Fannie Mae Sees Positive Home Price Growth Through 2025

Fannie Mae Sees Positive Home Price Growth Through 2025

Changes – and Opportunities – Ahead During Hurricane Ian Cleanup

Changes – and Opportunities – Ahead During Hurricane Ian Cleanup

FSBO Sellers Regret Not Having an Agent

FSBO Sellers Regret Not Having an Agent

‘Buy Now, Refinance Later’ Mortgage Deals Luring New Homebuyers

‘Buy Now, Refinance Later’ Mortgage Deals Luring New Homebuyers

FHFA: 2024 Conforming Loan Limits Rise by $40K

FHFA: 2024 Conforming Loan Limits Rise by $40K

Note to Seniors: The Kids Don’t Want Your House

Note to Seniors: The Kids Don’t Want Your House

Gov. Signs My Safe Florida Home and Other Bills

Gov. Signs My Safe Florida Home and Other Bills

NAR Focuses on Tax Policies, Sustainability -Possible tax credit for seling single family homes

NAR Focuses on Tax Policies, Sustainability

Miami Luxury Prices Soar as Billionaires Move In -Makes Sanibel and Captiva seem very affordable!

Miami Luxury Prices Soar as Billionaires Move In: RE investors are building more $50M-plus condos in S. Fla. as demand grows from an uptick of rich Americans who are relocating to be close to other rich Americans.

RE Investing: Retirement Life Raft or Sinking Ship?

RE Investing: Retirement Life Raft or Sinking Ship?

Legislature: $176M for ‘My Safe Fla. Home’ Program

Legislature: $176M for ‘My Safe Fla. Home’ Program

Mortgage Buydowns: How Do They Work?

Mortgage Buydowns: How Do They Work?

Do Nearby Foreclosures Affect Home Values?

Do Nearby Foreclosures Affect Home Values?

67% of Buyers Willing to Live with Ghost Roommate

67% of Buyers Willing to Live with Ghost Roommate: How hard is it to find the perfect home? If it has the right location and price, 7 out of 10 homebuyers are willing to overlook poltergeist shenanigans.

Mortgage Rates Rise Ever Higher, Hit 7.79%

Mortgage Rates Rise Ever Higher, Hit 7.79%: The average for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan moved higher for the seventh week in a row. Last week it averaged 7.63%; a year ago, it was 7.08%.

Fla. Sale: 50% Off Parks and Sports Licenses

Fla. Sale: 50% Off Parks and Sports Licenses: The “Great Outdoors Initiative” encourages Floridians to explore nature. State park admissions, plus hunting and fishing licenses are discounted until Jan. 13.

An 8% Mortgage Rate? Not Completely Crazy

An 8% Mortgage Rate? Not Completely Crazy

U.S. Households Need $115K/year for Median-Priced Home

U.S. Households Need $115K/year for Median-Priced Home

White House Announces Homeownership Actions

White House Announces Homeownership Actions

Three Things Homebuyers Can Ask for Now

Three Things Homebuyers Can Ask for Now

Building Code Proven to Help During Storms

Building Code Proven to Help During Storms: But a new report suggests growth along Fla.’s coast undermines those hard-won building-code gains and fuels the rising cost of windstorm insurance.

Mold in a Home? Tips for Detecting and Removing

Mold in a Home? Tips for Detecting and Removing: Any home can have mold, but it’s a notable problem after storms like Hurricane Idalia. The EPA says mold can sometimes be present but unseen. Start with a smell test.

Renters Insurance: What It Does and Doesn’t Cover

Renters Insurance: What It Does and Doesn’t Cover

Confused Buyers? No Wonder with Today’s Headlines

Confused Buyers? No Wonder with Today’s Headlines

Fla. OKs New Property Insurer: Mainsail Insurance

Fla. OKs New Property Insurer: Mainsail Insurance

Cars Could Power Homes After a Hurricane

Cars Could Power Homes After a Hurricane: By 2026, GM says all its Ultium-based electric vehicles will have bidirectional charging – to be charged at home but also send power back to the house if needed.

The 80/20 Rule – Intro to Mortgage Insurance

The 80/20 Rule – Intro to Mortgage Insurance

Do-It-Yourself Projects that Add Value

Do-It-Yourself Projects that Add Value

1 in 4 Floridians Would Ignore Evacuation Warnings

1 in 4 Floridians Would Ignore Evacuation Warnings

First-Timers’ Need 13% More Income this Year

First-Timers’ Need 13% More Income this Year: Nationally it’s 13%, but in Fort Lauderdale it’s 28% – the highest in the U.S. In Miami, a first-time buyer needs to earn 25% more than they did a year ago.

Disappointed Buyers Ask, ‘Where’s the Housing Crash?’

Disappointed Buyers Ask, ‘Where’s the Housing Crash?’: Someday a buyer’s market will return, but it’s not today and it won’t be tomorrow. Bidding wars have returned and some metros still see rising prices.

Fla. Back-to-School Tax Holiday Starts Monday

Fla. Back-to-School Tax Holiday Starts Monday

New ‘Trust Mark’ Label Coming for Tech Products

New ‘Trust Mark’ Label Coming for Tech Products: Just as the “Energy Star” rating denotes energy efficiency, products with “Trust Mark” on them will be FCC approved for their cyber safety.

Simple Trick Saves Buyers Thousands of Dollars

Simple Trick Saves Buyers Thousands of Dollars

Study: Real Estate Hot in Hurricane Ian-Hit Areas

Study: Real Estate Hot in Hurricane Ian-Hit Areas

Accept It: Higher Mortgage Rates Here to Stay

Accept It: Higher Mortgage Rates Here to Stay

Sales Tax Holiday Starts on Energy Star Appliances

Sales Tax Holiday Starts on Energy Star Appliances

New Rules Govern ‘Force-Place’ Insurance

New Rules Govern ‘Force-Place’ Insurance: If a homeowner with a mortgage no longer has property insurance, their lender will “force place” a policy on them. The new regulations make the process fairer.

How Does First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Work?

How Does First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Work?

Nonprofit’s Goal: 4M Latino Homeowners by 2030

Nonprofit’s Goal: 4M Latino Homeowners by 2030: A nonprofit organization, UnidosUS, wants to help Hispanic families build generational wealth through homeownership. Wells Fargo kicked off a $100M funding effort.

Supreme Court Ruling Backs Private Property Rights

Supreme Court Ruling Backs Private Property Rights

The Fed’s Rate Hikes Slowed: Now What?

The Fed’s Rate Hikes Slowed: Now What?: Even if the Fed follows through on two small rate hikes, the future appears fairly stable and financial benchmarks – loan rates, for example – will be more predictable.

Fed Keeps Rates Steady, Suggests 2 More Increases

Fed Keeps Rates Steady, Suggests 2 More Increases

Fla. Oks $117.3M for Affordable Housing Development

Fla. Oks $117.3M for Affordable Housing Development: Florida Housing’s board approved money for 30 developments across Fla., with most of the funding coming from the Florida Realtors-supported Live Local Act.

An Innovative Way to Own a Home? Land Trusts Worth a read!

An Innovative Way to Own a Home? Land Trusts

June Is National Homeownership Month

June Is National Homeownership Month: Help Florida Realtors recognize the impact homeownership has on people’s lives and local communities. Spread the word and celebrate the month.

Gov. Signs 3 Property Insurance Bills into Law

Gov. Signs 3 Property Insurance Bills into Law

Over 500K Fla. Renters Lie About Having a Pet

Over 500K Fla. Renters Lie About Having a Pet: Many landlords don’t want pets, so about 1 in 5 Fla. renters (19%) say they lie to their landlord about living with a pet – roughly 504,684 undocumented animals.

Gov. DeSantis Signs Package of Tax Breaks

Gov. DeSantis Signs Package of Tax Breaks

Date of Purchase Beats Home Location

Date of Purchase Beats Home Location

RE Q&A: What to Do with Loud Condo Neighbors

RE Q&A: What to Do with Loud Condo Neighbors

Lower, Middle Classes Increasingly Priced Out Of Homes

Lower, Middle Classes Increasingly Priced Out Of Homes

When Can Recent Buyers Plan to Refinance?

When Can Recent Buyers Plan to Refinance?

Loan Fee Change a Complicated Update

Loan Fee Change a Complicated Update

Out-of-Town Moves Didn’t End with Pandemic

Out-of-Town Moves Didn’t End with Pandemic

Fla. Activates Small Biz Emergency Bridge Loans

Fla. Activates Small Biz Emergency Bridge Loans: Gov. DeSantis says businesses hurt by S. Fla. floods – including sole proprietors – can apply for zero-interest emergency bridge loans through June 19, 2023.

Surcharge Will Add 1% to Fla. Property Insurance Costs

Surcharge Will Add 1% to Fla. Property Insurance Costs: Fla. homeowners’ insurance premiums will go up an extra 1% starting in Oct. The insurance premium add-on will help recoup money caused by property insurer insolvencies.

What Is the Dodd-Frank Act? Why Is It Important?

What Is the Dodd-Frank Act? Why Is It Important?

RE Q&A: What if a Seller Replaces the Good Stuff?

RE Q&A: What if a Seller Replaces the Good Stuff?

The Not-So-Secret Way to Build Equity?

The Not-So-Secret Way to Build Equity?

Wire Fraud: New Twist to Scamming Buyers

Wire Fraud: New Twist to Scamming Buyers: Scammers steal an email login, monitor conversations, pretend to be perhaps a title company, and provide false deposit info. Now they’re doing it via virtual meetings.

Fla. Senate Passes Affordable Housing Plan

Fla. Senate Passes Affordable Housing Plan: A major housing bill strongly backed by Florida Realtors passed the Fla. Senate Wed. The House may suggest changes, but it’s a good start early in the 2023 session.

Is It a Good Time to Sell Your Home?

Is It a Good Time to Sell Your Home?: Buyers are more focused on a home’s asking price in the face of higher interest rates. In a sellers’ market, pricing too high may work. Now it might be a deal breaker.

RE Q&A: What’s Going on with the Market?

RE Q&A: What’s Going on with the Market?

Are You Financially Prepared if Disaster Strikes?

Are You Financially Prepared if Disaster Strikes?

Hurricane Victims May Get Property Tax Break

Hurricane Victims May Get Property Tax Break: Ian and Nicole victims who were forced to find temporary quarters for 30 days may qualify for a property tax discount under a law the Fla. Legislature passed in Dec.

Latest Scam: Fake Citizens Insurance Websites

Latest Scam: Fake Citizens Insurance Websites: State-run Citizens’ policies are sold only through insurance agents, but scammers are creating fake websites to target Fla. homeowners seeking coverage.

Moves to a New State? Fla. Says ‘Hi’ More than ‘Bye’

Moves to a New State? Fla. Says ‘Hi’ More than ‘Bye’: Florida Realtors economist: For do-it-yourself moves, Fla. ranks second in the number of new entrants. Do-it-all movers rank Fla. as one of only four “inbound states.”

Yes, You Should Buy a House This Year

Yes, You Should Buy a House This Year

How Will ‘Renters Bill of Rights’ Affect You?

How Will ‘Renters Bill of Rights’ Affect You?

Fla. Owners Unsure About $10K for Home-Hardening

Fla. Owners Unsure About $10K for Home-Hardening: My Safe Florida Home still offers $2-to-$1 matching grant funds for owners who upgrade storm protections, but a few have specific questions that need answered.

Millennials Shut Out of Housing Market Again

Millennials Shut Out of Housing Market Again: Pandemic relief and low mortgage rates pushed an increase in millennial homeownership, but the share of homes bought plunged from 34% to 26% by mid-2022.

What if Every Floridian had Citizens Insurance?

What if Every Floridian had Citizens Insurance?: The state’s insurer-of-last-resort charges less, but big state programs tend to get bogged down by their own weight over time – and private insurers offer better coverage.

FHA: Some Buyers Can Request Second Appraisal

FHA: Some Buyers Can Request Second Appraisal

How Does a Home Equity Loan Affect Credit Scores?

How Does a Home Equity Loan Affect Credit Scores?: A home equity loan may lower credit scores and make credit more expensive in other areas, such as buying a car – but the HELOC impact may also be minimal.

Homeowners: File Now for Homestead Exemption

Homeowners: File Now for Homestead Exemption