17 minute read
REAL ESTATE
22 THE SUN REAL ESTATE
Foreclosure in the time of COVID
Foreclosure has taken on a whole new meaning this past year. Yes, your home may be in foreclosure or approaching foreclosure because of job loss impacting your financial situation, but you could also apply for forbearance, temporarily suspending your mortgage payments and stopping the foreclosure process. Now that the initial 360-day program for government-backed mortgages is over, there have been extensions to the program and more are ¬being proposed.
As of now, the government has extended the moratorium through June. Also, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the early part of April proposed a rule that would prohibit foreclosures through December. They also want to give servicers of the mortgages options to help streamline loan modifications with COVID-related hardships, as well as keeping borrowers informed of their options. The question is: Do moratoriums and extensions really help, or as we start to dig out of COVID and people return to work, are these programs just delaying the inevitable for homeowners and distorting the housing market?
That said, there are millions of homeowners who have benefited from the extension programs and have sought mortgage payment relief or forbearance. According to the data from Black Knight, as of March 2021, approximately 2.6 million homeowners remain in an active forbearance plan. For those and others, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has information on its website, consumerfinance.gov, to help homeowners determine and understand their options.
Some of the options available to homeowners who are ready to begin making their monthly mortgage payments again are: • Reinstatement, which allows homeowners to pay any missing amounts all at once. • A repayment plan, enabling homeowners to resume making their regular monthly mortgage payment plus an additional portion of the missed amount each month until the missed payments are paid off. Don’t forget that these suspensions were only temporary - the missed mortgage payments still need to be repaid. • Payment deferral, for those who are unable to reinstate or who can’t afford a repayment plan but can resume their monthly mortgage payments. This defers any missed payments to the end of the loan term when it is paid off. Interest is not charged on the deferred amounts and is due upon sale of the property. • Loan modification, to change the original loan terms, like the interest rate or term of the loan, to permanently change the mortgage and make a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment more manageable moving forward.
As always, my concern is the overall housing market. Although all of these programs have helped millions of homeowners, I question how they impacted the shortage of homes on the market we’re experiencing now, pushing values up to an unaffordable level for the next generation of buyers. Are homeowners not selling because they have no incentive while they aren’t paying their monthly mortgage in homes they will probably have to eventually sell anyway? With the jobless rate down to 6% from a high of 14.8% and employers having difficulty hiring new staff, in my opinion, its time to get the housing market back to normal.
In addition to homeowners, renters have received a fair amount of benefit from the original Cares Act with a 120-day moratorium on evictions, which has also been extended through June. However, homeowners who are also investors and landlords are having big financial issues keeping up with their expenses.
As we in Florida experience a blow-out real estate market, please remember that many homeowners around the country are still finding a way to dig out. The federal government has offered substantial help in this area and now it’s time for homeowners to remember the real meaning of foreclosure. Stay well.
Castles in the Sand
LOUISE BOLGER
DISAGREEMENT: Mayor, commissioners disagree on duties of the job
FROM PAGE 12
“We are doing the job. We’re winning our magistrate hearings. We are citing violators. It is time they accept the fact that there will be noise in their neighborhood. It will have to be addressed and it will be addressed each and every week because new occupants arrive each and every week. Unfortunately, this one gentleman has big houses next to him. We don’t allow that anymore,” Titsworth said. “The only way he will get peace and quiet in his neighborhood is if a hurricane takes that house away. But as long as that house is standing, he will have it every single week.”
She said code officers are on the watch but that she’s unsure if that watch over houses identified as problem houses is even legal or if the city is overstepping.
Titsworth said it was time to decide if the city is still home for these residents and to decide if they can become friends with the visitors because she said the visitors are here to stay. She said the visitors are “people just like us” who want to come and enjoy the Island and it’s not the visitors’ fault that their booking ended up being in a residential neighborhood.
“We are all in this together and it’s time to start acting like it,” Titsworth said.
Regarding Key Royale, she said she doesn’t recommend doing anything with the stormwater fees until the city’s new hydrodynamic modeling is back and city leaders learn what stormwater repairs are needed.
CHIEF’S RESPONSE
Later in the meeting, Chief Bill Tokajer addressed Rash’s traffic concern, saying it was unfortunate, but that traffic isn’t slowing down on Island streets. In March, he said that an average of 26,000 cars came onto the Island each day and with at least two people per car, that’s more than 50,000 extra people.
And while it tacks on a few minutes to commute times, he recommended Key Royale residents turn right then turn back to go left in the mornings to exit the Island. Tokajer said he has the same issues trying to leave work at city hall, also on the same thoroughfare, in the afternoons and has used the backtracking technique to get going in the correct direction in heavy traffic.
Tokajer also addressed Christenson’s traffic concerns, saying that work was being done to attach the traffic lights at Manatee Avenue and East Bay Drive to a remote control operation system with Manatee County, allowing easier adjustments to the lights’ timing as needed to help facilitate the traffic on and off the Island. RESIDENTS WEIGH IN
After hearing the conversation during the meeting, some Holmes Beach residents had thoughts on the discussion.
“Thank you, mayor, for being a reasonable voice for the community,” Jerry McBreyer said, during a public comment opportunity during the meeting.
In contrast, resident Nancy Deal took a moment at the end of the meeting to thank “the elected and appointed officials who seek out and take the time to listen to the concerns of Holmes Beach residents.”
In an email to Christenson and Rash, resident Richard Motzer said “Many of the residents in this city feel that we are no longer considered by some of the commissioners and the mayor. Your involvement, going out and talking with the residents, is a very important part of expressing their concerns and feelings to the city.
Perico Bay Club—As Good As It Gets!!
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BY CINDY LANE
SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
Red tide has been detected in Sarasota County in background to medium concentrations, causing a fish kill and respiratory irritation, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The toxic algae was not detected in Manatee County in last week’s water samples.
Red tide can cause eye, nose and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms, especially in people with asthma, emphysema or COPD, according to the Florida Department of Health. Health officials recommend that people experiencing symptoms stay away from the water, go inside to an air conditioned space, or wear masks, especially during onshore winds.
Consuming shellfish exposed to red tide can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning.
Health officials warn against swimming near dead fish, and advise keeping pets away from water, dead sea life and sea foam, which can contain high concentrations of algae.
Warning signs are posted at Longboat Key, Bird Key Park (Ringling Causeway), North Lido Beach, Lido Casino, South Lido, Siesta Beach, Turtle Beach, Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach. 1500s – Fish kills near Tampa Bay recorded by Spanish explorers 1700s – red tide documented in southern Gulf of Mexico 1840s – red tide documented along Florida’s Gulf coast 1951-52 – red tide along Florida’s Gulf coast lasts a year 1995 – a year-long red tide recurs along Florida’s Gulf coast 2005 – red tide remains along Florida’s Gulf coast for 10 months 2018-19 – red tide along Anna Maria Island coast lasts 7 months from August to February
Source: NOAA, Mote Marine, Anna Maria Island Sun archives
ANNA MARIA
209 South Bay Boulevard $2,950,000 Shellie Young 941.713.5458 HOLMES BEACH
3716 Gulf Drive #C $1,699,000 Laurie Mock 941.232.3665 BRADENTON
9601 9th Avenue NW $2,249,000 Louis Wery 941.232.3001
317 Iris Street $3,700,000 Shellie Young 941.713.5458 ANNA MARIA
LOOP OF NW BRADENTON
9641 18th Avenue Circle NW $949,900 Martha Marlar 941.812.0455 BRADENTON
2369 Landings Circle $739,900 Martha Marlar 941.812.0455
SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000
VENICE TO PUNTA GORDA | 941.412.3323 BRADENTON
4722 Independence Drive #4722 $399,000 Jayne Kocher 941.915.6000
LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541
LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.1526
RENTALS | 941.487.6019
Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each o ce is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.
LOCALLY KNOWN. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. SINCE 1976.
THE BEACH RESIDENCES
1300 Benjamin Franklin Drive 1208 Susan Fox & Jonathan Fox, PA 941-544-6648A4492990$3,900,000
SARABAY ESTATES
2708 Bay Drive Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450A4494263$2,750,000
TIDY ISLAND
73 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767A4477926$650,000
WINDWARD BAY
4960 Gulf Of Mexico Drive PH2 Bobbie Banan 941-356-2659A4493763$445,000
THE DIPLOMAT
3155 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 253 Susan Mitchell 941-780-5085A4490518$325,000
WEST WIND SHORES
216 68th Street Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4496801 $3,295,000
THE BEACH RESIDENCES
The Ritz Carlton Beach Residences, 406 Joan Dickinson & Beth Afflebach 941-914-0496 A4417010$2,385,000
THE RITZ-CARLTON RESIDENCES
401 Quay Commons 1603 Ann Martin & Joanna Benante 941-356-7717A4496746 $6,383,000
REGENCY HOUSE
435 S Gulfstream Avenue 907 Pamela Wall & Gladys Carrasco 941-504-5019A4488260$329,000
WEST WIND SHORES
103 75th Street Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4495220 $3,200,000
GULFPLACE
6700 Gulf Drive 15 Lindsay Nock 941-735-7005A4492778$1,150,000
PERICO BAY CLUB
910 Sandpiper Circle Laura Rulon & Betsy Hagen 941-896-2757A4492505$269,000
SANDHAMN
5382 Sandhamn Place Maria Beck PA & Jalina Beck 941-356-0063A4496985$2,950,000
BRADENTON BEACH CLUB
307 17th Street 307 Jodene Moneuse 941-302-4913A4496009$975,000
NEW CONSTRUCTION
PALMA SOLA BAY CLUB
7930 34th Avenue W 201 Pamela Miller 614-632-2801 A4496824 $675,000
FROM PAGE 1
The governor then addressed his plans moving forward.
“We want this to be the last chapter of the Piney Point story. Today, I’m directing the Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to close Piney Point. I’ve requested that DEP’s team of engineers and scientists develop plans for the permanent closure of this site, including identifying necessary resources to do so. This will ensure the state is moving forward with a plausible scientific plan toward closure,” DeSantis said.
“I’m redirecting $15.4 million from existing appropriations at DEP to use innovative technologies to pre-treat water at the site for nutrients so that in the event that further controlled discharges are needed, any potential adverse environmental impacts such as algae blooms and fish kills are mitigated,” DeSantis said.
“I’m further directing DEP to fully investigate the incidents here at Piney Point to take any and all legal actions to ensure we hold HRK and the other actors fully accountable,” the governor said.
Speaking next, Simpson addressed the state Legislature’s efforts.
“This year we’re going to appropriate $100 million for the initial funding. By the end of the year, we hope to get a full closure plan with a fully-funded amount that may be required; and then come back next year and have a fully-funded plan,” he said.
DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein also spoke about holding HRK Holdings responsible for the environmental and economic impacts caused by the breach of the Piney Point containment stack.
“We have a team of attorneys back at Tallahassee that is making sure they take advantage of all the information we’re collecting and then put together a case to hold HRK fully accountable. We are putting every effort to hold folks accountable, regardless or not of a particular corporation’s circumstances,” he said.
After Tuesday’s press conference, Port Manatee Director of Communications Virginia Zimmermann provided The Sun with a tour of the Berth 12 area where the Piney Point water was discharged into Tampa Bay through an inland canal that helped move the discharged water into the deep water shipping channel. Zimmermann said the port remained fully operational while the Piney Point crisis played out.
According to DEP, about 215 million gallons of water containing elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates were discharged into Tampa Bay. Phosphates and nitrates are primary ingredients in fertilizer and concerns linger regarding the potential environmental impact of discharging that much nutrient-rich water into Tampa Bay.
The controlled discharge began on March 31 after a breach was identified in one of the three Piney Point phosphogypsum containment stacks. DEP refers to the breached gyp stack that resembles a small lake as the “NGS-South compartment.”
ANOTHER LEAK
According to DEP’s daily update on Saturday, April 17, about 205 million gallons remained in the NGS-South compartment and DEP was preparing to manage increased stormwater on the Piney Point property ahead of weather forecasts predicting rain and windy conditions early this week.
According to Friday’s update, members of the University of South Florida’s School of Geosciences began using bathymetric equipment that day to survey the gyp stack and further assess repairs previously made to its submerged liner.
Friday’s update noted that on Tuesday, April 13, a lowlevel flow was observed from the concentrated seepage area on the east wall of the gyp stack: “Dive crews immediately arrived on scene and identified a small detachment underneath the plate placed over the liner seam separation. At this time, the low-level flow rate appears to be consistent and repair efforts continue.”
PREVIOUS SEAGRASS LOSSES
Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director Dave Tomasko lamented the previous loss of seagrass that occurred in Sarasota Bay before the Piney Point crisis.
“We just had our numbers released Friday about the seagrass change. We’re down 18%. We lost more than 2,000 acres of seagrass in the northern part of Sarasota Bay between 2018 and 2020 in the area around Long Bar Pointe. North and south of Long Bar Pointe we’re down 18%, after a 5% loss between 2016 and 2018,” he said.
Tomasko was asked why so much seagrass has been lost near Long Bar Pointe.
“We think it’s because of two red tides in 2016 and 2017. Then you had Hurricane Irma in 2017 and a real strong red tide from 2018 going into 2019. The red tide shuts off the photosynthesis. The seagrass expires because the water is warm and there’s not enough light,” he said.
“The last thing we need is another red tide like we had in 2018-2019. We’re already in a stressed position and now we’ve got red tide to the south and Piney Point to the north. The last thing we need is for people to think the crisis is past. We’re nowhere near close to knowing what the effects are going to be,” he added.
HOLMES BEACH DECLARATION
On Tuesday, April 13, the Holmes Beach City Commission adopted by city resolution a declaration of a local state of emergency that serves as the city’s preemptive response to the potential environmental and economic impacts of the Piney Point discharge.
“The city commission has determined that the release of contaminated water from the Piney Point facility poses an immediate and real threat to the residents and businesses of the city of Holmes Beach. The city commission supports the allocation of federal and state funds to develop and implement a plan that will eliminate any future threat that the Piney Point facility poses to Tampa Bay and surrounding waters,” the resolution states.
The Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach city commissions declared similar declarations of emergency on April 8.
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN The Piney Point discharge entered the shipping channel and Tampa Bay at Port Manatee’s Berth 12.
