Florida Foreclosures Take an Average of 2 Years

If you are one of the many South Florida homeowners who have recently foreclosed on your home, you are likely still living in that home without making mortgage payments.

In Florida, it takes an average of 2 years to evict a homeowner from their foreclosed property. Nationally, the average is 565 days. This has resulted in many homeowners taking advantage of virtually free housing, not paying their mortgage for several years and still residing in the property.

About 4,200,000 foreclosure cases are currently underway. According to CNN Money, two thirds of these homeowners have not made a mortgage payment for at least one year, with one third stating they have not paid a penny in over 2 years.

11 Ways to Avoid Hurricane Costs

The 2011 Hurricane Season is underway and now is the time to prepare. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts 6-10 hurricanes this year with 3-6 of those classified as major hurricanes. Hurricane damage can be costly, thankfully there are ways to protect your home from storm damage.

Here are 11 Ways to Avoid Hurricane Costs:

1. Plywood - Board up windows with plywood and nails.

2. Fabric Panels - These protect your windows from debris.

3. Hurricane Straps - These help secure your roof from high winds.

4. Flood Barriers - Whether it's sandbags or another product, protecting your home from flooding is a must.

5. Storm Panels - Steel or aluminum shutters provide more window protection than plywood.

6. Roll-Down Hurricane Shutters - The easiest and most convenient way to protect your windows.

7. Garage Door Braces - 80% of residential wind damage occurs because of entry through a garage door. Some newer garage doors are rated for winds up to 150 mph but older garage doors should be secured.

8. Hurricane Glass - A permanent solution for window protection.

9. Accordion Shutters - Retractable aluminum shutters which protect against storm damage and forced entry.

10. Bahama Shutters - Hinged at the top with telescoping arms to protect windows.

11. Colonial Shutters - Attach to the wall and fold inward to close.

Nearly Half of South Florida Homes Underwater

Nearly half of all homes in South Florida were in negative equity, or underwater, after the first quarter of this year.

In Miami, 46.6% of homes were underwater, while the figure was 49.4% in Ft. Lauderdale.

Having negative equity, or being underwater, means that borrower owes more on their mortgage than their home is worth.

USF Building a Solar House You Might Live in Soon

The University of South Florida (USF) is exploring the cutting-edge of Florida housing by building a solar house, competing to win in the U.S. Solar Decathlon to build the most energy efficient house.

More than 50 students and faculty members from universities across Florida will help design, engineer, plan and build the solar house which is a mixture of modern green energy technology and simple cooling techniques used in Florida homes before air conditioning became the norm.

If everything works as planned, the house will generate as much energy as it uses and will be affordable and easy to build.

Who knows, your next home might be a solar house!