When large South Florida developers needed money, they often turned to Lehman Brothers.
That role ended in dramatic fashion when Lehman filed for bankruptcy protection. But Lehman still controls nearly $2 billion in large loans throughout the region, meaning the bank’s demise will play out across South Florida’s besieged real estate market.
Among the local projects Lehman [...]

Bill Barnes, the new leader of the Bonita Springs-Estero Association of Realtors knows he is taking the helm in the midst of stormy economic times.
“It’s easy to guide a ship when the ocean is flat,” Barnes said. “We’re on the outer edges of a hurricane here.”
Barnes is a manager and developer of 13 different real [...]