Community
Important Update for all DBPR Licensees
There has been an important change to Ch. 455, F.S. that you need to be aware of if you are licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. This includes all real estate, appraisal, CAM, and state contractor licensees.
Please read the DBPR announcement below carefully. If you have any questions, please contact the DBPR directly at 850-487-1395.
<strong>New Reporting Requirement for Criminal Convictions</strong>
During the 2009 Legislative Session, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 425, which became law on October 1, 2009. Beginning October 1, 2009, Chapter 455.227(1)(t)requires all licensees to report to the department within <strong>30 days </strong>of being convicted or found guilty of, or having plead nolo contendere or guilty to a crime in any jurisdiction. This law also requires that any conviction prior to October 1, 2009 be reported by November 1, 2009. A licensee who fails to report that information, may be subject to disciplinary action, including fines, suspension or license revocation. To report this information, complete the <a href=”http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/documents/criminal_self-reporting_document.pdf”>criminal self-reporting document </a>and mail to the department as provided on the form.
There are two parts to this change that licensees need to be aware of: 1) In most cases the law previously required the reporting of felony convictions only, not misdemeanors. The law now requires the reporting of misdemeanors. 2) The law change now requires retroactive reporting for any crime that was not previously reported to the state, whether it occurred prior to getting a license, or after the license was obtained.
Q & A on New Housing Tax Credit
The National Association of Home Builders posted an excellent Question and Answer piece yesterday that explains all the details of the new housing tax credit. Your buyers will appreciate receiving this link from you: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/.
Be sure to take a few minutes to read the new opportunities for an expanded group of eligible buyers. In order to receive the credit, Buyers must have signed a contract by April 30, 2010 and they must close by June 30, 2010.
With our inventories shrinking daily, time is of the essence. Buyers will have fewer and fewer properties from which to choose over the months ahead, so encourage your friends and customers to start their home search today.
8 Charged in Real Estate Fraud
In the past two weeks, federal prosecutors have charged at least eight real estate professionals with some type of mortgage fraud in Duval and St. Johns counties.
One already has pleaded guilty and another is scheduled to Monday. U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton said there are dozens more people under investigation who he expects to be indicted in the coming weeks.
Through a spearheaded effort of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office dubbed, “Mortgage Fraud Surge,” investigations that typically take years have been accelerated to 10 months in Jacksonville, Orlando and the Gulf Coast.
Real estate is so important to the economy of Florida. Unfortunately it’s earned the moniker ‘Ponzi state,’” Albritton said. He said fraud was pervasive in Florida’s real estate boom but wasn’t really discovered until the bottom fell out.
Those charged the past two weeks include:
• Sharon Keller Baker, office manager of a Jacksonville title services company.
• Joseph Cirlot, a former mortgage broker in St. Johns County.
• Jennifer Rosemarie Genus of Jacksonville, employee of an unnamed company that sold property.
• Donna Nelson Gurlides, a Jacksonville real estate agent.
• Timothy Lee Miller of Jacksonville, a production manager for a mortgage company.
• Christopher Reid, a St. Johns County mortgage broker.
• Barry Westergom, a Jacksonville appraiser who pleaded guilty Oct. 8.
• Winslow Ballenger Wheeler, a St. Johns County mortgage broker.
The number of defendants could be higher because other indictments may have been sealed pending arrest. Read more
Florida Realtors lag other states regarding $8K tax credit: Email your Congressman today
NAR says Florida Realtors’ response to their call-to-action to extend the $8K buyer tax credit has lagged other states. Please email your Congressman today and let them know it’s vital to a full market recovery. Click here for NAR’s CAll To Action.
Key Biscayne’s WinterFest
It’s not too early to be thinking of Santa! The Holidays will be here before we know it. Here in Key Biscayne, we mark the coming of Santa at our WinterFest Event.
The Village of Key Biscayne will be celebrating it’s 11th WinterFest and Winterfest Eve. WinterFest Eve will be held on Saturday, December 5th and WinterFest will be held on Sunday, December 6th, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm with Santa arriving at 4:45pm in a festive horse drawn carriage.
Winterfest 2009 will have old favorites such as the rock climbing wall, two horse and buggies, slides, clowns, entertainment, food, and photos with Santa. The Mayor will light the 42 foot Christmas tree at sundown. Local restaurants will have delicious foods to sell.
The WinterFest committee is looking for Sponsors to support WinterFest 2009. Some of the benefits of sponsorship are: Your name listed on posters in store fronts around the Village, on the Event Programs, on Village TV Station Channel 77, in the Islander News and “On Stage” recognition during the Event by the MC.
As a Board of Director Member, I am more than happy to be a part of this event which makes Key Biscayne such a wonderful place to live. For more information, please email me at galegomendez.v@ewm.com
Foreclosed Homes Offer Great Buying Opportunities for your Buyer
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program is a federal effort designed to make foreclosures affordable for many buyers. Grants up to $50,000 can be awarded to assist your buyer in acquiring one of these homes. As with any government program, you and your buyer need to do your due diligence and find out how to receive these funds. Your persistence can really pay-off!
http://www.miamidade.gov/ced/Neighborhood_Stabilization_Program.asp
If you are currently searching for foreclosures with your buyer in a specific area, you can determine if the property/area is eligible for these funds. Check out this site courtesy of miamidade.gov:
http://gisims2.miamidade.gov/nspapp/NSPApp.aspx
Foreclosures currently represent just 4% of our over-all inventory in Miami-Dade. With a back-log of cases in the court system, we will probably see an increase of available foreclosures by the end of the year. Be ready, those buyers who work through the process now will soon have more homes from which to choose.
Wine and Dine on Las Olas for a good cause!
Who doesn’t like to wine and dine? Of course we all do, but with our purse strings tight right now, killing two birds with one stone is key when it comes to having fun and spending your hard earned dosh.
Well, wining and dining for a cause is a great way to kill the bird and what better a location that glorious Las Olas Blvd!
teal BISTRO AMERICAN at 1103 East Las Olas on Thursday, October 22nd starting at 6.30pm will be the first to host a Wine Dinner Fund Raiser for the Las Olas Street Beautification. Purvin Pujara is excited to host the first dinner and give back to Las Olas Blvd and the community. He is thrilled that Winemaker Anthony Bell will be on site to preside over five course dinner and pair it off with exquisite wines.
The mouthwatering menu prepared by teal BISTRO AMERICANA Executive Chef Christian Clausen includes: Pass Around’s of mini baked citrus crab cake, prosciutto with gorgonzola, arugula, currants and pine nuts and asparagus and wild mushroom tarts complimented with Bell 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County. First course is smoked Rainbow Trout with fingerling potatoes, watercress and tarragon vinaigrette along wit Bell 2007 Chardonnay, Napa Valley. Second Course; crispy Sweetbreads with hand-cut pappardella, Oyster Mushrooms, caramelized onions, in a Brandy Creole Mustard Sauce, paired with Bell 2005 Merlot, Napa Valley. Are you salivating yet? Followed by a main course (yes more); Cabernet braised boneless short rib with parsnip, carrot puree, pea shoots and Cabernet reduction and Bell 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley and for the Finale a Concord grape and goat cheese cheesecake with Bell 2006 Syrah, Sierra Foothills. Voila! Doesn’t that sound simply delectable?
The proceeds of these dinners will be earmarked to complete the funding for a new median East of Himmarshee Canal. Much of the money has already been raised through a grant from the city and support of several businesses on both sides of the canal and with the hard work of the Las Olas Association.
So do good for the neighborhood and your tummy. For reservations call Tom Hillan @ 954-712-8933. Cost $125 pp excluding tax and gratuities.
Key Biscayne’s Halloween Festival
For the past 11 years, the Key Biscayne Community Church Day School celebrates the Halloween Festival. This is one of the few events on the Island which promotes this Holiday to children of all ages.
For the first time, the Halloween Festival will be at our park in the Village Green, as opposed to the school grounds. This was due to the need to accomodate to our expanding and growing community. We are encouraging children from our surrounding communities to attend as well.
The Festival will take place on Saturday, October 24th, from 3:00pm – 8:00pm. This is the Saturday before Halloween. Most of you know that we have our Haunted House on Halloween night, (right acrossfrom the Rec Center) so we didn’t want to interfere with that event. If you have never attended our Halloween Haunted House, it’s a must see, especially for the older kids.
The Halloween Fest will have rides for children of all ages, not only for the little ones. There will be carnival -type food vendors as well as food from our local restaurants. Children can come in costumes if they like. There will also be music for your enjoyment.
Bracelets will be pre-sold at the Key Biscayne Community Church Day School located at 355 Glenridge Road. They are $25.00 for unlimited rides. We will sell them for $30.00 the day of the event.
All proceeds from this fabulous Halloween Fest will go towards the Early Literacy Program at the School.
For further information, please email me at galegomendez.v@ewm.com or call the school at (305) 361-7501.
Key Biscayne’s Pumpkin Patch
It’s that time of year again when the Key Biscayne Community Church Day School grounds are filled with beautiful looking pumpkins. There will be hundreds to choose from. There will be mini ones as well as huge ones, whatever suits your taste.
The pumpkins arrive on Wednesday, October 14th at 11:30am. We will set up at the school located at 355 Glenridge Rd at 10:30am. We need volunteers to unload the pumpkins. We already have school and church personnel, school parents and our own Key Biscayne Police and Fire dept volunteers to help in the unloading of hundreds of pumpkins. The pumpkin sale will start on October 14th and last until Halloween, October 31st.
The Key Biscayne Community Church Day School has been selling pumpkins for the past 10 years. They come from North Carolina and quite frankly are the best pumpkins I’ve seen. They will also sell carving kits and other vegetables. Proceeds from the pumpkin sale will be donated to the school to promote the early literacy programs. Prices vary from $1.00 up, depending on pumpkin size.
For more information, please email me at galegomendez.v@ewm.com or call the school at (305) 361-7501.
Fannie Mae First Look Initiative-Great News for Homebuyers
Did you know about the Fannie Mae First Look Initiative?
I didn’t until about 5 minutes ago…But now that I do, I want to share…
I just got off the phone with Fannie Mae to inquire if there was any new Fannie Mae regulations that set preferences over Home Buyer Occupants as opposed to Investors when purchasing Fannie Mae Bank Owned properties…
And there is, and this is the deal:
First Look Initiative says that all Fannie Mae Bank Owned Properties new to the MLS (multiple listing service) can only accept Owner Occupant Offers for the first 15 days. After the property has been listed for 15 days then Fannie Mae will consider investor offers.
That’s great news for home buyers getting a head start in the race for great properties and deals!!!
And great news for the neighborhood!
Investors will still have a chance to great deals, they will just have to exercise a little patience and give the regular peeps a chance 
