Immigrants join Americans in losing homes to the bank

By Eduardo A. de Oliveira:

When Honduran housekeeper Ivone Aguilar lost her Nashua home early last year, she did not expect foreclosures to become a national trend, especially one that would hit the Latino community so hard. At the time, Aguilar's schedule at a local hotel was cut back so drastically that she could no longer afford to pay her adjustable monthly rate on her mortgage, so she had no other choice but to give up her home.

In Hillsborough County there are 186 homes in foreclosure – 42 in Nashua alone – according to Foreclosure properties.com.According to a study by the Pew Hispanic Center, 1 in 10 Latinos missed payment last year, and one-third are concerned that, like Aguilar, they may lose their homes.

The Center for Responsible Lending, a national research group, predicts that for the next couple of years Latino homeowners will incur housing losses totaling $98 billion. But immigrant advocates such as the National Council of La Raza point out that minorities aren't to blame for the housing crisis."It's hard to see how we could have realistically expected first-time home buyers to somehow be better predictors of economic risks and system failures," said Janis Bowdler, associate director of Wealth-Building Policy Project of NCLR, during a national conference call last month.Since then, the Obama administration presented its foreclosure properties prevention program, a $75 billion project that will try to identify homeowners who have at-risk loans and offer incentives to banks and lenders to modify their mortgages.

Although the federal offer came in too late to rescue Aguilar, she praised the effort."I have friends and co-workers who might be able to benefit. At least the government is trying to extend a helping hand," she said.To qualify, a monthly mortgage payment should not be more than 38 percent of the borrowers' monthly gross income – which was the case at the beginning of the contract for most immigrant homebuyers up until subprime rates exploded. Read Full Article Here

Back to http://www.realestatelatino.com/

Hispanic Real Estate Firm Fastest Growing Real Estate Brand in US

Casa Latino opened for business in 2005 and is now the fastest growing real estate brand in the US according to Trend Report 2009. Over 15.1% (45.5 million) of the total US population is Hispanic and this group had its largest growth rate in 2007 growing by 3.3%. (Based on May 2007 Census Bureau Report)

Celebration, Florida (PRWEB) March 15, 2009 -- Casa Latino opened for business in 2005 and is now the fastest growing real estate brand in the US according to Trend Report 2009. Over 15.1% (45.5 million) of the total US population is Hispanic and this group had its largest growth rate in 2007 growing by 3.3%. (Based on May 2007 Census Bureau Report)

However, at Casa Latino it's less about the language barrier and more about the cultural barrier and one of the best examples of this thought process is best described by a member of the Casa Latino executive staff, Jorge Casas. Jorge and his family moved to the US from Venezuela and he began working in Orlando, Florida as a realtor.

A few days after he began his new career, a Hispanic family came into the real estate office where he worked and asked for someone who speaks Spanish. Minutes later Jorge appeared to greet the family. He escorted them to his office and began speaking to them about their housing requirements. The head of the family stopped Jorge in the middle of the conversation and said, "Would you mind speaking in English, my Spanish is very broken." The gentleman didn't necessarily need a "Spanish speaking agent" he needed someone who understood his culture and his very specific housing needs.

Casa Latino CEO, Robb Heering, recently joined forces with Joe La Rosa, VP La Rosa Companies and brought the brand to Central Florida. After acquiring the Area Development rights to Central Florida Casa Latino Real Estate Brand, Joe La Rosa formed Casa Latino Global Development, an entity designed to help develop the Central Florida area and bring into focus the South Florida, Tampa and Puerto Rico markets.

In the past, recessions have been the birthplace of many successful businesses and our current economic recession is no different. Within six months of establishing the new Casa Latino Global Development brand, they opened four new real estate offices and are successfully conducting business. No other real estate brand has ever grown quite like Casa Latino. They are currently on track to surpass their projection of over 150 new offices by 2010.

Their growth is attributed to not only attempting to close the "cultural gap" that has been realized by so many in the real estate industry but is also due, in part, to the way the company operates. For example, the brand provides state-of-the-art technology and support for each new office. They create websites, landing pages, technical support, marketing materials, operations support and much more giving this new real estate brand an edge over the competition. An additional welcomed detail to the new franchisee is the low fees required to do business as a Casa Latino Real Estate office.

They are less than most brands because of the unique business model that was established in the beginning. There's also a real sense of the overwhelming social responsibility that resonates through each member of the Casa Latino team. They're dedicated to creating more than just a business; they're creating community partners. "We're a company that cares and desires for each office owner to give back to their community - this is key to everyone's success, the Franchisee, the Franchise and the community", says Joe La Rosa, President Casa Latino Global Development.

Casa Latino has grown quickly, catching the eye of many, most recently the President of the Puerto Rico Senate, Thomas Rivera Schatz. After learning of the Casa Latino Brand and participating in one of the Central Florida office opening events, Mr. Schatz invited the Casa Latino executives to speak to the members of the Senate regarding their company and their expansion into the Puerto Rican market.

If the current coast to coast excitement and positive growth surrounding the Casa Latino brand is any indication of its future success, they will undoubtedly have a solid year of growth in 2009. From their domestic development goals to the future expansion plans into Peru, Costa Rica, Panama and Columbia, the sky is the limit and they are shooting for the stars.

For more information on Casa Latino, visit their website at http://www.casalatino.com/.
Contact: Kristin TaylorVP-MarketingCompany: La Rosa CompaniesPhone: 321-939-1475Email: ktaylor (at) larosadev (dot) comWebsite: http://www.casalatino.com/

Coldwell Banker trains Latino commercial real estate brokers

Jacksonville Business Journal - by Christian Conte Staff Writer

JACKSONVILLE — After franchisees spent five years building Coldwell Banker residential franchises in Latin America, the businesses there are ready to expand into commercial real estate, and they’re getting help from Jacksonville Coldwell Banker agents.
Eleven Coldwell Banker executives from Colombia, Panama and Brazil recently spent three days at a first-of-its-kind training program at the Coldwell Banker Commercial Benchmark Realty headquarters in Jacksonville.

Helping Latin America develop its commercial brokerage will ultimately benefit Florida by sparking business transactions, said Larry Bernaski, a regional manager of international business development at the public-private partnership devoted to statewide economic development, Enterprise Florida Inc. Already Latin America is one of Jacksonville’s biggest trade partners, particularly Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina.

Read full article here!

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Foreclosure Prevention Workshops in Oakland, CA

There is hope for homeowners who are facing foreclosure or in danger to losing their home to foreclosure in Oakland, CA. Community and city leaders are organizing a series of free workshops for homeowners. For more details and to RSVP read below.

Todabia hay experanza para aquellos duenos de casa que estan en peligro de perder sus hogares por una ejecucion hipotecaria en el area de Oakland, CA. Lideres comunitarios y del govierno local estan ofreciendo una serie de seminarios para ayudarles a no perder sus casa. Lean abajo para mas informacion.

Date/Fecha:
04-01-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

04-01-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

04-04-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

04-08-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

04-08-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

04-15-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

04-15-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

04-18-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

04-22-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

04-29-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

05-02-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

05-06-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

05-06-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

05-13-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

05-13-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

05-16-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

05-20-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

05-20-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

05-27-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

06-03-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

06-03-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

06-06-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

06-10-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

06-10-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

06-17-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

06-17-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

06-20-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

06-24-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

07-01-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

07-08-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

07-08-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

07-15-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

07-18-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

07-22-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

07-22-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

07-29-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-01-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-05-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-12-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-12-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

08-15-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-19-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-26-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

08-26-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

09-02-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

09-05-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

09-09-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

09-09-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

09-16-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

09-19-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

09-23-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792


09-23-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

09-30-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-03-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-07-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-14-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-14-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

10-17-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-21-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-28-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

10-28-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

11-04-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

11-07-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

11-11-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

11-11-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

11-18-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792


11-18-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

11-21-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

11-25-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-02-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-02-09
Tikila - The Unity Council - tmcdavid@unitycouncil.org - 510-535-6920

12-05-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-09-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-16-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-19-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-23-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

12-30-09
Debbra Carrigan - NID-HCA - dcarrigan@nidonline.org - 510-268-9792

Questions, www.realestatelatino.com

Florida Mortgage Fraud Resources

The list of resources below has been compiled for anyone that suspects that they may be a victim of any type of fraud or scam. The list was originally designed as a resource to report mortgage fraud, predatory lending scams and identity theft in Florida but may also serve those who are victims of many types of fraud in Florida.

Other types of fraud may include:

Internet Scams
Phishing/Email Scams
Credit Card Fraud
Investment Scams
Financial - Debt Elimination
Business/MLM ScamsEtc.

FBI Field Offices, Mortgage Fraud

White Collar Crime Supervisorhttp://jacksonville.fbi.gov/7820 Arlington Expressway, Suite 200Jacksonville, FL 32211-7499Phone: (904) 721-1211

White Collar Crime Supervisorhttp://miami.fbi.gov/16320 NW 2nd Ave.North Miami Beach, FL 33169-6508Phone: (305) 944-9101

White Collar Crime Supervisorhttp://tampa.fbi.gov/500 Zack St., Room 610, FOBTampa, FL 33602-3917Phone: (813) 273-4566

Florida Attorney General - Consumer Protection
http://myfloridalegal.com/consumerThe Capitol PL-01Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050Phone: (850) 414-3300

HUD Field Office
Jacksonville Field OfficeCharles E. Bennett Federal Building400 W. Bay St., Suite 1015Jacksonville, FL 32202Phone: (904) 232-2627 Fax: (904) 232-3759
Miami Field Office909 SE First Ave.Miami, FL 33131Phone: (305) 536-4456 Fax: (305) 536-5765

Orlando Field Office3751 Maguire Blvd., Room 270Orlando, FL 32803-3032Phone: (407) 648-6441 Fax: (407) 648-6310

Tampa Field Office500 Zack St., Suite 402Tampa, FL 33602Phone: (813) 228-2026 Fax: (813) 228-2431

HUD Regional Office
Atlanta Regional Office40 Marietta St.Five Points PlazaAtlanta, GA 30303-2806Phone: (404) 331-4111 Fax: (404) 730-2392

Florida Department of Banking and Finance Division of Financial Investigations
101 East Gaines St., Suite 516Tallahassee, FL 32399-0350Toll Free: (800) 848-3792 (Florida only)Phone: (850) 410-9275Fax: (850) 410-9628

Nationally Chartered Credit Unions
Region III – Atlantahttp://www.ncua.gov/AboutNcua/org/Region3.htm7000 Central Parkway, Suite 1600 Atlanta, GA 30328Phone: (678) 443-3000Fax: (678) 443-3020

State-Chartered Credit Unions
Florida Division of Banking101 East Gaines St., Ste. 636Tallahassee, FL 32399-0350Phone: (850) 410-9111Fax: (850) 410-9548

Savings & Loan Association or Savings Bank
Office of Thrift Supervisionhttp://www.ots.treas.gov/resultsort.cfm?catNumber=88&dl=17&edit=1E-mail: consumer.complaint@ots.treas.govSoutheast Region - Atlanta1475 Peachtree St., N.E.Atlanta, Georgia 30309Phone: (404) 888-0771Complaints: (800) 842-6929

National Fair Housing Alliance
To locate your local office:http://www.nationalfairhousing.org/National Contact: E-mail: nfha@nationalfairhousing.org1212 New York Ave., NW Ste 525Washington, DC 2005Phone: (202) 898-1661 Fax: (202) 371-9744

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Consumer Services2005 Apalachee ParkwayTerry Rhodes BuildingTallahassee, FL 32399-6500Phone: 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)

Florida Real Estate Commission (REC) Home Page
DBPR Customer Contact Centerhttp://www.myflorida.com/

Disciplinary Activity Reports of Brokers and Appraisers:http://www.myflorida.com/1940 North Monroe St.Tallahassee, FL 32399-1027Phone: (850) 487-1395 Fax: (850) 922-4191

Better Business Bureaus
Better Business Bureau of Northeast Floridahttp://www.bbbnefla.org/E-mail: info@bbbnefla.org4417 Beach Blvd., Suite 202Jacksonville, FL 32207Phone: (904) 721-2288Fax: (904) 721-7373

Better Business Bureau Serving Southeast Florida and the Caribbeanhttp://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org/E-mail: info@seflorida.bbb.org2924 N Australian Ave.West Palm Beach, FL 33407 – Phone: (561) 842-1918Fax: (561) 845-7234

Better Business Bureau of West Floridahttp://www.clearwater.bbb.org/E-mail: info@bbbwestflorida.orgPO Box 7950Clearwater, FL 33758 -7950Phone: (727) 535-5522Fax: (727) 539-6301

Better Business Bureau of Northwest Floridahttp://www.nwfl.bbb.org/E-mail: info@nwfl.bbb.orgPO Box 1511Pensacola, FL 32591 -1511Phone: (850) 429-0002Fax: (850) 429-0006

Better Business Bureau of Central Florida, Inc.http://www.orlando.bbb.org/E-mail: info@orlando.bbb.org151 Wymore Road, Ste. 100Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 - Phone: (407) 621-3300Fax: (407) 786-2625

The Future of Latino Homeownership

By Bill Arce
RealEstateLatino.com

Alejandra Medina, a CHCI's HOGAR fellow class of 2007-2009 just published a paper on the institute website named "The Future of Latino Homeownership." The paper makes reference how Latinos are facing the current economy and how the housing crisis had become another challenging barrier to Latino homeownership.

Miss. Medina also proposed in her paper a response to the crisis including not just real estate professionals. The fellow goes further and recommends Latinos leaders in the housing community to facilitate communication between their organizations and the real estate industry to discuss how counseling can help future homebuyers can help obtain and long maintain their homes, among other recommendations.

The HOGAR fellow, who will graduate from the institute this year, also reports on the necessity to prevent the crisis, so it won't happen again. She highlights, that now more than ever the Latino consumers must have access to a better-trained and trusted real estate advisor.

This recommendation comes along with NAHREP code of Honor "En Confianza" that calls to reinstate the trust lost after the real estate debacle. In general, the report is very easy to read and offer a god inside of what is happening in our community today; I encourage you to read it.
If you would like to read a copy of this report, please visit http://www.chci.org/.

Meeting The Market Challenge In 2009

Wells Fargo CineMeeting:

Start: 03/12/2009 - 1:00pm
End: 03/12/2009 - 4:00pm
Timezone: US/Central

Meeting The Market Challenge In 2009Helping Homebuyers Make Informed Decisions
You’re Invited To A Very Important Event

Featured Speakers:


Brian Buffini: Chairman & Founder, "Buffini & Company"David Bach: Founder & President, "FinishRich Media"Andre Brooks: Senior Vice President, "Wells Fargo Home Mortgage"


See and hear some of America’s top real estate and financial experts offertimely information and ideas to help you succeed in a transformed marketplace.Building on the success of last year’s program, this exciting new program willbe broadcast in real time to movie theatres across the country on Thursday,March 12.


You Can’t Afford To Miss This Live Program


Extraordinary changes in the real estate and lending industries have left us inuncharted territory. A new housing landscape is taking shape, and a different kind ofhomebuyer is doing the shopping. This dynamic program will help you understand:


• How to address needs and concerns of today’s homebuyers


• How to guide and educate homebuyers in uncertain times


• How to manage your business and finances for professional and personal successWells Fargo is proud to work together with these fine organizations:


• The Asian Real Estate Association of America


• The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals


• The National Association of Real Estate Brokers


Don’t Get Left In The Lobby


Full houses are expected in every location, so reserve your FREE seat right away by clicking Register Online. You MUST register by Tuesday, March 10. Your seat will be held until 1:45pm on the day of the event.Click Here To Register


Thursday, March 12, 2009Metropolitan Theatre 14901 Little Texas LaneAustin, TX 78745
1:00pm – 1:55pm Registration & Check-In / Popcorn and Soda/Water Available
1:30pm – 2:00pm On Screen Entertainment
2:00pm – 3:30pm Meeting the Market Challenge in 2009 Program
3:30pm – 3:45pm Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Manager Discusses Local Market Initiatives for 2009
3:45pm Event Concludes


This information is for real estate professionals only and is not intended for distribution to consumers or other third parties. Information is accurate as of the date of printing and is subject to change without notice.


Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.