Great news for October 2013….sales of single family homes are up and so is the median price of single family homes as compared to this same time last year!The results tell us that more Buyers may be entering the real estate market due to increased concern that...
Month: July 2015
RLG Bulletin Attorney Update – 2014 HUD changes
On November 20, 2013 our world as Real Estate professionals, Title Agents and Mortgage Brokers understood it completely changed….The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau or (CFPB) published over 1,000 pages which constitute the final rule relative to certain disclosures...
SAR Smart Lunch
A quick recap from Attorney Cynthia Riddell’s presentation at the Sarasota Association of Realtors Smart Lunch Seminar on Wednesday this week.To download the above presentation materials simply click on the links below Doc 1: CFPB Comparison Chart of Ability To Repay...
Buyer and Seller Representation
Do you know that we offer buyer and seller representation in those closing situations where the other party has selected the closing/title agent? For a reasonable fixed fee, we represent the buyer or seller throughout the sale transaction, including contract review,...
Seller Representation
We’ve been doing a lot of seller representation in recent months. For those of you who haven’t utilized this service, the premise is simple: for a flat fee, we represent your sellers during their sale transaction, which includes attending the closing,...
Tax Talk for that “Fuzzy” Time of the Year!
Ad-Valorem vs. Non Ad-Valorem Taxes. Although Sarasota County residents receive one tax bill, it covers ad valorem and non-ad valorem taxes. Ad-valorem taxes, simply put, are for the dirt. Non ad-valorem taxes are for services, like garbage collection, storm water,...
Thoughts on Post-Closing Escrows
Post-closing escrow hold backs are a potential minefield for everyone involved and should be avoided whenever possible. Even the most finely crafted escrow agreement might not cover all the contingencies the parties anticipated, and the collective memory is short. So,...
Don’t Take Chances – Use an Attorney for your Closings
Article 13 of the Code of Ethics says: “Realtors shall not engage in activities that constitute the unauthorized practice of law and shall recommend that legal counsel be obtained when the interest of any party to the transaction requires it.”The rules allow Realtors...
The Next Foreclosure Front
Foreclosures are just one front to this economic war that the country is currently fighting. This first began in late 2006 and early 2007 following the resetting of many sub-prime adjustable mortgages. These mortgages provided a vehicle for many real estate...
Mortgage Modifications in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
The downturn in the economy has caused real estate values to decline. In the wake of this real estate crisis, many loss mitigation alternatives relative to real estate mortgages have emerged. These include mortgage modification programs.You may have heard about the...