Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that he promises will “put an end to the squatter scam” in Florida.
DeSantis signed House Bill 621, which allows a property owner to ask law enforcement to remove squatters from properties and creates penalties for those who violate the law.
The law would not apply to former or current tenants involved in a legal dispute with the landlord. The property owner has to have directed the squatter to leave the property before calling the police, and the individual must have unlawfully entered the property.
The properties have to include a residential dwelling unit, so the law wouldn’t apply to vacant land, for example.
If someone falsely claims in writing to have property rights for the home, like having a fake lease or deed, they could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor under HB 621. Those who unlawfully occupy or trespass and cause $1,000 or more in damages will face second-degree felony charges. And anyone who knowingly advertises a residential property for sale or rent without the authority to do so will face a first-degree felony charge.
Source:The Real Deal
Mortgage Rates
Move Towards Seven Percent
Mortgage rates have been drifting higher for most of the year due to sustained inflation and the reevaluation of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy path. While newly released inflation data from March continues to show a trend of very little movement, the financial market’s reaction paints a far different economic picture. Since inflation decelerated from 9% to 3% between June 2022 and June 2023, the annual growth rate of inflation has remained effectively flat, ranging from 3.1% to 3.7% and averaging 3.3%. The March estimate of 3.5% annual growth is in the middle of that range. However, the market’s reaction was dramatically different, as illustrated by a significant drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average post-announcement.
