"Tsunami" of foreclosure complaints swamps Florida Bar

The Florida Bar has fielded nearly 1,400 complaints against attorneys relating to the housing crisis, an unprecedented amount that has buried investigators and forced the group to rethink how it will handle widespread grievances in the future. The complaint categories - mortgage fraud, foreclosure fraud, loan modification misconduct - didn't even exist three years ago, said Ken Marvin, director of lawyer regulation for the Florida Bar. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

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Delinquent mortgages fall in South Florida

Lenders in South Florida continue to see a decline in homeowners late in paying their mortgages as South Floridians are among the nation's leaders in getting loan modifications. Bank of America, which is hosting a free three-day homeowner assistance event this weekend in Miami Beach, has seen the number of homeowners at least 60 days late, drop by about a third in less than a year, said Jessica Garcia, vice president for the bank's national mortgage outreach. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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UF to make case for higher tuition increases

Gov. Rick Scott has said he would consider signing a bill allowing the University of Florida to make higher tuition increases if university officials showed him they're providing a good return on the state's investment in the institution. Thursday, UF President Bernie Machen will get his chance to make that case. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

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Fed sees good news in South Florida housing

South Florida real estate received a shout-out Wednesday from the Federal Reserve. A generally upbeat Beige Book — the Fed’s monthly summary of the nation’s economic health — included a rosy dispatch about real estate in the Sunshine State. [Source: Miami Herald]

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› HealthSouth construction going well [Ocala Star-Banner]
As Marion County's economy continues struggling to get people back to work, the health care sector remains one of the fastest growing. Nowhere is that seen on a larger scale than the $21 million facility being built on Southwest 19th Avenue Road in Ocala.

› Florida blueberries start early, may run later than usual [The Packer]
Buyers should expect the Florida blueberry season to run longer than normal. Though stunted by a February freeze, grower-shippers expect harvesting to run into June. Florida harvests normally finish by May 20.

› Albertsons Closing Most Florida Stores, Plant City Distribution Center [Lakeland Ledger]
Albertsons continues to fade in Florida. The Boise, Idaho-based supermarket chain plans to close 13 of its 17 remaining stores in Florida by June 9 and will cease operations at a distribution center in Plant City.

› Home building jumps in Tampa Bay area [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa Bay area home builders pounded a lot more nails in the first three months of this year than in the first quarter of 2011. New housing starts jumped 26.8 percent in the first quarter, according to Tampa's Metrostudy, a national company that tracks the construction industry.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Obama to tout Florida trade [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
After gathering campaign money and talking about taxes in South Florida, President Obama heads next to Tampa to promote international trade. Obama will visit the Port of Tampa on Friday to “highlight the benefits of trade with Latin America,” the White House reported.

› duPont Fund initiative to help Jacksonville youth land summer jobs [Florida Times-Union]
Up to 100 low-income teens in Jacksonville will have paying jobs this summer through a new collaboration of local nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses. The Jacksonville Summer Youth Job Preparation and Employment Program will be funded by a $240,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, which will support training, job stipends and transportation costs.

› Palm Beach County accepts $719,000 from Waste Management for stolen trash [Palm Beach Post]
Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to accept $719,000 to end a dispute with a waste hauler they allege improperly diverted local trash to Broward County, even though Palm Beach County's inspector general has not finished her review of the case.

› Pinellas tourist board moves to kick in big bucks for Republican National Convention party at Tropicana Field [Tampa Bay Times]
Pinellas County tourism officials want to pitch in up to $600,000 to welcome Republican National Convention delegates and the media with a party at Tropicana Field in August. The unanimous decision made Wednesday by the Tourist Development Council, the oversight board for the Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, came in response to a request from the Tampa Bay Host Committee.