Real Estate News – March 25, 2012




Attorneys for the family of an unarmed Florida teen shot to death last month plan to pursue a civil case against a homeowner’s association, the family’s lawyer said Saturday (via cnn.com): http://bit.ly/GVPnnA


A federal judge has ruled in favor of Oakland County in the first lawsuit in the nation filed to recover millions in unpaid real estate transfer taxes from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (via detroitnews.com): http://bit.ly/GYUzX3


Federal securities regulators are asking a federal court to order Wells Fargo & Co. to turn over documents in an investigation of the bank’s sale of $60 billion in mortgage-backed securities (via WashingtonPost.com): http://wapo.st/GOUOq0


The battered U.S. housing market looks to be on the mend as buyers make a tentative return and house prices stabilize (via Reuters.com): http://reut.rs/GT6raY


Bank of America has launched a pilot program that will let some homeowners at risk of foreclosure become renters and stay in their homes (via BusinessWeek.com): http://buswk.co/GLY4ys


Looking for real estate bargains? Consider golf courses. Investors from Donald Trump to luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers are wagering there’s money to be made buying them (via BusinessWeek.com): http://buswk.co/GHfpy0


Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reportedly are in talks with their regulator to allow principal write-downs in order to minimize losses and prevent foreclosures (via REALTORMag): http://bit.ly/GRXQH6


The U.S. Supreme Court handed private property owners a victory Wednesday with a decision allowing a couple to appeal an EPA ruling that their property contains a wetlands (via REALTORMag): http://bit.ly/GHzMGy


Steven J. Baum PC, the largest foreclosure law firm in New York until it shut down last year, reached a $4 million settlement with the state over abuses in its legal work (via Bloomberg.com): http://bloom.bg/GHjBHV