Homeowners insurance: four tips to keeping costs down

Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

ST. LOUIS – Dec. 2, 2010 – In today’s economic climate, people want to save money wherever they can. Here are four ways to reduce homeowners insurance rates compiled by HomeownersInsurance.net.

1. Shop around. Some insurance companies have raised house insurance costs to recoup losses from the financial crisis. Others are competing for new customers by offering lower rates. By shopping around, people can find better deals on homeowners insurance.
2. Re-evaluate coverage amounts. Many policies have inflation protection provisions, which automatically increase coverage amounts. This was a good item in the years leading up to the crash, but today they should be looked at more closely.
3. Check personal credit reports. Homeowners insurance companies check credit history before figuring rates, similar to how lenders do. This is done to help them assess the risk of payment and likely individual responsibility.
4. Avoid small claims that can become expensive. Homeowners should have the highest deductible they can comfortably afford and repair minor items out of pocket rather than filing a claim. Filing a claim for every broken window or leaky pipe can increase premiums by 10-15 percent.



Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=250920&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

Consumer Confidence increases again

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

Consumer Confidence increases again


NEW YORK – Nov. 30, 2010 – The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had improved in October, increased even more in November. The Index now stands at 54.1, up from 49.9 in October. The Present Situation Index that measures current attitudes about the economy rose to 24.0 from 23.5. The Expectations Index that measures attitudes about the future increased to 74.2 from 67.5 last month.

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=250810&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

New fed initiatives to help foreclosures

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

New fed initiatives to help foreclosures


WASHINGTON – Nov. 22, 2010 – The Department of Justice’s Access to Justice Initiative and Vice President Joe Biden announced a series of steps on Friday that the government will take to help middle class and low-income families secure their legal rights in a foreclosure. Those steps includes strengthening of foreclosure mediation programs, helping veterans secure the legal help they need, and making it easier for workers to find a qualified attorney when they believe their rights have been violated.
The announcement is the culmination of work between the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Access to Justice Initiative and federal agencies like the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and others.

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=250564&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

Fannie Mae: Hopeful signs emerge in consumer spending and employment

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

Fannie Mae: Hopeful signs emerge in consumer spending and employment


WASHINGTON – Nov. 19, 2010 – Improving financial conditions and recent encouraging signs from the labor market should set the stage for an above-par growth trend by mid 2011, according to the November 2010 Economic Outlook released by Fannie Mae’s Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group.
Despite challenges, including uncertainty on the domestic fiscal policy and international fronts, the report foresees gradual improvement in economic activity moving into 2011. In 2010, the economy showed a slight pickup in growth in the third quarter and consumer spending posted the best showing since the end of 2006.
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=250499&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

NEED HELP ? WHAT IS A SHORT SALE ? OWE TOO MUCH ON YOUR HOME? WHERE DO YOU TURN? WILL THE BANK SETTLE FOR LESS WHEN I SELL?

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844
NEED HELP? OWE TOO MUCH ON YOUR HOME? WHERE DO YOU TURN? WILL THE BANK SETTLE FOR LESS WHEN I SELL? ,
Turn to your local realtor for help. They will guide you where to turn for the help you need. Do you need to sell your house? but you owe more than it is worth at the present time? Trust me your not alone. So many calls that i receive are just that. First you have to decide that selling is your best option, then decide on the right realtor, then price, stage, your house for sale. The realtor says the house is worth 150,000. you owe 200,000 will the bank let you short sale the house for the 150,000 to the next person? Ask your realtor for advise and help, but they should not give any legal advise to you. that is for a real estate attorney only. Many attorneys and title companies can be very helpful in a short sale transaction, from start to finishing the paperwork closing. BE PREPARED AND HAVE A PLAN

A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan. It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the borrower. Both parties consent to the short sale process, because it allows them to avoid foreclosure, which involves hefty fees for the bank and poorer credit report outcomes for the borrowers. This agreement, however, does not necessarily release the borrower from the obligation to pay the remaining balance of the loan, known as the deficiency.
SEE MORE INFO

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_sale_%28real_estate%29

The United States’ investment sales market has the potential for increased fluidity in the year ahead, based on findings from Colliers International’s Q3 2010 Global Investor Sentiment Survey.

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

Global investors poised for activity


SEATTLE – Nov. 9, 2010 – The United States’ investment sales market has the potential for increased fluidity in the year ahead, based on findings from Colliers International’s Q3 2010 Global Investor Sentiment Survey.
More than six out of 10 U.S. real estate investors responding to the survey indicated that they are considering selling property over the next year, up considerably from the 23 percent reported in the Q1 response. Meanwhile, 85 percent of U.S. investors expressed a desire to buy assets domestically during that time, with a focus on primary markets nationwide. The combined forces may position a significantly increased number of U.S. assets to trade over the next 12 months.
In particular, U.S. investors noted markets in California, Texas, New York/New Jersey and Florida, as well as Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Seattle as key targets.
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=250014&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

Owners still see value in real estate

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844


NAR: Owners still see value in real estate


NEW ORLEANS – Nov. 8, 2010 – Homebuyers today have affirmed a long-term view of homeownership, the typical seller is experiencing positive returns and the vast majority of homeowners see their property as a good investment, according to the latest consumer survey of homebuyers and sellers. The study was released during the 2010 Realtors® Conference & Expo.
The 2010 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is the latest in a series of large national NAR surveys evaluating demographics, preferences, marketing and experiences of recent homebuyers and sellers.
Although typical sellers had been in their previous home for eight years, up from seven years in the 2009 study, first-time buyers plan to stay for 10 years and repeat buyers plan to hold their property for 15 years.
NAR 2010 President Vicki Cox Golder says the pattern of buyers taking a long-term view has solidified over the past few years. “This underscores two simple facts – homeownership encourages stability; and the longer you own, the better your investment.”
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=249964&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

Federal Reserve to buy bonds at a rate of 75 billion a month, let's hope China doesn't hold back on buying our bonds?

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844


For immediate release

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in September confirms that the pace of recovery in output and employment continues to be slow. Household spending is increasing gradually, but remains constrained by high unemployment, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. Business spending on equipment and software is rising, though less rapidly than earlier in the year, while investment in nonresidential structures continues to be weak. Employers remain reluctant to add to payrolls. Housing starts continue to be depressed. Longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable, but measures of underlying inflation have trended lower in recent quarters.
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/monetary/20101103a.htm

Hopefully China won't hold back on buying our bonds .This would cause interest rates to rise and put a long term affect on bringing our country back to a healthy nation again. This gives money back to the banks so they can borrow from each other and hopefully loosen up the credit for the big investors such as the banks and big business borrowers. Will this trickle down to the small business owners that create jobs, haven't we done this before and the banks tightened credit and you only got loans if you were clean and green and not on the edge of a loss.So a big business restructures their debt at a lower rate, but tightens up the job creations, and runs with less employees doing more till their debt load is more manageable. It's hard for the person who lost a job wants to get back into home ownership, because of short sale or foreclosure. They are not clean and green anymore, or less than desirable credit and would not qualify for a loan at the lower rate. So if  the gov. insures the loan then the banks are more likely to make the loan, depending on the ability to repay the debt. This seems like we have done this before. What if China holds off buying more of our notes, and interest rates rise and gas , groceries, and other commodities rise, Does this makes sense? I certainly don't know for sure? but let's hope the Fed,banks and others have it right this time. JUST MY OPINION

The National Oil Spill Commission and its Chief Counsel Fred B public hearing on preliminary findings regarding BP’s Macondo well blowout.

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" http://www.rickswift.com/  239-357-1844

Monday, November 8, 2010
The National Oil Spill Commission and its Chief Counsel Fred Bartlit will hold a two-day public hearing on preliminary findings regarding BP’s Macondo well blowout.
Updated Agenda: November 8-9 Hearing
The National Oil Spill Commission and its Chief Counsel Fred Bartlit will hold a two-day public hearing on preliminary findings regarding BP’s Macondo well blowout. The primary focus of the hearing will be on the causes of the rig explosion. An updated version of the agenda follows:
Monday, November 8, 2010 and Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Grand Hyatt Washington
1000 H Street NW, Washington, DC
Live video stream at http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/

(Doors open for media/camera setup at 6:30 a.m. both days)
Day 1
8:00 a.m. On-Site Registration
9:00 a.m. Call to Order
Christopher A. Smith, U.S. Department of Energy, Designated Federal Officer
Opening Remarks by Commission Co-Chairs Senator Bob Graham and William K. Reilly
9:15 a.m. Presentation by Chief Counsel Fred Bartlit
10:45 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Presentation by Chief Counsel Fred Bartlit
12:30 p.m. Lunch Break
1:30 p.m. Panel 1: Panel Discussion with BP, Transocean and Halliburton
Mark Bly, Executive Vice President of Safety & Operational Risk, BP
Bill Ambrose, Director of Special Projects, Transocean
John Gisclair, Insite Support Service Coordinator, Halliburton / Sperry Sun Drilling Service
Richard F. Vargo, Jr., Gulf of Mexico Region Manager—Cementing, Halliburton
3:00 p.m. Break
3:40 p.m. Panel 1 (cont.): Panel Discussion with BP, Transocean and Halliburton
5:45 p.m. Closing Remarks by Commission Co-Chairs Senator Bob Graham and William K. Reilly
6:00 p.m. Meeting Adjourns
Day 2
8:00 a.m. On-Site Registration
9:00 a.m. Call to Order
Christopher A. Smith, U.S. Department of Energy, Designated Federal Officer
Opening Remarks by Commission Co-Chairs Senator Bob Graham and William K. Reilly
9:15 a.m. Panel 2: Experts on Oil Well Drilling and Operations
Dr. E.C. Thomas, Consulting Petrophysicist and Owner, Bayou Petrophysics
Charlie Williams, Chief Scientist, Well Engineering and Production Technology, Shell Energy Resources Inc.
Steve Lewis, Advanced Drilling Technology Implementation Engineer, Seldovia Marine Services
Dr. John Rogers Smith, Associate Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State University
Darryl Bourgoyne, Director, Louisiana State University Petroleum Engineering Research and Technology Transfer Laboratory
10:45 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Panel 2 (cont.): Experts on Oil Well Drilling and Operations
12:30 p.m. Lunch Break
1:30 p.m. Panel 3: Regulation of Offshore Drilling
Dr. Walter Cruickshank, Deputy Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement
2:00 p.m. Panel 4: Plans for Regulation
Michael Bromwich, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. Panel 5: Industry Safety Culture
Marvin Odum, President, Shell Oil Company, and Upstream Americas Director, Royal Dutch Shell
Rex Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ExxonMobil
4:00 p.m. Questions and Wrap-Up with Chief Counsel Fred Bartlit & Senior Science and Engineering Advisor Richard Sears
4:40 p.m. Closing Remarks by Commission Co-Chairs Senator Bob Graham and William K. Reilly
4:45 p.m. Break
5:00 p.m. Public Comment
5:30 p.m. Meeting Adjourns

http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/meeting-5/meeting-details

Posted by Rick Swift at 4:02 AM 0 comments

congrats to Rick Scott

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins" www.rickswift.com 239-357-1844


Rick Scott great start to change let's start the job creations good luck

It's over start your engines and let's get started!! today we start a new direction for our country

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"
http://www.rickswift.com/   239-357-1844

It's over start your engines and let's get started!!!
Today we start a new direction for our country. Hopefully everyone got a wake up call to put the old style of
politics to rest and start thinking how to bring the country together for a common good. We need to work together. An old friend used to say the wheels on the bus go round and round, either your on the bus or your not. Then he used to say the birds of a feather flock together. Let's start by creating jobs, and get people creating business ideas, and to get the flow of money moving again. This would be a start to becoming a healthy nation again. We stood up and were counted in this election, the people do make the difference. This is to all let's give it a real try

Florida’s consumer confidence gets big boost

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"
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Florida’s consumer confidence gets big boost


GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Oct. 27, 2010 – Historically low interest rates, bargains on condominiums and a moratorium on foreclosures likely caused a six-point jump in Florida’s consumer confidence in October to 74, its highest level in six months, according to a new University of Florida (UF) survey.
“Much like the spike in April’s consumer confidence, this increase was not expected,” says Chris McCarty, director of UF’s Survey Research Center in the Bureau of Economic and Business Research. In April, home appliance rebates sparked the increase, he says.
All five of the index components rose in October, with the biggest increase in perceptions about whether it’s a good time to buy big-ticket consumer items, which jumped 10 points to 85.
Perceptions of personal finances now compared with a year ago rose six points to 55, while perceptions of personal finances a year from now rose seven points to 85. Perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next year rose five points to 68, while perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years rose two points to 78.
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=249501&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

New report: Amendment 4 passage would have ‘devastating consequences’

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"
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New report: Amendment 4 passage would have ‘devastating consequences’


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Oct. 21, 2010 – Florida TaxWatch released a new report this morning on the potential outcome of Amendment 4 passage on Nov. 2. According to the report, passage would severely harm the state’s economic recovery, future job creation, and dampen personal income.
The economic impact analysis, "Land Use Planning by Referendum: The Economic Consequences of Amendment 4" – conducted by the Florida Council of Economic Advisors at Florida TaxWatch and a team of researchers from the Haas Center at the University of West Florida – explains the future if Amendment 4 passes, which would require voter approval of all changes to local comprehensive land use plans that cities and counties use as a specific outline for future development.
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=249079&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

What does the foreclosure crisis mean to you?

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"
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By M.P. MCQUEEN, MARY PILON and JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG
Wall Street Journal


For the vast majority of homeowners, new questions about the state of foreclosures appear to be irrelevant. Few people seem to have been wrongly thrown out of their homes, and those who have been are generally months or years behind on their mortgage payments.
But the fallout from the crisis is beginning to be felt in real-estate markets across the country, particularly in places dominated by vacation homes and investment properties. Some of the worst-hit areas could be Western ski towns, because fall is the busiest time of the year for sales.
By the Numbers

27%

Percentage of total home sales in 2009 that were second homes.

30%

Percentage of total mortgage defaults attributable to second-home and investment properties.

4.57%

Percentage of mortgages in some state of the foreclosure process, June 2010.

9.4 Months

The average amount of time from default until foreclosure proceedings begin on a "jumbo" mortgage loan.

.Real-estate salespeople in some of those places are worried. "September and October are usually the height of the selling-season for us," says Rich Armstrong, who owns the brokerage Rare Properties in Jackson Hole, Wyo. "Now we are seeing a number of what we call 'fence sitters,' people who would have leapt in even a month ago, but now are waiting on the sidelines."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303339504575566842307890662.html

Housing most affordable in more than 40 years

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"
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SAN FRANCISCO – Oct. 13, 2010 – Beacon Economics’ new Beacon Economics Home Affordability Index finds that in August homes were at their most affordable level since data became available (1969). Beacon Economics developed the Beacon Economics Home Affordability Index based on the percentage of income an average family would need in order to make mortgage payments on an average priced home.


The August estimate shows the cost of homeownership (mortgage interest plus principal payments after a 20 percent downpayment) falling to 16.9 percent from 17.1 percent in July. Overall, the Beacon Economics Home Affordability Index has remained below 20 percent for the past twenty-one months.

“Home affordability has reached an historic high,” says Beacon Economics Founding Principal Christopher Thornberg. “Nationwide, prices are down approximately 25 percent from their peak, and mortgage financing rates are at all-time lows.” Moreover, the high level of affordability is likely to drive demand and reduce the stock of excess inventory, ultimately resulting in the need for new housing, a rise in prices, and a pickup in new construction, according to Thornberg.



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WASHINGTON – Oct. 15, 2010 – Nearly eight out of 10 respondents believe buying a home is a good financial decision,

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"


NAR: Nearly 8 in 10 Americans think buying a home makes good financial sense


WASHINGTON – Oct. 15, 2010 – Nearly eight out of 10 respondents believe buying a home is a good financial decision, despite ongoing challenges with the economy and housing market. That’s according to the 2010 National Housing Pulse Survey, an annual report released by the National Association of Realtors®.
The survey, which measures how affordable housing issues affect consumers, also found job security concerns to be the highest in eight years of sampling, with 70 percent of Americans saying that job layoffs and unemployment are a big problem in their area; eight in 10 cite these issues as a barrier to homeownership.
“The real issue facing the nation’s economy right now is that many Americans can’t find meaningful work to support their families,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder. “While a job recovery is what’s needed right now to get the economy and housing market back on the right track, owning a home continues to be part of the American Dream and one of the best long-term investments in your future.”
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=248883

Families will suffer if foreclosure freeze continues

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NAR: Families will suffer if foreclosure freeze continues


WASHINGTON – Oct. 13, 2010 – Thousands of first-time and move-up buyers who hoped to make a foreclosed property their new home now face uncertainty, anxiety and possibly remorse as they worry that closing could be in jeopardy.
For many, the dream of homeownership could turn into agony if their home purchase is indefinitely delayed by a moratorium on foreclosures declared by some banks, the National Association of Realtors® said yesterday. The moratoriums are needed, banks say, to review all of the foreclosures in their portfolios to make sure they’re in compliance with the law and that titles are clear.
NAR warned that a prolonged review process would have a damaging impact on many communities and hinder the nation’s economic recovery.
“As the leading advocate for homeownership issues, we understand that many lenders need a time-out to review their actions to ensure that homeowners are not improperly foreclosed on and that the lenders are following regulations and state laws. After that, the foreclosure process must resume quickly to return stability to families, the housing market and the economy,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder.

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=248790&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income (SOI) data, NAHB studied how housing tax deductions benefit different age groups. The analysis found that pro-housing policies benefit younger households most – homeowners who typically have large mortgages, a small amount of equity and growing families.

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"
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Housing tax credits benefit young most


WASHINGTON – Oct. 5, 2010 – New research from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) finds that the benefits of housing-related tax deductions, such as the mortgage interest deduction, generally decline in value as individuals age.
Using Internal Revenue Service Statistics of Income (SOI) data, NAHB studied how housing tax deductions benefit different age groups. The analysis found that pro-housing policies benefit younger households most – homeowners who typically have large mortgages, a small amount of equity and growing families.
“Opponents falsely argue that the (mortgage interest) deduction is only for the wealthy, but it is clear that the mortgage interest deduction is also of great value to younger homeowners,” says Robert Dietz, assistant vice president for Tax and Policy Issues for NAHB. “Any tampering with this deduction would have a disproportionate impact, as a share of household income, on younger homeowners … (and) these are households who have growing demand for homeownership due to marriages and children.”


http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=248374&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

UNBELIEVABLE!!! where does Washington get their numbers from

Cape Coral Century 21 Birchwood Realty Rick Swift Realtor "Where your new home begins"  http://www.rickswift.com/


UNBELIEVABLE!!! where does Washington get their numbers from
taxes in Florida based on 182,400 median home price and taxes only 1773. a year.  sign me up with three quarters of the population to follow I'M homesteaded and it's alot more than 1773 dollars for the taxes  must have got their numbers from 2005 or a political office where's my refund

Fla. property taxes not high, not low


WASHINGTON – Oct. 4, 2010 – Using 2009 U.S. Census data, the nonprofit Tax Foundation created a state-by-state comparison of property taxes using three criteria: median property tax paid, property tax as percentage of a home’s worth, and property tax as a percentage of median income. In all three comparisons, Florida ranked around the middle, New Jersey came in at No. 1 for most expensive, and Louisiana finished at No. 50.
The median property tax paid on a home in Florida was $1,773, which puts the state at No. 23 in the state-by-state comparison. New Jersey ranked No. 1 with the median homeowner paying $6,579; in No. 50, Louisiana, the median homeowner shelled out only $243. The median property tax nationwide was $1,917.
As a percentage of the home’s value, Florida ranked No. 22 based on a median home price of $182,400. New Jersey again ranked No. 1 based on a median price of $348,300, while Louisiana’s median home value was $135,400. The national median home value used for the study was $185,200.

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=248239&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+floridarealtors+%28Florida+Realtors%29

Bank of America says it is delaying foreclosures in 23 states

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WASHINGTON (AP): Bank of America says it is delaying foreclosures in 23 states as it examines whether it rushed the foreclosure process for thousands of homeowners without reading the documents.
Bank of America is not yet able to estimate how many homeowners cases will be affected, a spokesman for the nation's largest bank says.
A bank official acknowledged in a legal proceeding in February that she signed up to 8,000 foreclosure documents a month and typically didn't read them.
The Associated Press obtained the document Friday.
The executive's admission adds the nation's largest bank to a growing list of mortgage companies whose employees signed documents in foreclosure cases without verifying the information in them.