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Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Banks Drop Hundreds of Foreclosures in Southwest Florida

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According to local attorneys and court records, banks in recent weeks have dropped hundreds of Southwest Florida foreclosure lawsuits in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. Opinions vary sharply on whether this means banks are taking a breather before re-filing with stronger evidence, or just giving up for good on hopelessly flawed cases.

The exact amount of foreclosures being dismissed have not been calculated, but eight voluntary dismissals were filed last Tuesday alone by seven different banks including Bank of America, one of the largest filers of foreclosures in the area. Most of the mortgages in dispute were sold to Wall Street and sold in bundles to investors as mortgage-backed securities. However, so many mistakes were made in the process it’s unlikely the banks can win those cases.

This recent wave of voluntary dismissals may be a result of a Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling on January 7th upholding a judge’s decision two foreclosures were invalid because the banks didn’t prove they owned the mortgages, which were said to be improperly transferred into two mortgage-backed trusts.

To read more on this story, please visit:
http://www.news-press.com/article/20110119/RE/101190387/1076/Banks-drop-foreclosures-in-Southwest-Florida

Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

5 Rising Costs to Watch Out for in 2011 as You Plan Your Budget

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Budgeting: It is a word that is on everyone’s mind this year from federal and state government officials to individual households. Consumer confidence is at an extreme low during this economic recession as individuals attempt to get control of their finances, save money and reduce debt or even looking for ways to avoid filing for bankruptcy.  “Consumers are not throwing caution to the wind since there are tremendous headwinds, such as a high and persistent unemployment rate, a poor housing market, tight credit conditions, and increasing energy costs,” explained one economist with IHS Global Insight.  Although experts assure us that inflation is definitely under control, there are a few costs that will continue to rise in 2011 that will have a large affect on individuals. Five individual increases rise to the top of the list of everyday goods and services:

Food is one of the most essential needs in a household, but in 2009, the cost of groceries went up approximately 1.5 percent and is not expected to slow down. Major food producers have even begun raising food prices after dropping several discount options. Not only have food producers raised their prices, but 60 percent of restaurants surveyed by Nation’s Restaurant News said customers should expect a cost increase next time they visit.

You may have already noticed that it is getting more expensive to fill your car once again after the cost of gas seemed to waiver around a somewhat fixed point for a while. According to the Consumer Price Index, the overall cost of energy had already risen by 7.7 percent by the close of the year.

Citizens of every state should expect a change in taxes as state and government officials look to get their own budgets under control. One of the quickest ways is to increase taxes on products like cigarettes or even bottled water.
Major television and telephone service providers like AT&T are reportedly expecting to raise their monthly premiums.

And lastly, banks have had to restructure their business models as government regulations have forced them to find new ways to generate income. Several banks have already begun to consider raising fees associated with ATMs or checking accounts.

Source: The Wall Street Journal “The 7 things you’re paying more for than you think” Jennifer Waters 1/19/11

If you have any questions on this topic or are in need of a financial fresh start, please contact our experienced team of bankruptcy and foreclosure defense attorneys at (305) 285-9100. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

State Details Foreclosure Chaos – “Unfair, Deceptive and Unconscionable Acts in Foreclosure Cases”

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The state attorney general’s office recently gave a 98-page presentation detailing Florida’s foreclosure chaos at a conference for the Florida Association of Court Clerks and Comptrollers. The presentation included copies of allegedly forged signatures, false notarizations and witnesses. It also focused largely on assignments of mortgage, documents that transfer ownership of mortgages from one bank to another. One example in the presentation, noted a signature by someone named Linda Green and was said to appear on hundreds of thousands of mortgage documents from dozens of banks and mortgage companies, but in varying styles.

The presentation entitled, “Unfair, Deceptive and Unconscionable Acts in Foreclosure Cases,” stands as one of the first examples of what the state has compiled in its exploration of foreclosure malpractice, holding banks, mortgage servicers and law firms accountable for contributing to the foreclosure crisis by cutting corners.

To read more on this story, please visit:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/real-estate/state-details-foreclosure-chaos-1164504.html

If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Studies Show Older Unemployed Workers Still Suffering

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Out of all of the demographic groups suffering from the current economic conditions, numbers conclude that older workers may have the toughest time adapting. Seniors have been hit the hardest by the recession, due largely to their skills being outdated and their age working against them, resulting in long term unemployment.

According to AARP, people over 55 who had lost their jobs saw their average duration of unemployment fall to 42.8 weeks in December, from 44.9 in November. Employers are often hesitant to hire applicants who have been out of work for more than a year because of stigma about unemployment. About 55.5% of all job seekers over 55 have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, says AARP. That’s compared with 42.4% of job seekers 55 and under.
Joblessness for older Americans could put a strain on already stressed social systems. The long-term unemployed run out of jobless benefits after 99 weeks. After that, many workers dip into retirement funds. Others apply for disability. Some apply to receive Social Security benefits early. Many seniors are left wondering, “What am I going to do the rest of my life?”

To read more on this story, please visit:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/01/older-workers-recession.html

If you have any questions on this topic or are in need of a financial fresh start, please contact our experienced team of bankruptcy attorneys at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Fannie Mae Introduces New Florida Foreclosure Prevention Program

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By the time many people consider alternatives to foreclosure, the lender has already begun the foreclosure process. Options like negotiating with the lender become nearly impossible because the foreclosure process is completed before those negotiations have time to produce results.

This is why Fannie Mae has introduced a new program in Florida. The initiative is designed to give homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments the opportunity to negotiate a lower monthly payment before the foreclosure process begins. While this program should not take the place of working with a bankruptcy attorney to make the best decisions, it may help people stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure.

Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Debt Relief Companies Bending the New FTC Rules

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Debt settlement companies do not have the best reputations. Horror stories of consumers paying thousands of dollars while receiving no benefit from these companies run rampant. Still, progress was made in September, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) imposing new regulations on debt relief and consolidation companies. These rules sought to protect vulnerable consumers looking to avoid bankruptcy and relieve their mounting credit card debt.
Essentially, the rules prohibited debt settlement companies from misleading consumers through advertisements that made outlandish claims through telemarketing, such as touting the ability to drastically cut or eliminate debts. Another important rule bans these companies from charging any upfront fees. Therefore, they are unable to collect any money before they have negotiated debts on behalf of the consumers.
If you have any questions on this topic or are in need of a financial fresh start, please contact our experienced team of bankruptcy and foreclosure defense attorneys at (305) 285-9100. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Novice Florida Lawyers Draw Suspicion in Foreclosure Crisis- Know the Importance of Hiring an Experienced Attorney when Facing Foreclosure

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Today, more than 260 attorneys work at four of Florida’s largest foreclosure firms, and 48 percent of them have been practicing law for less than three years, according to Florida Bar records. With the recent allegations pertaining to forged foreclosure documents, fraudulent notarizations and questionable affidavits submitted in tens of thousands of foreclosure cases, these novice lawyers are now under a cloud of suspicion. Some may face Florida Bar investigations that could end their careers, while homeowner advocates wonder whether the foreclosure crisis would have reached its state of disorder if it weren’t for legions of novice lawyers doing the legwork.
As Florida’s overwhelmed court system sorts through the foreclosure chaos, many of the attorneys who worked for the now deposed Stern law firm and others like it have been hired at other large companies doing foreclosure work in the state. In sworn statements taken by the state attorney general’s office, two former Stern employees — a paralegal and a legal assistant — attest to wrongdoing at the firm that included hiding problem files from federal auditors, forging signatures and making up documents as staff struggled to keep up with a mounting volume of foreclosures. Lack of experience could have led young lawyers to follow their employer’s lead, unaware they may be committing an offense.
Hiring an experienced foreclosure attorney is an invaluable asset for those in danger of losing their homes. The skills, knowledge and experience the attorneys at Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. possess go toward helping clients get the results they are seeking. Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives.
To read more on this story, please visit:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-foreclosure-novice-lawyers 20101227,0,2092736.story?page=1
If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Florida Foreclosures Drop 42 Percent

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The State of Florida experienced a 42 percent drop in foreclosure activity for the month of November. As promising as this might sound, the decrease was expected and does not signal an improvement for the housing market. Rather, the plummet is attributed to the cessation of foreclosures by some major banks after allegations of robo-signing.
However, according to a RealtyTrac report from last week, an expected seasonal dip also contributed to the decrease. However, this dip is temporary, and the foreclosure numbers are expected to rise for the first quarter of 2011. Still, the robo-signing controversy played the most substantial role in the foreclosure decrease.
Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

The Federal Reserve Proposes to Eliminate the Primary Protection Homeowners currently have to Avoid Foreclosure and Abusive Home Loans

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As Americans continue to lose their homes in what’s been referred to as the worst foreclosure crisis since the Great Depression, the Federal Reserve has come up with a proposal making it even more difficult for homeowners to keep their homes and escape predatory home loans. The Fed’s propose to amend the Truth in Lending Act, a 42-year-old provision that since 1968, has given homeowners the right to cancel, or rescind, illegal loans for up to three years.
Attorneys at AARP have used the rescission clause for decades to protect older homeowners stuck in predatory loans with costly terms. In recent years, the Truth in Lending Act has helped struggling homeowners fight a wave of foreclosure cases in which faulty and sometimes-fraudulent disclosures were used. This provision has also been an effective tool in making sure creditors follow the rules and are transparent about the true cost of loans.
Dozens of groups have opposed the new measure, including the National Consumer Law Center, the NAACP and the Service Employees International Union, saying the proposal is “bad medicine at the wrong time.”
To read more about this story and learn more about the proposed changes, please visit:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/05/1958249/fed-wants-to-strip-a-key-protection.html
Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Foreclosures, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Top Lenders Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Bank of America Stop Foreclosure Evictions during the Holidays

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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced that they will halt foreclosure evictions December 20-January 3. For Fannie Mae, the move will not include a stop on court proceedings involving foreclosures, but will at least allow people to stay in their homes through the holidays. Bank of America and Freddie Mac have offered the same courtesy, allowing a greater measure of certainty to families this holiday season.
To read more about this story, please visit:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/02/1953426/top-lenders-to-stop-foreclosure.html
Foreclosure defense attorney, Timothy Kingcade has helped many facing foreclosure alleviate their stress by letting them stay in their homes for at least another year, allowing them to re-organize their lives. If you have any questions on the topic of foreclosure please feel free to contact me at (305) 285-9100. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.