A proposed Publix on Miami's Biscayne Boulevard would provide needed services for new residents. Others hope it would serve as a catalyst for future commercial development.
BY ELAINE WALKER
ewalker@MiamiHerald.com
If a grocery store is what it takes to make a neighborhood complete, then Miami's Omni area is about to arrive.
Miami's Urban Development Review Board reviewed plans last week for a proposed Publix at 1776 Biscayne Blvd. -- a site that has stood vacant for years. Several projects failed to materialize, including a high-rise condo during the real estate boom and a plan for a Miami Chinatown in the 1990s.
Now, Fort Lauderdale Developer Stiles Corp.'s plans call for an urban Publix with two floors of parking above and other small retail shops on the site. The goal is to break ground in November with an opening a year later.
"It used to be a ghost town,'' said Franky Arriola, 29, who moved into a Biscayne Boulevard condo in 2007. "It's getting better day by day.''
Shortly after Arriola moved in, he witnessed a stabbing victim carried off the basketball court at Margaret Pace Park. Now he plays basketball there regularly and walks his dogs along Biscayne.
"Now, there's a pulse,'' Arriola said. "It shows that there are signs of life if Publix is willing to invest. I can't wait for other things to be built.''
Alyce Robertson, executive director of the Miami Downtown Development Authority, said the new Publix is "a wonderful signal to the rest of the businesses in the area that we've really turned the corner. This is a good anchor for the area. It has the potential to be a catalytic thing.''
A recent DDA study shows there are a lot more potential customers in the area. Some 74 percent of the 22,079 urban condominium units built since 2003 are occupied. They stretch from the Brickell district south of downtown Miami north to State Road 112.
Developer Terry Stiles said the proposed retailer has done its homework. "These guys don't move unless the demographics are right,'' he said. "They are good at hitting the curve. We've got Class A retailers confident that these buildings are filling up and the whole area is taking on a different complexion.''
Publix had been searching for several years for a new location in the Biscayne Boulevard corridor north of downtown and south of 36th Street. The proposed Omni Publix would fill a void for the supermarket chain between its Baypoint store at 4870 Biscayne Blvd. and its three Brickell Avenue stores.
Publix spokeswoman Kim Jaeger declined to discuss any potential location, citing the retailer's policy of not commenting about proposed developments. "We continue looking to grow our business in communities where it makes good business sense,'' she said.
Industry experts said the grocery chain is one of many retailers that were hesitant to pull the trigger during the boom. The problem: skyrocketing real estate costs made numbers tough to justify. Plus, the logistics of urban projects are challenging for retailers who have to be convinced it's worth deviating from traditional formats.
The current proposal calls for a Publix store facing Biscayne Boulevard and taking up the majority of a city block between NE 17th Terrace and NE 18th Street.
But city officials say the proposed design doesn't include enough windows and interaction with Biscayne Boulevard. The Urban Development board last week deferred a vote.
"Our goal is to have a more urban prototype that's more appealing from the street level,'' said Luciana Gonzalez, assistant to the Miami planning director.
There's mixed opinion about what Publix's arrival would mean for development in the Omni area.
Some think it's a small sign that the retail market is starting to gain momentum after a year when most retailers weren't signing new deals. The area has already seen an increasing number of small independents ranging from wine bars to bike shops.
"Publix's arrival on the Boulevard will open many national and local retailers' eyes and give them the comfort that the Boulevard has attained a new level,'' said Alan Esquenazi, senior vice president of Continental Real Estate Cos. "I think you will see more retailers follow Publix's lead.''
But others said it's too soon to expect other big box retailers to jump on board.
"Publix will do great, but I don't see that signaling the beginning of anything,'' said Mickey Finkle, managing director of Koniver Stern. "South Florida is still at the tail end of the recovery.''
Industry experts said there's no sign that any of the other large-scale projects proposed in the area are any closer to reality. Developers for big-box projects Bayview Market and City Square did not return calls.
McClatchy, the parent of The Miami Herald Media Co., has already collected $16 million from City Square developer Mark Siffin for development of a site in front of the newspaper building. Siffin would owe another $7 million if the deal doesn't close by January 2011.
McClatchy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt declined to comment on any potential negotiations to lower the $190 million purchase price.
"Real estate markets weaken and strengthen,'' Pruitt said on a recent visit to Miami. "But a deal is a deal. Right now, we are hopeful that the deal will close; part of that hope is that the real estate market will improve.''
Down the street at the former Omni Mall, the owners are slowly bringing in new office tenants. The U.S. Passport Agency opened last year and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security recently signed a 25,000-square-foot deal. The office is scheduled to open in late summer. Together that brings more than 200 employees to the area.
Owner Mark Teitelbaum still wants to use the northern portion of the mall for big box retail. "The capital markets are not there for us to execute the plan. It's going to take longer than we thought.''
Teitelbaum said he had discussions with Publix and opted not to pursue a deal. But he's pleased where it landed. "It's really the best scenario for us,'' he said. "It's close enough that there's some synergy.''
A Publix would be a lifesaver for Scoot Skate & Bike Co. across the Boulevard. Owner Darren Venditti opened his shop in November 2006 because he saw the potential, but his business is down about 25 percent from its high in 2007. The latest problem: Biscayne Boulevard construction.
"Publix is the best news I've heard,'' Venditti said. "I couldn't think of anything that would bring more people. I've just got to find a way to survive for the next year.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/27/1601412_p2/plans-for-a-publix-boost-onetime.html#ixzz0mX0jg9nM
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Home-Sale Surge a Sign of Recovery - April 23, 2010
Home sales rose in March -- up 17 percent in Miami-Dade and 8 percent in Broward -- as prices slid.
BY INA PAIVA CORDLE
icordle@MiamiHerald.com
Driven by drop-dead prices on foreclosures and short sales and a looming deadline for federal tax credits, home and condo sales in South Florida shot up in March, brightening the outlook that this year may herald a real estate recovery.
At the same time, wealthy buyers who have waited on the sidelines as the market tumbled are now jumping in. Those investors are opting to put their cash into property rather than risk it in the still-volatile stock market, real estate agents say.
"What we are seeing is that prices have dropped 40 to 50 percent since the height of the market, which has made attaining a home much more affordable," said Jack McCabe, chief executive of McCabe Research & Consulting in Deerfield Beach.
In Miami-Dade County, sales of existing homes rose 17 percent in March compared to the same month last year, and median prices declined 4 percent to $197,500, according to figures released Thursday by the trade group Florida Realtors.
At the same time, condominium sales jumped 58 percent to 835 sales, while median prices fell 8 percent to $138,800.
Figures for Broward County trailed Miami-Dade's, with existing home sales up 8 percent in March, and median prices falling 3 percent to $214,000, compared to the same month last year.
March condo sales jumped by 46 percent to 1,140 in Broward, while median condo prices fell 10 percent to $73,600, compared to March 2009, the figures show.
While rising sales are uplifting news, analysts differ on whether South Florida's real estate prices have hit rock bottom, which is likely the true test of an incipient recovery.
David Dabby, president of the Dabby Group in Coral Gables, believes prices have stabilized since hitting the floor in April 2009. They've been wavering -- some months up slightly, others down -- at the same low level since then.
"The market is in recovery, but it's a very weak recovery, and no price recovery, just price stabilization," Dabby said. "Stabilization of prices is the best we can hope for in the foreseeable future."
FUTURE PRICES
Meanwhile, McCabe is betting South Florida prices will hit bottom between the end of 2010 and mid-2011, with condo prices possibly continuing to decline until the end of 2011, due to the high supply of condos on the market.
"Foreclosure activity is continuing to drive the market and will keep a lid on prices for the foreseeable future," Dabby said.
During March, he said 55 percent of all single-family home sales in Miami-Dade were foreclosures or short sales, in which lenders allow homes to be sold for less than the mortgages owed against them.
"It's just a foreclosure buying binge, and I hope it continues, because that is the only way we will return to a normal market," he said.
According to data from EWM Realtors, nearly 24,000 homes and condos were available for sale in Miami-Dade at the end of March. That has been whittled down since March of last year, when 34,123 homes and condos were on the market. Similarly, in Broward, 17,469 homes and condos were on the market at the end of March, down from 26,668 one year ago, EWM Realtors data shows.
Wealthy buyers are heating up the market and helping to absorb the supply, some Realtors say.
"This first quarter is the best first quarter we've had certainly in the last three years," said Claudia Lewis, a Realtor with Century 21 Premier Elite Realty in Coral Gables. "It has been so active, most agents are working 12, 13, 14 hours a day."
In recent weeks, Lewis has sold or delivered contracts for a $3 million house in Redland, a $2 million house in Pinecrest and three $1 million-plus condos in Coconut Grove.
"The market has just changed dramatically from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010," she said. "There has been a dramatic increase in activity and sales."
FINANCING
Nudging the market further is financing -- when available -- remains affordable, with mortgage rates hovering at about 5 percent.
In fact, even foreign investors are again abundant, particularly from Europe and Latin America, said Maria Visser, international director/corporate relocation, and a broker associate with Century 21 Premier Elite Realty in Coral Gables.
"What they are seeing is that prices are low, interest rates are low -- when has it been this attractive to buy here?" she said.
Yet another financial impetus: Potential buyers have one week left to gain access to federal tax credits, geared to stimulate sales.
Buyers who have signed a contract to purchase a primary residence by April 30 have until June 30 to close to be eligible for the federal tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and up to $6,500 for repeat buyers.
"We're seeing a last-minute rush here for people trying to capitalize on this, and I have several buyers coming to town specifically to find something with the intent of making a contract before the end of the month to meet the deadline," said Steve Scarpone, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Kendall.
To spur sales even after the deadline, Coldwell Banker is asking its sellers to agree to pay $8,000 toward a buyer's closing costs after May 1.
In fact, a survey released this week by Century 21 Real Estate showed that first-time home buyers rated the three most influential factors in their decision to buy a home as current housing prices (66 percent), followed closely by the home buyer tax credit (63 percent) and low interest rates (60 percent).
ACROSS U.S.
Nationwide, existing-home sales, including single-family, townhomes, condos and co-ops, rose 6.8 percent to 5.35 million in March, compared to 5.01 million the previous month, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.
The median sales price rose 0.4 percent in March to $170,700, and sales were up 16.1 percent, compared to March 2009, marking the beginning of an expected spring surge, the association said.
The home buyer tax credit is spurring sales across the nation, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the association. A NARS survey shows first-time buyers purchased 44 percent of homes in March, up from 42 percent in February. Investors accounted for 19 percent of transactions in March, unchanged from February; the remaining sales were to repeat buyers.
"The home buyer tax credit has been a resounding success as these underlying trends point to a broad stabilization in home prices," Yun said in a statement. "This is preserving perhaps $1 trillion in largely middle class housing wealth that may have been wiped out without the housing stimulus measure."
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/22/1593777_p2/home-sale-surge-a-sign-of-recovery.html#ixzz0lw6S9aA4
Now is the time to get back into the Miami Real Estate market. There are thousands of homes available right now, and the best deals are going fast. If you have been thinking about buying or selling a home in Miami, call us at 305-456-6456 today. We can assist you with all of your real estate needs.
Visit our website at http://www.oceanskyrealty.com to start your home search today!
BY INA PAIVA CORDLE
icordle@MiamiHerald.com
Driven by drop-dead prices on foreclosures and short sales and a looming deadline for federal tax credits, home and condo sales in South Florida shot up in March, brightening the outlook that this year may herald a real estate recovery.
At the same time, wealthy buyers who have waited on the sidelines as the market tumbled are now jumping in. Those investors are opting to put their cash into property rather than risk it in the still-volatile stock market, real estate agents say.
"What we are seeing is that prices have dropped 40 to 50 percent since the height of the market, which has made attaining a home much more affordable," said Jack McCabe, chief executive of McCabe Research & Consulting in Deerfield Beach.
In Miami-Dade County, sales of existing homes rose 17 percent in March compared to the same month last year, and median prices declined 4 percent to $197,500, according to figures released Thursday by the trade group Florida Realtors.
At the same time, condominium sales jumped 58 percent to 835 sales, while median prices fell 8 percent to $138,800.
Figures for Broward County trailed Miami-Dade's, with existing home sales up 8 percent in March, and median prices falling 3 percent to $214,000, compared to the same month last year.
March condo sales jumped by 46 percent to 1,140 in Broward, while median condo prices fell 10 percent to $73,600, compared to March 2009, the figures show.
While rising sales are uplifting news, analysts differ on whether South Florida's real estate prices have hit rock bottom, which is likely the true test of an incipient recovery.
David Dabby, president of the Dabby Group in Coral Gables, believes prices have stabilized since hitting the floor in April 2009. They've been wavering -- some months up slightly, others down -- at the same low level since then.
"The market is in recovery, but it's a very weak recovery, and no price recovery, just price stabilization," Dabby said. "Stabilization of prices is the best we can hope for in the foreseeable future."
FUTURE PRICES
Meanwhile, McCabe is betting South Florida prices will hit bottom between the end of 2010 and mid-2011, with condo prices possibly continuing to decline until the end of 2011, due to the high supply of condos on the market.
"Foreclosure activity is continuing to drive the market and will keep a lid on prices for the foreseeable future," Dabby said.
During March, he said 55 percent of all single-family home sales in Miami-Dade were foreclosures or short sales, in which lenders allow homes to be sold for less than the mortgages owed against them.
"It's just a foreclosure buying binge, and I hope it continues, because that is the only way we will return to a normal market," he said.
According to data from EWM Realtors, nearly 24,000 homes and condos were available for sale in Miami-Dade at the end of March. That has been whittled down since March of last year, when 34,123 homes and condos were on the market. Similarly, in Broward, 17,469 homes and condos were on the market at the end of March, down from 26,668 one year ago, EWM Realtors data shows.
Wealthy buyers are heating up the market and helping to absorb the supply, some Realtors say.
"This first quarter is the best first quarter we've had certainly in the last three years," said Claudia Lewis, a Realtor with Century 21 Premier Elite Realty in Coral Gables. "It has been so active, most agents are working 12, 13, 14 hours a day."
In recent weeks, Lewis has sold or delivered contracts for a $3 million house in Redland, a $2 million house in Pinecrest and three $1 million-plus condos in Coconut Grove.
"The market has just changed dramatically from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010," she said. "There has been a dramatic increase in activity and sales."
FINANCING
Nudging the market further is financing -- when available -- remains affordable, with mortgage rates hovering at about 5 percent.
In fact, even foreign investors are again abundant, particularly from Europe and Latin America, said Maria Visser, international director/corporate relocation, and a broker associate with Century 21 Premier Elite Realty in Coral Gables.
"What they are seeing is that prices are low, interest rates are low -- when has it been this attractive to buy here?" she said.
Yet another financial impetus: Potential buyers have one week left to gain access to federal tax credits, geared to stimulate sales.
Buyers who have signed a contract to purchase a primary residence by April 30 have until June 30 to close to be eligible for the federal tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and up to $6,500 for repeat buyers.
"We're seeing a last-minute rush here for people trying to capitalize on this, and I have several buyers coming to town specifically to find something with the intent of making a contract before the end of the month to meet the deadline," said Steve Scarpone, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Kendall.
To spur sales even after the deadline, Coldwell Banker is asking its sellers to agree to pay $8,000 toward a buyer's closing costs after May 1.
In fact, a survey released this week by Century 21 Real Estate showed that first-time home buyers rated the three most influential factors in their decision to buy a home as current housing prices (66 percent), followed closely by the home buyer tax credit (63 percent) and low interest rates (60 percent).
ACROSS U.S.
Nationwide, existing-home sales, including single-family, townhomes, condos and co-ops, rose 6.8 percent to 5.35 million in March, compared to 5.01 million the previous month, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.
The median sales price rose 0.4 percent in March to $170,700, and sales were up 16.1 percent, compared to March 2009, marking the beginning of an expected spring surge, the association said.
The home buyer tax credit is spurring sales across the nation, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the association. A NARS survey shows first-time buyers purchased 44 percent of homes in March, up from 42 percent in February. Investors accounted for 19 percent of transactions in March, unchanged from February; the remaining sales were to repeat buyers.
"The home buyer tax credit has been a resounding success as these underlying trends point to a broad stabilization in home prices," Yun said in a statement. "This is preserving perhaps $1 trillion in largely middle class housing wealth that may have been wiped out without the housing stimulus measure."
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/22/1593777_p2/home-sale-surge-a-sign-of-recovery.html#ixzz0lw6S9aA4
Now is the time to get back into the Miami Real Estate market. There are thousands of homes available right now, and the best deals are going fast. If you have been thinking about buying or selling a home in Miami, call us at 305-456-6456 today. We can assist you with all of your real estate needs.
Visit our website at http://www.oceanskyrealty.com to start your home search today!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Renters Bullied by Owners Facing Foreclosure, April 13, 2010
By DANIEL SHOER ROTH
dshoer@MiamiHerald.com
All she had was 48 hours to clear out her belongings and vacate the house where she had lived for three years.
One day last September, Gladys Flores received an unexpected visit from the owner of the property she rented in Little Havana. She had not seen him for months. Flores had religiously deposited the $600 monthly rent. The landlord came to inform her that the house had been repossessed by the bank.
"He told us, 'Either I call the police and you take everything out or I put a lock on the door so you cannot get in,' '' recalled Flores, a 53-year-old Peruvian immigrant who lives with her husband and makes a living as a housekeeper.
The Flores had no money to rent a moving truck, so they took all their possessions -- in a shopping cart -- and left in fear, without filing a complaint with authorities.
Since the onset of the foreclosure crisis, tens of thousands of renters in South Florida have suffered the fate of the Floreses. They have been tossed out by banks and landlords essentially overnight with no mercy, and without any protection from the state of Florida.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that 40 percent of the households that lose their homes to foreclosure are renters. It stands to reason that in the city of Miami, where 64 percent of homes are rentals and there are 25,000 foreclosures in process, the proportion is much higher.
MOST VIOLATIONS
Not surprisingly, Miami and other municipalities in South Florida are among the cities where the most violations of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama last year, are happening. The provisions phase out at the end of 2012.
"The law in general is being deliberately ignored,'' said Purvi Shah, a Florida Legal Services attorney who heads the Community Justice Project. "The judicial sector must do its part to ensure compliance with these federal laws.''
Under the act, tenants who have an oral or written lease arrangement are entitled to remain in the repossessed home until the end of their lease, unless the purchaser at foreclosure plans to make the property his or her primary residence. Even in this situation or if the tenants have no lease, the purchaser must deliver a 90-day notice to vacate.
But the majority of banks, mortgage companies, real estate agents and foreclosure attorneys in South Florida continue to evict tenants within a matter of days, leaving them, literally, on the street, grass-roots organizations have told me. And the courts have done little to stop them.
One of the main obstacles is that most of the tenants -- who in general are immigrants and low-income individuals -- are unaware of these new laws and believe they must leave the moment the landlord or a bank agent knocks on the door with news of the foreclosure.
Many of these agents are adept at intimidating tenants. They manipulate them with offers of small amounts of cash for the keys, but later never refund the security deposit.
IN THE DARK
For the majority of residents who have no knowledge of the market nor access to real estate advice, it is difficult to know if the property they are renting is actually in foreclosure. Owners take advantage of their ignorance and squeeze out every last penny before losing the house. During the process, no improvements or repairs are made, leaving the homes to deteriorate. I have heard of cases where tenants have had no running water for several weeks.
LITTLE PROTECTION
Florida is one of the states with the fewest protections for tenants. The landlords do not need just cause to evict and, if the contract is month-to-month, a 15-day notice letter is sufficient to get them out.
In Tallahassee, lawmakers are currently debating two bills that would create a state counterpart to federal laws protecting tenants in foreclosure. In addition, the proposed legislation would hold banks accountable for returning security deposits to tenants in foreclosure properties and provide a readily understood form letter with the 90-day notice of intention to evict.
This is not the first time the state Legislature has tried to enact such laws. Justice would be served if Florida lawmakers were to take, for once, the side of the weak.
We are so used to putting home ownership on a pedestal that we often forget that renters are a large part of our community.
Just listen to Flores' plight: "All I ask is that they have more humanity with us.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/13/1576508/renters-bullied-by-owners-facing.html#ixzz0l0YZRB6A
If you have been renting and the property is in foreclosure, you still have rights! Don't be thrown out on the street. Contact your Florida State Senators and Representatives and voice your support of these tenant protections. Then, if you receive a notice of eviction, contact us at 305-456-6456. We can find you a new home, screen the property to make sure it is not in foreclosure, and negotiate a new lease for you, all at no charge to you. Our fees are paid by landlords and owners, not by you.
dshoer@MiamiHerald.com
All she had was 48 hours to clear out her belongings and vacate the house where she had lived for three years.
One day last September, Gladys Flores received an unexpected visit from the owner of the property she rented in Little Havana. She had not seen him for months. Flores had religiously deposited the $600 monthly rent. The landlord came to inform her that the house had been repossessed by the bank.
"He told us, 'Either I call the police and you take everything out or I put a lock on the door so you cannot get in,' '' recalled Flores, a 53-year-old Peruvian immigrant who lives with her husband and makes a living as a housekeeper.
The Flores had no money to rent a moving truck, so they took all their possessions -- in a shopping cart -- and left in fear, without filing a complaint with authorities.
Since the onset of the foreclosure crisis, tens of thousands of renters in South Florida have suffered the fate of the Floreses. They have been tossed out by banks and landlords essentially overnight with no mercy, and without any protection from the state of Florida.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that 40 percent of the households that lose their homes to foreclosure are renters. It stands to reason that in the city of Miami, where 64 percent of homes are rentals and there are 25,000 foreclosures in process, the proportion is much higher.
MOST VIOLATIONS
Not surprisingly, Miami and other municipalities in South Florida are among the cities where the most violations of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama last year, are happening. The provisions phase out at the end of 2012.
"The law in general is being deliberately ignored,'' said Purvi Shah, a Florida Legal Services attorney who heads the Community Justice Project. "The judicial sector must do its part to ensure compliance with these federal laws.''
Under the act, tenants who have an oral or written lease arrangement are entitled to remain in the repossessed home until the end of their lease, unless the purchaser at foreclosure plans to make the property his or her primary residence. Even in this situation or if the tenants have no lease, the purchaser must deliver a 90-day notice to vacate.
But the majority of banks, mortgage companies, real estate agents and foreclosure attorneys in South Florida continue to evict tenants within a matter of days, leaving them, literally, on the street, grass-roots organizations have told me. And the courts have done little to stop them.
One of the main obstacles is that most of the tenants -- who in general are immigrants and low-income individuals -- are unaware of these new laws and believe they must leave the moment the landlord or a bank agent knocks on the door with news of the foreclosure.
Many of these agents are adept at intimidating tenants. They manipulate them with offers of small amounts of cash for the keys, but later never refund the security deposit.
IN THE DARK
For the majority of residents who have no knowledge of the market nor access to real estate advice, it is difficult to know if the property they are renting is actually in foreclosure. Owners take advantage of their ignorance and squeeze out every last penny before losing the house. During the process, no improvements or repairs are made, leaving the homes to deteriorate. I have heard of cases where tenants have had no running water for several weeks.
LITTLE PROTECTION
Florida is one of the states with the fewest protections for tenants. The landlords do not need just cause to evict and, if the contract is month-to-month, a 15-day notice letter is sufficient to get them out.
In Tallahassee, lawmakers are currently debating two bills that would create a state counterpart to federal laws protecting tenants in foreclosure. In addition, the proposed legislation would hold banks accountable for returning security deposits to tenants in foreclosure properties and provide a readily understood form letter with the 90-day notice of intention to evict.
This is not the first time the state Legislature has tried to enact such laws. Justice would be served if Florida lawmakers were to take, for once, the side of the weak.
We are so used to putting home ownership on a pedestal that we often forget that renters are a large part of our community.
Just listen to Flores' plight: "All I ask is that they have more humanity with us.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/13/1576508/renters-bullied-by-owners-facing.html#ixzz0l0YZRB6A
If you have been renting and the property is in foreclosure, you still have rights! Don't be thrown out on the street. Contact your Florida State Senators and Representatives and voice your support of these tenant protections. Then, if you receive a notice of eviction, contact us at 305-456-6456. We can find you a new home, screen the property to make sure it is not in foreclosure, and negotiate a new lease for you, all at no charge to you. Our fees are paid by landlords and owners, not by you.
Landlords - Tenant Screening Could Save Your Life, April 13, 2010
Son recants accusations in Nova Southeastern professor's slaying
A son who turned his father in to police now denies anybody in his family stabbed to death their landlord.
As his older brother was formally charged in the stabbing death of a college professor, Shawn Tundidor stood outside a Fort Lauderdale courtroom Monday and recanted statements he gave to police implicating his father and brother in the murder.
His words were "twisted'' by police, Tundidor said.
"They're innocent,'' he said of his father and brother. "A lot of people say that I sold them out, that I said they did it.
"That's not true.''
A family attorney said Tundidor, 19, may have been high on drugs when he originally spoke to police. Plantation police and Tundidor say that wasn't the case.
"He may be having some remorse,'' Plantation police spokesman Robert Rettig told The Miami Herald Monday. "Shawn gave us a sworn, taped statement. Nobody is twisting words.''
Days after Nova Southeastern University professor Joseph Morrissey, the family's landlord, was stabbed to death, his home set on fire and valuables taken, police said Tundidor came forward to provide gruesome details of the murder, confessed to him by his father.
"Joe the landlord f---ed with me. He f---ed with the wrong one, and wants to put us on the streets,'' his father told him, according to the affidavit.
Randy Tundidor Sr. also told his son where he had hidden two laptops stolen from the Morrisseys.
On Friday, Tundidor Sr., 43, was arrested and charged with premeditated murder, kidnapping, arson and home invasion robbery.
On Monday, his older son, Randy Tundidor Jr., 21, was arraigned on those same charges. He was ordered held without bond.
Linda Morrissey, wife of Joseph Morrissey, identified Tundidor Jr. in a police lineup as the man who broke into her home last Tuesday.
While their 5-year-old son slept, Linda and her husband were driven to an ATM and forced to take $500 out of their account. They then returned to the Morrisseys' home in the 600 block of Northwest 75th Terrace. The couple were then tied up in the master bedroom and their heads covered with towels.
Joseph Morrissey was forced to hop into the living room, where he was stabbed several times in the head and chest.
"Please don't do that,'' Linda heard her husband beg, according to an affidavit.
She also identified gloves and European currency that was in her husband's wallet that police found during their search of Gator Tint and Sound, the Tundidors' family business.
Linda Morrissey said she was 85 percent sure it was Tundidor Jr. who was responsible for the crime.
Attorney Jim Lewis, who is representing Tundidor Jr., said, "Based on this information, I don't think there's enough to hold him.''
As Tundidor Jr. went before a judge, Plantation police held a news conference to express their condolences to the Morrissey family, but did not comment on developments.
"Our hearts and our mournful prayers go out to the family for this horrific event and we hope that these arrests will help find a sense of security,'' Rettig said.
Morrissey, 46, had recently begun to evict the family from the Plantation town home they were renting from him. Randy Tundidor Sr. has a history of evictions dating back 15 years, according to Broward County court documents.
Tundidor Sr. was also charged in a murder-for-hire case in 1993 that was eventually dropped for lack of a witness.
Rettig stood by the statements attributed to Shawn Tundidor in a probable cause affidavit released Sunday.
He said there was "no reason to believe [Shawn Tundidor] was high,'' when he gave his testimony to police.
Shawn Tundidor, as well, said "That's a negative. I don't do drugs.''
But family attorney Joseph Pappacoda said Shawn mentioned being high when he made his statement to police, and now can't remember what was said.
Pappacoda said Shawn's denials put the case against his family on shaky ground. "It's kind of like having a ladder, and taking a hammer and you start hitting the bottom. The ladder is probable cause,'' said Pappacoda, who is representing Tundidor Sr.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/1576505/son-recants-murder-accusations.html#ixzz0l0PoG1jz
This was a horrible tragedy for the Morrissey family, and one that may have been preventable. Realtors can perform credit checks, criminal background checks and rental history screenings, which may reveal crucial information about a prospective tenant. In this case, a 15-year history of evictions would have immediately shown up on a standard tenant search. This is a red flag for any landlord. Please make an informed decision when you sign a lease for your property. Feel free to contact us at 305-456-6456 for more information.
A son who turned his father in to police now denies anybody in his family stabbed to death their landlord.
As his older brother was formally charged in the stabbing death of a college professor, Shawn Tundidor stood outside a Fort Lauderdale courtroom Monday and recanted statements he gave to police implicating his father and brother in the murder.
His words were "twisted'' by police, Tundidor said.
"They're innocent,'' he said of his father and brother. "A lot of people say that I sold them out, that I said they did it.
"That's not true.''
A family attorney said Tundidor, 19, may have been high on drugs when he originally spoke to police. Plantation police and Tundidor say that wasn't the case.
"He may be having some remorse,'' Plantation police spokesman Robert Rettig told The Miami Herald Monday. "Shawn gave us a sworn, taped statement. Nobody is twisting words.''
Days after Nova Southeastern University professor Joseph Morrissey, the family's landlord, was stabbed to death, his home set on fire and valuables taken, police said Tundidor came forward to provide gruesome details of the murder, confessed to him by his father.
"Joe the landlord f---ed with me. He f---ed with the wrong one, and wants to put us on the streets,'' his father told him, according to the affidavit.
Randy Tundidor Sr. also told his son where he had hidden two laptops stolen from the Morrisseys.
On Friday, Tundidor Sr., 43, was arrested and charged with premeditated murder, kidnapping, arson and home invasion robbery.
On Monday, his older son, Randy Tundidor Jr., 21, was arraigned on those same charges. He was ordered held without bond.
Linda Morrissey, wife of Joseph Morrissey, identified Tundidor Jr. in a police lineup as the man who broke into her home last Tuesday.
While their 5-year-old son slept, Linda and her husband were driven to an ATM and forced to take $500 out of their account. They then returned to the Morrisseys' home in the 600 block of Northwest 75th Terrace. The couple were then tied up in the master bedroom and their heads covered with towels.
Joseph Morrissey was forced to hop into the living room, where he was stabbed several times in the head and chest.
"Please don't do that,'' Linda heard her husband beg, according to an affidavit.
She also identified gloves and European currency that was in her husband's wallet that police found during their search of Gator Tint and Sound, the Tundidors' family business.
Linda Morrissey said she was 85 percent sure it was Tundidor Jr. who was responsible for the crime.
Attorney Jim Lewis, who is representing Tundidor Jr., said, "Based on this information, I don't think there's enough to hold him.''
As Tundidor Jr. went before a judge, Plantation police held a news conference to express their condolences to the Morrissey family, but did not comment on developments.
"Our hearts and our mournful prayers go out to the family for this horrific event and we hope that these arrests will help find a sense of security,'' Rettig said.
Morrissey, 46, had recently begun to evict the family from the Plantation town home they were renting from him. Randy Tundidor Sr. has a history of evictions dating back 15 years, according to Broward County court documents.
Tundidor Sr. was also charged in a murder-for-hire case in 1993 that was eventually dropped for lack of a witness.
Rettig stood by the statements attributed to Shawn Tundidor in a probable cause affidavit released Sunday.
He said there was "no reason to believe [Shawn Tundidor] was high,'' when he gave his testimony to police.
Shawn Tundidor, as well, said "That's a negative. I don't do drugs.''
But family attorney Joseph Pappacoda said Shawn mentioned being high when he made his statement to police, and now can't remember what was said.
Pappacoda said Shawn's denials put the case against his family on shaky ground. "It's kind of like having a ladder, and taking a hammer and you start hitting the bottom. The ladder is probable cause,'' said Pappacoda, who is representing Tundidor Sr.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/12/1576505/son-recants-murder-accusations.html#ixzz0l0PoG1jz
This was a horrible tragedy for the Morrissey family, and one that may have been preventable. Realtors can perform credit checks, criminal background checks and rental history screenings, which may reveal crucial information about a prospective tenant. In this case, a 15-year history of evictions would have immediately shown up on a standard tenant search. This is a red flag for any landlord. Please make an informed decision when you sign a lease for your property. Feel free to contact us at 305-456-6456 for more information.
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