Record (ENR), top newsmakers are chosen for their innovations and achievements, for giving back to the industry and the public, and for going beyond the duties of their day-to-day jobs. The winners will be honored at a gala in New York City on April 7.

Fort Lauderdale, FL - January 31, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Low rents, free months, flexible terms, every broker and landlord has them these days. But one Broward landlord is thinking out of the box to attract tenants to his office/warehouse buildings in Fort Lauderdale.

EUSTIS, FL - January 27, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Lake And Sumter Emergency Recovery (LASER) is soliciting donations from the community for residents who sustained damage to their homes during the Jan. 25 storm that passed through Lake County.

TAVARES, FL - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Lake County Department of Public Safety would like to remind all County residents about the importance of having a battery-powered, tone-alert NOAA weather radio in their homes for severe weather events.

ORLANDO, FL - January 25, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attention Florida high school seniors: Time is running out for you to win up to $6,000 to help pay for college tuition next year. Better start writing – only a few weeks remain until the Feb. 9, 2011, deadline to enter Florida Realtors® 2010-2011 Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors, which offers a total of $28,000 in scholarship funding.

ORLANDO, FL - January 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of existing homes and condominiums in Florida rose in December, a positive trend also reported at the close of 2010 as statewide sales activity posted gains over the previous year, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtor

ORLANDO, FL - January 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Do you have kids currently in college, or maybe one who is about to graduate high school? Are they interested in a possible real estate-related career? Then find out more about the Student Scholarship Program offered through Florida Realtors® Education Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit corporation established to provide real estate-related educational scholarships and grants. But act fast: The application deadline for this year's program is Feb. 28, 2011.

Tampa, FL - January 12, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- In recognition of the bicentennial of the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) are teaming with state and local partners to bring residents and organizations in the affected region an educational campaign to help reduce their earthquake risk.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - January 10, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced the arrest of mortgage fraud scammer Guillermo Fraginals Parra, 37, of Hialeah, on charges of first degree grand theft. Parra, the 18th individual arrested in this scam, was a real estate appraiser at the time the crimes occurred and was being paid on the side to inflate the value of various condominiums in the Brickell Bay Condo Community

December 30, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- At the Jan. 5, 2011, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Regular meeting, the County will hold a public hearing to amend the 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 Affordable Housing Annual Action Plans. The Action Plans guide the County on how it will spend grant funds received from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in the following grants

December 29, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Hillsborough County homeowners have until March, 31, 2011, to apply for a Sinkhole Assistance Grant. The Grant is to provide qualified homeowners with financial assistance to recover from the damages of sinkhole impacts from January 2010 through March 2010, and to assist them in the maintenance and support of their families

ORLANDO, FL - December 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of existing condominiums in Florida rose 10 percent in September, with a total of 5,675 condos sold statewide compared to 5,140 units sold in September 2009, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A Florida man and two U.K. nationals pleaded guilty Dec.10, 2010, to immigration fraud charges for their roles in a scheme to fraudulently procure visas from the U.S. Embassy in London through a Florida property development company called Royal Development. The guilty pleas were announced today by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill of the Middle District of Florida; Eric J. Boswell, Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security; and Special Agent in Charge Linda J. Osuna of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division.

ORLANDO, FL - December 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Florida high school seniors: Are you filling out college applications and poring over potential scholarship programs? Then make plans to enter the Florida Realtors®' 2010-2011 Scholarship Essay Contest for High School Seniors for a chance to win up to $6,000 in scholarship funding.

TALLAHASSEE, FL - December 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Interagency Mortgage Task Force today hosted a community forum in Kissimmee to discuss the housing crisis. The event was designed to present a comprehensive approach for dealing with housing-related issues and provide information and assistance to consumers. Participating agencies included state agencies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

WASHINGTON, DC - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- A former residential sales manager at a Florida property management company pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with housing repair contracts for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Justice announced today.

Tampa, FL - December 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- With one of the most active Atlantic Hurricane seasons on record now over, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is encouraging home and business owners to use the cooler months ahead to add hurricane-resistant features to their homes and commercial buildings.

Tampa, FL - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- With the 2010 winter season settling upon the U.S., the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is offering guidance on how business and home owners can protect their property from winter weather-related perils.

December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Madame Speaker, I rise today to thank all of my colleagues here in the House, and especially my constituents at home in South Florida.

ORLANDO, FL - November 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Statewide year-to-date existing home sales in Florida showed positive momentum in October: 143,398 single-family existing homes sold for a 7 percent increase over the same period a year ago, though uncertainty over job growth, restrictive credit and foreclosure issues had a dampening effect on housing activity last month, according to industry analysts. The latest housing data released by Florida Realtors® also reported a 33 percent rise in statewide year-to-date condominium sales compared to a year ago, with a total of 59,966 units sold