[Nirvana-Guy]

FYI to out-of-state buyers, first-time home buyers, and the elderly:

FL is filled with rip-off scheming realtors (see below), bad mortgage brokers, and even worse real estate scams. You need to be on your guard. If ANYTHING seems suspicious, treat it as if it were a scam and be careful.

Central Floridians Falling Victim To 'Fastest-Growing' Real Estate Scam

POSTED: 9:09 pm EST February 27, 2007
UPDATED: 10:47 pm EST February 28, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dozens of Central Floridians claim they were lured into real estate deals that left them fighting for their financial lives in what may be one of the biggest scams in Central Florida, according to a Local 6 News report.

Joan and Mary were among a group of people who did business with the company. They were paid upfront lump sums of cash in exchange for letting Livewire use their credit to purchase homes, according to the report.

They made up to $7,000 for each purchase Livewire made using their credit, the report said.

local6.com/problemsolvers/11129637/detail.html



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Police: Contractor Scam Targets Senior Citizens
Local 6 Launches 'Catch A Criminal'

POSTED: 4:35 pm EST March 5, 2007
UPDATED: 6:02 pm EDT March 21, 2007

Investigators said Russell Banister has been posing as a home repairman and targeting seniors in Volusia County.

local6.com/problemsolvers/11176122/detail.html

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Lax Oversight Allows Felons to Remain Working as Realtors

Last Edited: Wednesday, 28 Mar 2007, 10:58 PM EDT
Created: Wednesday, 28 Mar 2007, 10:48 PM EDT

A real estate agent is on the run after allegedly taking thousands of dollars from people who put money down on homes that don't exists. She has a criminal record, so how can felons become realtors?





myfoxorlando.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2793577&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1

[tallrick]

And a florida tradition continues! You would thinking watching Groucho Marx in "Coconuts" would have convinced them not to get stucco!