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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 87 Manufacturing of transportation such as automobiles, aircraft, ships, and boats has been a strength in Alabama, as have educa- tion and health services, the commentary reported. Slow population growth as well as employment growth in the state have resulted in low housing demand, however. Home prices in Alabama are currently at 11.8 percent below their pre-recession peak, which is close to the national average, accord- ing to Wells Fargo. But after experiencing a surge in 2013, home sales fell off dramatically in Alabama in 2014. e percentage of home sales that are new homes remained low, in- dicating recent slow residential development. e number of foreclosures in Alabama has been relatively low considering the state's soft job market, while the state's number of home- owners delinquent on their loan by more than 90 days falls in line with the national average. e coming years should see gains in the construction industry in Alabama, since several new industrial projects are pending, the report concluded. Florida RANK: 2 90+ Day Foreclosure Unemployment Delinquency Rate Rate Rate JULY 2014 2.91% 4.77% 6.3 YEAR AGO 3.56% 9.05% 7.1 YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -18.2% -47.3% -0.8 Top County CALHOUN COUNTY 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate JULY 2014 3.29% 9.46% YEAR AGO 3.69% 9.17% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -10.9% 3.1% Top Core-Based Statistical Area PALATKA, FL 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate JULY 2014 3.17% 8.33% YEAR AGO 3.38% 12.54% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -6.2% -33.6% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the July 2014 foreclosure rate. All fi gures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate refl ects preliminary July 2014 fi gures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Data & Analytics. Arkansas RANK: 26 90+ Day Foreclosure Unemployment Delinquency Rate Rate Rate JULY 2014 3.26% 1.45% 6.3 YEAR AGO 3.40% 2.14% 7.7 YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -4.0% -32.0% -1.4 Top County MISSISSIPPI COUNTY 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate JULY 2014 4.67% 3.44% YEAR AGO 4.72% 4.07% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -1.0% -15.4% Top Core-Based Statistical Area BLYTHEVILLE, AR 90+ Day Foreclosure Delinquency Rate Rate JULY 2014 4.67% 3.44% YEAR AGO 4.72% 4.07% YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGE -1.0% -15.4% note: The 90+ day delinquecy rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans that are seriously delinquent. The foreclosure rate is the percentage of outstanding mortgage loans currently in foreclosure. State rank is based on the July 2014 foreclosure rate. All fi gures are rounded to the nearest decimal. The unemployment rate refl ects preliminary July 2014 fi gures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All other data courtesy of LPS Data & Analytics. IN THE NEWS Nonprofits Combine Efforts to Improve Housing Opportunity Florida-based nonprofit network Neigh- borWorks recently established a new partner- ship between all 10 of its member organiza- tions. e new group is a collective effort to increase housing opportunities throughout the state of Florida. e new collaboration, known as the NeighborWorks Florida Collaborative, held its first meeting at the NeighborWorks Training Institute (NTI) in Orlando in August. NTI is sponsored by NeighborWorks America, a nationwide organization dedicated to finding affordable housing opportunities while helping people improve their lives and strengthen their communities. NTI is a weeklong training and education program and is the largest assembly in the country of nonprofits dedicated to com- munity development. Among the goals of the NeighborWorks Florida Collaborative are to encourage first- time homeownership, make rental proper- ties more available, and reduce foreclosures around the state. e group plans to achieve these goals by working more closely with local and state governments and increasing engagement with businesses in the private sector and charities. All 10 organizations that form Florida's NeighborWorks network have solid track re- cords in community development. Last year, they combined to invest more than $255 mil- lion to their cause. e various organizations owned and managed more than 4,300 rental homes in 2013, and their efforts netted afford- able housing for more than 1,200 buyers. "Historically, Florida has been at the forefront of housing and community develop- ment both in terms of need and state and local response," said Bob Ansley, president of Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation. "is is a unique opportunity for Florida community development profes- sionals to learn from the nation's finest." e 10 members of NeighborWorks form- ing the new collaborative effort are Centro Campesino Farmworker Center (Florida City), Clearwater Neighborhood Hous- ing Services (Clearwater), Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa (Tampa), Housing Partnership (Riviera Beach), Neigh- borhood Housing and Development Corpo- ration (Gainesville), Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (Miami), Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corp. (Or- lando), Rural Neighborhoods (Florida City), Tallahassee Lenders' Consortium (Tallahas- see), and Tampa Bay Community Develop- ment Corporation. NeighborWorks America has helped countless numbers of people find affordable housing since its formation 35 years ago. In the last five years, various NeighborWorks organizations across the country have gener- ated more than $22.5 billion for reinvestment in their respective communities. Florida Adriana M Montes, MBA Florida Dreams Realty Group adriana@FloridaDreamsRealty.com Cell 321 689 6258 www.fl oridadreamsrealty.com MEMBER Arkansas's residential foreclosure rate for August was one in every 7,792 properties, the fifth lowest rate in the nation, according to RealtyTrac. KNOW THIS

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