HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE – Speaking to a Florida Senate select committee Monday, the head of Allstate Floridian defended its request for insurance increases by pointing to the impact from hurricanes over the past few years. But Sen. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, said he hasn’t “seen so much bobbing and weaving since Muhammad Ali did the rope-a-dope.”
REAL ESTATE TAXES – County property appraisers get requests all the time to have a property value lowered so the owner can save money on taxes, but the passage of Amendment 1 has created a new type of caller – one who wants his property value raised so he has more to port to a new homestead.
FHA – Pres. Bush’s fiscal year 2009 budget seeks $38.5 billion for HUD, which represents a $3.2 billion or nine percent increase over the proposed budget for FY 2008 and $1 billion more than HUD’s current budget. Part of that increase goes toward boosting the FHA program.
FRAUD – Two developers face fraud charges after authorities say their company took $24 million in deposits for Central Florida homes that were never built, leaving about 580 buyers without a home or their $30,000 deposit.