Twenty years ago, Shirley Grimes wished for a home that "no one could take away from her." ...more

December 10, 2009

State Sen. Michael Fasano is taking Pinellas County to task for failing to implement a program he shepherded through the Legislature. County officials should continue to take their time. ...more

November 14, 2009

State Sen. Mike Fasano is upset that Pinellas County has yet to implement a program to help first-time homebuyers with down payments. ...more

November 13, 2009

Can you hear it? That's opportunity knocking for K. Hovnanian home buyers. ...more

March 29, 2009

The Highlands County commissioners depend on advice from volunteers serving on 16 appointed committees and commissions. ...more

March 1, 2009

The proverbial "silver lining" to the drop in home prices is that the Highlands County Housing Department has been helping more low- and median-income families become homeowners. ...more

December 27, 2008

During these uncertain economic times, Lennar continually is striving to help people acquire their own homes, a key piece of the American dream, according to Mark Metheny, division president. ...more

October 19, 2008

"Even though the market is sluggish, you can still build an affordable new home if you own property and have equity in it," says Ivy Norwood, marketing executive for the family-owned company which has been building homes in the Tampa Bay area since 1955. ...more

September 7, 2008

Dear Edith: Awhile back you had someone ask you about reverse mortgages. I lost the article; therefore, would you please let me know how to attempt the process of getting a reverse mortgage. I will be 62 on December 26 of this year. Does your credit standing have to be excellent or will a person with fair credit be acceptable? Also, right now I have a payment agreement with my mortgage company until a year from July. ...more

July 13, 2008

SEBRING — An old approach to avoiding foreclosure is finding new life in Florida's depressed real estate market. When a homeowner can't repay the loan, banks will sometimes accept a "short sale." That is, the mortgage holder will allow a real estate agent to sell the property for less than the balance of the note, and the remainder is forgiven by the bank. "This is becoming more and more popular due to the rate of foreclosure," said Jenifer McMullian, a real estate sales agent with C.S. Edwards Realty Inc. Grace Bloodwell, who writes for HowToDoThings.com, suggested asking a real estate agent to confirm the value of the property with a comparative market analysis. Then total the cost of selling the property, which may include mortgage payments, legal fees and closing costs. Subtract that against the expected sale price. If it doesn't equal the total of all loans against the property, consider a short sale. ...more

October 27, 2007