Florida’s Housing Outlook for 2012
Since the beginning of 2012, the weather has been really really good. And now for the bad news.
Florida alleged unemployment rate is 9.9%. I cannot track down a trusted source for this number, and I cannot believe it either. It seems the more people I meet, the more I hear yes I’m still unemployed. It is not uncommon to meet people who have not worked in over a year or more.
Next, state wide our home prices are down again. We can now say that our home values are down 41% since the peak in 2006. We are now into this mess for well over 5 years with no relief in sight and NO PLAN.
As if that weren’t enough, we (Floridians) have now taken the top spot when it comes to the State with the most homes in a negative equity position. I don’t know if the statistic arises for only those homes with mortgages ( I would assume so) or all home (mortgage or no mortgage). Either way this is not one list that we should be at the top of.
And please don’t get me started on the foreclosure mess we have here. Foreclosure filings are on the rise, we have a settlement between the AGs of 49 States and the US Government but no details and some jack-ass in Tallahassee wants to change our entire system of judicial foreclosure to a non judicial foreclosure thereby assuring more people lose their homes illegally. This makes the days of hanging chads look like the good old days.
All in all, even with the bad news, people are looking happier and much more optimistic then they have been lately, and this is truly a good thing. Optimism changes attitudes. People are smiling more. That tells me all is not lost in the Sunshine State. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the recovery (wink- wink) or maybe it’s our leaders in Tallahassee or Washington D.C. (yeah- right) – No it’s definitely the weather.
This post was submitted by Carmen Dellutri, Esq., founder of The Dellutri Law Group, P.A. Currently, the firm has offices in Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Naples. Mr. Dellutri also sits on the Board of American Board of Certification. Mr. Dellutri is also one of the founders of the Bankruptcy Law Network, Debt Law Network, Credit Law Network, and Mortgage Law Network. Mr. Dellutri also writes for the firm's personal injury litigation blog, www.faircreditreportingactblog.com and www.fairdebtcollectionpracticesactblog.com, and the firm's mortgage modification blog.
