Study shows credit card debt in south Florida / West Palm Beach area among highest % in the country

A recent study conducted by consumer watchdog website CreditCards.com reported that residents of south Florida, from Miami north through West Palm Beach carry the 4th largest credit card debt burden in the country. On average each south Floridian carries an average of $4,325 in credit card debt according to the study. Furthermore, it would take the average person over a year to pay off that debt if they started paying it off now and stopped using their credit cards until they were fully paid off.

That average credit card debt burden of $4,325 equals over 15.7% of the median individual income in our area, which is $27,453 according to published statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice. Median household income is $47,463 according to the latest Census survey in 2014. What do all of these facts and figures mean to you as a resident here in West Palm Beach?

In an article published by Kenny Malone on the WLRN website regarding the study, he quoted CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Shulz who said “It certainly seems that Miami residents are putting a little bit more than they can afford on their cards. You know, as evidenced by the fact that we see that it would take the average person in Miami about 14 months and about $350 in interest to pay off their credit card debt… That’s a long time and a lot of money.”

To read this entire article please go to: http://wlrn.org/post/study-south-florida-fourth-worst-credit-card-debt-burden-country

The South Florida Business Journal also highlighted a study from the credit agency Equifax that although south Florida has seen a significant dip overall in consumer debt over the last year, that in fact “In the auto, bank credit card, and retail card category, South Floridians incurred 11 percent more debt in the 12 months leading up to March 31 (2015).” http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2015/05/05/south-florida-has-greatest-dip-in-consumer-debt.html

If you are in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater or anywhere else in the state of Florida and in need of a law firm knowledgeable about credit card debt issues, then contact us at Korte & Wortman, P.A. Korte & Wortman is a law firm specializing in credit card debt defense and defending our clients in all aspects of consumer debt issues including bankruptcy, mortgage debt, foreclosure, Deed in Lieu and short sales. We have had excellent results working with a number of clients to save them tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars on their credit card debt, mortgage modifications, Dodd-Frank Act cases and other consumer loan issues. Check out a few of our many success stories on our website at http://foreclosurefactor.com/practice-areas/credit-cards/

Our home office is based in West Palm Beach, at 2041 Vista Parkway, Suite 102. You can call us at (561) 544-7071, stop in to our office, email us at vdinapoli@kwlawfirm.com or come to our website. Our firm represents clients throughout the state of Florida and across the eastern seaboard. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.

Dodd-Frank Act – a primer from Korte & Wortman, P.A.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (known by the common term of the Dodd-Frank Act) has had a profound effect on lending practices here in Florida, particularly since the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act section (Title XIV) was enacted early in 2014. This groundbreaking piece of legislation is meant “to assure that consumers are offered and receive residential mortgage loans on terms that reasonably reflect their ability to repay the loans and that are understandable, and not unfair, deceptive or abusive,” according to its creators.

Part of this legislation’s mission is to amend both the Truth-in-Lending Act (“TILA”) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (“RESPA”). The Dodd-Frank Act requires that a lender in a residential owner-financed transaction must determine at the time credit is extended that the buyer/borrower has a “reasonable” ability to repay the loan. If the lender did not properly investigate your credit worthiness, your lender could be subject to fines and other penalties.

Therefore, if you have entered into a mortgage contract since the beginning of 2014 and are now facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, or some other form of financial distress that is threatening your property, then you need to seek out a knowledgeable defense lawyer to discuss all of the legal options you have available to you.

In addition, you may be entitled to refunds or other financial benefits if your loan did not disclose many different pieces of information to you, including deficiencies in the home like Chinese drywall; hidden penalties for prepayment of your mortgage; or other information that may have altered the value of the home.

At Korte & Wortman, P.A. we have attorneys who are well-versed in the Dodd-Frank Act mortgage reform legislation that was enacted in 2014. We have already been able to help clients navigate this legislation to get the money they deserve from lenders who have tried to take advantage of them in the form of fees, hidden charges and other predatory lending practices.

Our South Florida firm is one of the few in the state that handles cases involving legislation in the new Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act.

To learn more about the Dodd-Frank Act please visit this page on our website at http://foreclosurefactor.com/the-dodd-frank-act/ or call us directly at (561) 544-7071 for foreclosure prevention or defense against any lender who may have violated your rights under the rules of the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act throughout the State of Florida. We can help you TODAY!

The knowledge and experience you need if you are facing foreclosure in West Palm Beach, Florida

Recent news in the real estate market seems to be all positive for anyone who owns a home. Just last week the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches announced that home sellers in Palm Beach County are getting 94% of their asking prices, 3.3% more for their homes than a year ago, and their homes are staying on the market for an average of only 38 days. The percentage of homeowners who are underwater on their mortgage is down from 24% in 2014 to just 16% this year.

To read more, please go to: http://www.rapb.com/realtors/industry-news/blog-posts/rapb-blog/2015/08/20/palm-beach-county-home-sales-dropped-to-38-median-days-on-market

All of those numbers sound great. But what if you are part of that 16% who is still underwater, and no longer can afford to stay in your home? The reality for those of you in this situation is much less rosy. In fact, lenders have started coming down hard on homeowners who can’t keep up.

Lenders including the banks have become more aggressive with their foreclosure procedures. They are no longer being as lenient with those who are in trouble with their mortgages. And then, they are adding a double whammy by using “deficiency judgments” against the deposed homeowner after the foreclosure, deed-in-lieu or short sale is complete. A deficiency judgment is a personal judgment against you for the difference between your home’s sale price and the original loan balance.

If you are facing foreclosure, or a deficiency judgment situation, you should not try to face this situation alone. You can cost yourself tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars if you do not know what to do. You need a lawyer who will fight for your rights, and your money.

Brian K. Korte is a founding partner of the law firm of Korte & Wortman, P.A., and concentrates his area of practice in mortgage foreclosure defense, credit card defense, trial litigation and personal injury. He represents thousands of clients throughout the State of Florida. Mr. Korte is a noted speaker on the foreclosure defense lecture circuit and has given countless lectures for Foreclosure Seminar Services and the Foreclosure Defense Tactics Group.

Prior to co-founding the firm, Mr. Korte practiced in the area of consumer litigation and has an extensive background in personal injury litigation. As a result of his courtroom successes, he saved over 3,000 homes through loan modifications as well as over 150 case dismissals, where the bank was unable to prove their case, resulting into the borrower’s mortgage completely dismissed.

Mr. Korte is an advocate for his clients, helping each one find the right solution for their family. His specialties / Area of Practice:

• Mortgage Foreclosure Defense
• Credit Card Defense
• Trial Litigation
• Personal Injury

His Bar Admissions include:

• Federal Bar
• The Florida Bar Association-Young Lawyers Section
• Palm Beach County Bar Association

Brian is also an active member of his local community in Wellington where he volunteers his time with the Wellington Soccer Academy and Wellington Youth Baseball.

Facing foreclosure can be a homeowners’ worst nightmare. If you are in this situation, facing a deficiency judgement, have any other credit issue or need an attorney for any real estate transaction in West Palm Beach or anywhere else in the state of Florida then contact us at Korte & Wortman, P.A. To learn more about Brian Korte, please go to http://foreclosurefactor.com/attorneys/brian-k-korte/.

Korte & Wortman, P.A. is a law firm specializing in all aspects of real estate law. In addition to using this blog as a helpful resource, please contact us directly if you have any questions or current legal issues in any type of real estate transaction. Our home office is based in West Palm Beach, at 2041 Vista Parkway, Suite 102. You can call us at (561) 544-7071, stop in to our office, email us at vdinapoli@kwlawfirm.com or come to our website at http://www.foreclosurefactor.com. Our firm of lawyers represents clients throughout the state of Florida and across the eastern seaboard. We also have offices in Sunrise and Clearwater, Florida.

We look forward to helping you get the best settlement or price possible in all of your real estate transactions!