07/04/2008 10:47 PM

Richard White: Members will have to pay extra for losses

Q: What happens to a condominium association when they are no longer able to sustain themselves? Are unit owners required to bare full burden of non-compliant owners? Can the board members and/or management companies be held personally liable for mismanagement under Florida law? — J.M., Naples

07/04/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: July 3, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

07/03/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: July 2, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

07/02/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: July 1, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

07/01/2008 10:12 PM

Life in Bonita: Tell me about your mortgage crisis experience

A few readers have asked me to write about how to help them with their crappy mortgage deals by telling them how to mend or fix their unpleasant predicaments.

07/01/2008 10:08 PM

Collier, Lee foreclosures continue to soar

Once again records were broken in June in Lee and Collier counties but not of the good kind. In Collier, new foreclosure filings jumped to an all-time high of 716. In the first six months of this year, there were 3,827 filings. That’s more than the 3,266 for all of last year.

07/01/2008 09:52 PM

Collier’s property values dipped lower than expected last month

Attribute it to an ailing economy or a formerly inflated real estate market, but Collier County’s property value dipped a little lower than originally anticipated a month ago. It is not all bad news: Declines in value likely mean lower taxes for property owners.

07/01/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: June 30, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

06/30/2008 08:35 PM

Housing crunch thins real estate agent ranks

The first half of this decade was a seller’s market, a cash cow, one of those sure bet investments that sounded too good to be true. Lots of folks were trading in their old jobs for Realtor’s jackets. It wasn’t a bad idea at the time: Money was everywhere in the market and ripe for the taking.

06/28/2008 07:00 PM

Richard White: Accurate purchasing records key to accountability

What are your recommendations regarding whether an association should use a requisition form to provide a paper trail for expenditures for supplies? Currently our maintenance men make purchases at the local hardware store or wherever and the receipt is given to the management company, then it goes into a monthly folder. The expenditure shows up in the financials as general maintenance. There is no way of knowing what the purchases were made for. Do you recommend a requisition form with vendor name, description of items and justification for purchase be used, and the receipt attached? Should it be reviewed, either before or after purchases are made, to keep honest people honest?

06/28/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: June 27, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

06/27/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: June 26, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

06/26/2008 03:25 PM

Marco, Lee see increase in home sales

Home sales and prices in Southwest Florida are on the rise, according to reports released Thursday by the Florida Association of Realtors. Marco Island saw one of the largest increases of sales for single-family existing homes in May with 63 homes sold compared to 45 in April. The 66 percent jump from May 2007 (38) to May 2008 (63) was the largest in the state this past month.

06/26/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: June 25, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

06/25/2008 10:09 AM

Sales of new homes remain in downward spiral

Sales of new homes tumbled for the sixth time in seven months while median prices kept plunging, underscoring the depth of the nation's housing woes.

06/25/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: June 24, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

06/24/2008 08:45 PM

Life in Bonita: Pinball wizard shows keys to selling

A good many of us have played a pinball machine. A friend of mine, “Big Al,” restores and maintains them as a hobby. He has a brilliant mind that can disassemble anything and reassemble it in better-than-new condition. Most importantly, he knows what they are worth.

06/24/2008 06:00 AM

Collier Real Estate Transactions: June 23, 2008

Recent deed transactions from the Collier County Clerk of Courts office.

06/23/2008 09:02 PM

Collier leaders hold property tax rate steady

There might be tax increases for some, even though Collier County commissioners want to hold the property tax rate at its current level. That is the story that should have come out of the end of Collier County’s two-day budget workshop last week.

06/22/2008 06:21 PM

Condo law change gives emergency power to directors

Some lobbyists and organizations are publicly touting their efforts to improve condominium law in the past legislative session, placing more power in the hands of condo leaders. As they do, other activists are seeking out condo owners to tell them what the new rules mean.