Dorota Dyman & Associates

The year 2013 was a year of survival for the real estate sector, but expectations are now high among developers and analysts. The industry is pinning hopes on a mid-year turnaround after the General Elections, it is not likely to materialize given the time lag for policy implementation. So how would 2014 pan out for realty? The first three quarters would see much of the problems of last year persisting, before showing some signs of change. Few experts believe that prices in several locations will go northward. That would be constraints since the problems of the sector remain unsolved, and policies have made no substantial impact, and those on the cards may not be enough to give the required momentum.

A Davenport real estate lawyer who was convicted of helping buyers fraudulently secure inflated loans before the 2008 housing crash will lose his ability to practice law, the Iowa Supreme Court decided Friday. The court revoked the law license of Marc Engelmann, saying his conduct caused large financial losses to lenders even if it did not enrich him. Engelmann, 62, is serving a three-year prison term after a federal jury convicted him in 2011 of wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy. Engelmann represented a seller in nine different sales of residential properties to the same two buyers. In each transaction, Engelmann filed official forms that overstated the actual sales price by $30,000. The inflated price deceived lenders, who approved loans for the buyers that were larger than the actual prices. The seller received the higher price gave a $30,000 kickback to the buyers at closing. The buyers defaulted on the home loans after the 2008 market crash, causing a loss to the lenders of $393,000. Engelmann testified that he believed it was appropriate, if unusual, for the deals to be structured with a "cash refund" to the buyers, and he denied committing fraud. But the high court rejected that argument Friday, as the jury did in 2011. A federal appeals court also has upheld his convictions. Justice Thomas Waterman said Engelmann made repeated misrepresentations that deceived lenders. As a sophisticated real estate attorney, Engelmann knew or should have known that the deals were unethical and refused to take part, he wrote. READ FULL AT: http://acworth.patch.com/groups/laurent-scarter-blogs-and-reviews/p/dorota-dyman--associates-real-estate--lawyer-loses-license-after-fraud