Fla. governments facing two property tax cuts
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – June 13, 2008 – Local governments in the midst of writing annual budgets face lower property tax revenues because of a new state constitutional amendment and falling real estate values.
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US foreclosure filings surge 48 percent in May
WASHINGTON (AP) – June 13, 2008 – The number of U.S. homeowners swept up in the housing crisis rose further last month, with foreclosure filings up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier, a foreclosure listing company said Friday.
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Rates on 30-year mortgages jump
WASHINGTON – June 13, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages jumped to the highest level in nearly eight months, reflecting increased concerns about what the Federal Reserve might do to battle inflation.
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UF offers nation’s first master’s degree in environmental and land use law
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – June 13, 2008 – The world currently faces shortages of water, increasing developmental pressures and the threat of climate change. To prepare a new generation of environmental lawyers to meet these challenges, the University of Florida Levin College of Law now offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Environmental and Land Use Law. Although other law schools offer LL.M. degrees in environmental law and related areas, UF’s program is the first to combine environmental and land use law in a one-year, post-juris doctor degree.
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AROUND FLORIDA

MetroWest developer buys Hills of Minneola project in Lake County
By Robert Sargent | Sentinel Staff Writer
MINNEOLA - A prominent South Florida development company with a long list of accomplishments, including MetroWest in Orlando, has agreed to purchase one of Lake County's largest proposed communities: the Hills of Minneola.
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Program Makes Buying Homes Affordable
By WESH Orlando Channel 2
ORLANDO -- A Central Florida housing program places families in homes they can afford, and is smoothing out rough neighborhoods.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Real estate industry players need to accommodate Mac products
My MLS system STILL does not support the Safari browser that the iPhone and Apple computers use. It is such a shame that after registering one request after another, we continue to have a system designed SPECIFICALLY for Internet Explorer Versions 6.0 or greater (which of course Microsoft did not upgrade for Macs – stopping at 5.2). Maybe it’s good (cheap) for them but it’s not so good for the consumer (Realtors). I get the feeling that many of the other MLS systems used around the state are equally challenged.
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Realtor alarmed at the lack of pool care with foreclosed homes
This is my thirtieth year in real estate, and for over 16 years, I called myself “The Foreclosure Queen.” I was Fannie Mae’s primary real estate agent, and handled not only all their properties but many banks and PMI companies as well. I oversaw all the maintenance of these properties – rehabs, pool maintenance and, if not, a cover for the pool. My broker paid all the bills and was reimbursed upon my submission of the bills on a periodic basis.
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Tax sale article needs more details
When the real property is purchased at a Tax Deed auction for the non-payment of real property taxes, the highest bidder does not receive good marketable title. The successful bidder must either acquire a deed from the prior owner or do a Suit to Quiet Title, whereby the neighbors who believe they have been harmed could file a Motion to Intervene to become a part of the suit. If the neighbors spent the monies to consult with an attorney who is familiar with these proceedings, then they would have learned this plus more..
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