SJC puts foreclosure sales in doubt
October 18, 2011 by Jack Collie · Leave a Comment
The state’s highest court added further turmoil to the housing market yesterday when it ruled that buyers of some foreclosed homes may not be the legal owners of those properties.
The decision leaves in limbo hundreds, if not thousands, of people who bought homes seized by lenders under questionable circumstances. They are left with no easy recourse; among their options are to sue the lender behind the botched foreclosure or “reforeclose’’ on the prior owner.
“It leaves us nowhere,’’ said Edward M. Bloom, president of the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts. “The resident
Pumpkin Patch in Downtown San Diego?
October 12, 2011 by Jack Collie · Leave a Comment
So you thought there was no way you’d be able to see a pumpkin patch with all the “trimmings” in the Downtown San Diego area? Think again. Just venture the 2 miles or so from East Village up to West Laurel St. and Sixth Ave. to Bankers Hill where you’ll find “PB Pumpkins”, a family owned and operated business that formerly only specialized in Christmas trees. Now, they offer pumpkins, gourds, squash and indian corn and you can order your pumpkin to be delivered! in addition, there’s pumpkin carving, carniavl games, a Kid Fun Zone, face painting and a giant slide among other things. they even offer kids’ parties and other events, so check them out.Monday-Friday 11-7pm and Sat./Sun. 9-7pm.
Foreclosure Lawsuits Soar
September 26, 2011 by Jack Collie · Leave a Comment
Litigation over the foreclosure process reached its highest level in the second quarter than in any quarter since MortgageDaily.com’s Mortgage Litigation Index was introduced in 2007.
The Second Quarter 2011 Mortgage Litigation Index came in at 190 total cases. Activity grew 26 percent from the prior quarter and was well more than double the level a year earlier.
The report, which reflects mortgage-related legal actions covered by MortgageDaily.com between April 1 and June 30, was prepared in conjunction with Patton Boggs LLP.
There were more cases related to foreclosures than any other category. Forec
Vanished grandeur of Twin Cities mansions
September 21, 2011 by Jack Collie · Leave a Comment
Long-ago mansions – and the titans who built them – are brought back to life in a new book by historian/novelist Larry Millett.
Author Larry Millett in St. Paul’s Lowertown. Today it’s a nondescript commercial area. But in the 19th century, it was the Lafayette Park mansion district, where banker Horace Thompson built his Italianate villa.
There’s nothing gracious or elegant about the busy Lowertown intersection where Larry Millett stands marooned on a concrete traffic median. Car
Lake Worth takes first step toward $60 home assessment to pay for firefighter pensions
August 27, 2011 by Jack Collie · Leave a Comment
Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday, with Commissioner Scott Maxwell dissenting, to take the first step in levying a fire assessment for the budget year that begins Oct. 1.
As proposed, the city’s annual fire assessment would be $60 per residential unit, 13 cents per square foot for commercial buildings, 2 cents per square foot for industrial or warehouse buildings and 9 cents per square foot for institutional buildings.
Notices showing the amount owed will be mailed to each affected property owner on Sept. 1. A public hearing on the assessment is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at city hall. The commission is expected to vote on the fire assessment following the public hearing.