Editor note: This article was published on January 20, 2014 and describes Florida housing, foreclosure, and short sale conditions as they stood at that time. Market data, lender and government programs, and court timelines referred to here have changed since publication. It is kept as a record of that period and is not a current statement of Florida law or market conditions.

Miami Florida Foreclosure Attorney Aaron Resnick comments on the breaking story: South Florida No. 2 on mortgage fraud risk list.

South Florida's mortgage fraud risk index spiked 10 percent during the first part of the year, shooting the region to second place nationally for potential housing scams. It ranked 20th during the same time last year. The region, comprising Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, was the only high-risk area to see an overall increase, according to a report released this month by fraud analysis company Interthinx. Top-ranked Modesto, Calif., experienced a 23 percent decrease in the first quarter compared with the same time in 2010. [Source: Palm Beach Post]. Florida litigation attorney, Aaron Resnick stated that “this is very troubling that in such times of unrest in the housing market mortgage fraud is still an issue.” Resnick suggests that all buyers and sellers have an attorney when purchasing property.