November 25, 2023
Home Sales Likely to Weaken in Near Term
Fannie Mae researchers: Mortgage rates in 2024 will retreat from recent highs and average 6.8% by year’s end; in turn,...
November 24, 2023
Congress Approves Temporary Funding Bill
Last week’s approval ended the threat of a government shutdown until after the holidays and pushed a fight over the...
November 23, 2023
U.S. Unemployment Claims Drop, Showing Resiliency
Despite high interest rates, jobless claims this week dropped to 209K. The economy’s durability raises hopes the Fed can...
November 22, 2023
NEW HOME PURCHASE APPLICATIONS UP NEARLY 40% IN OCTOBER
Mortgage applications for new home purchases during October were up by 6% from September and up by 39.7% from one year...
November 21, 2023
New Home Lot Inventory Modestly Climbs Again
Zonda’s New Home Lot Supply index showed the U.S. lot supply loosened year-over-year in the 3Q. But Miami was in...
November 20, 2023
What’s Pushing Inflation Down?
Answer: More goods, workers and housing. Overall inflation didn’t rise from Sept. to Oct., the 1st time consumer prices...
November 18, 2023
Latest Data Shows Home Prices, Rates May Improve
Freddie Mac Chief Economist: “New data indicate inflationary pressures are receding” – which, along with lower mortgage...
November 17, 2023
Average 30-Year Mortgage Rate Falls to 7.44%
Last week, it was 7.5%. It’s the third weekly drop in a row, good news for buyers facing persistently high prices and a...
November 16, 2023
The 1% Rate Difference on Monthly Mortgage Payments
Interest rate volatility on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has dramatically reshaped the housing industry since the...
November 15, 2023
Inflation Eased in Oct. as It Continues to Cool
Gas, cars and airfare cost less last month. Prices rose 3.2% year-to-year in Oct. – still higher than the Fed’s 2% goal...
November 14, 2023
NAR Releases 2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
In the face of high interest rates and rising home prices, the typical buyer’s income rose 22% to $107K. 1 out of 3...
November 13, 2023
Legislature: $176M for ‘My Safe Fla. Home’ Program
A unanimous House and Senate approved more funding. Floridians who already submitted applications may get recommended...
November 11, 2023
NAR: Higher Home Prices in 82% of U.S. Metros
11% of metros saw double-digit price increases in 3Q, even though buyers faced a one-year mortgage payment increase of...
November 10, 2023
Mortgage Rates Drop for 2nd Week, Go to 7.5%
It’s a notable drop from last week’s 7.76% for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, due in part to a drop in bonds after the...
November 9, 2023
1 in 3 Buyers Uses Cash – Highest Share in a Decade
In Fla., cash sales dropped year-to-year in only one metro: Fort Lauderdale. The percentage of cash sales ranged from...
November 8, 2023
Mortgage Buydowns: How Do They Work?
Some homebuyers priced out of the market opt for a mortgage buydown, usually funded by sellers, in order to lower their...
November 7, 2023
Fla. Hometown Heroes Gets $36M More in Funding
The Fla. workforce housing program offers buyers down payments up to $35K for full-time Fla. workers who earn less than...
November 6, 2023
NEARLY 7% OF HOMES FOR SALE POSTED A PRICE DROP
Nearly 7% of U.S. homes listed for sale posted a price drop during the four weeks ending Oct. 29, on average, according...
November 4, 2023
Solar Panels – Questions to Ask Before Contract
If a seller’s home has solar panels, they should research how those panels could impact their transaction before going...
November 3, 2023
Mortgage Rates Drop, First Time in 7 Weeks
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell slightly this week, ending a seven-week...
November 1, 2023
FHFA: Aug. Housing Prices Rose 5.6% Year-to-Year
Home prices aren’t coming down, at least not in most of the U.S. The study of Fannie/Freddie data found just 1 of 9...
October 31, 2023
Do People Really Move Because of Taxes?
Fla. touts its no-income-tax status, but moving is complicated and buyers consider many variables. Still, it appears...
October 30, 2023
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...
October 28, 2023
What is a Reverse Mortgage?
There’s an interest uptick in reverse mortgages, notably from older adults on fixed incomes coping with inflation. They...
October 27, 2023
4.9% 3Q Economic Growth Strongest in 2 Years
The economy more than doubled from its 2Q growth rate of 2.1% – but inflation also dropped to 2.4%. Some economists...
October 26, 2023
Sept. New Home Sales Surge 12.3%
With too-few existing homes listed for sale, more homebuyers opted for new construction, which saw sales rise 12.3%...
October 25, 2023
Survey: Bleak News for Remote Workers
Remote work, the only viable pandemic option, is now a workplace perk for many people – but more and more employers are...
October 24, 2023
Should Downsizing Homeowners Cash In or Wait?
Homeowners looking to downsize wonder if they should sell now before higher mortgage rates push home prices lower or...
October 23, 2023
1 in 5 Couples Include ‘Home Fund’ in Wedding Registry
On wedding website The Knot, 20% of couples ask for home down payment money – an amount that has risen 55% over the past...
October 22, 2023
The Rough Buyers Market Still Great for Sellers
Years of soaring prices and a limited inventory of for-sale homes has stressed buyers for years, but today’s market...
October 20, 2023
Selling a Haunted House? What You Need to Know
ORLANDO, Fla. – Your dream home may be haunted, and in most states, sellers don’t have to say boo about it.A...
October 19, 2023
Single-Family Starts Up a Surprising 7% in Sept.
Frustrated with the lack of existing-home inventory, more buyers turned to new construction in Sept. despite mortgage...
October 18, 2023
How Will FHA Calculate ADU Rent Income in a Loan?
To promote affordable housing, HUD says rental income from an accessory dwelling unit will be considered for FHA loans....
October 17, 2023
White House Announces Homeownership Actions
FHA will allow expected rental income from an accessory side unit to be considered for an FHA loan, the 203(k)...
October 16, 2023
Inflation Eased Last Month – But Not a Lot
The economy and RE market will improve if inflation is under control, and it’s dropping each month – but at a slower...
October 14, 2023
HOME VALUES IN 0.1% DECLINE DURING SEPTEMBER
U.S. home values took a miniscule – but still unexpected – decline of 0.1% from August into September, according to new...
October 13, 2023
Three Things Homebuyers Can Ask for Now
It’s still a seller’s market, but its strength has declined. Buyers now have a little leeway with sellers and notably...
October 12, 2023
U.S. Isn’t Ready for Boomers to Age in Place
Census Bureau survey: There’s a disconnect between perception and reality. While many older adults think they can “age...
October 11, 2023
2 Fed Officials: No Interest-Rate Hike Needed
A surge in long-term interest rates – a factor pushing mortgage rates higher – will fight inflation and negate the need...
October 10, 2023
Century 21 CEO: We Need Up to 5M New Homes
CEO Mike Miedler say 7% mortgage rates are on par with rates historically, even if they did rise rapidly. Main problem...
October 9, 2023
Pandemic Migration Creates Housing Crisis
Buyers complain about too-few sellers selling – but some homeowners want to move and feel frustrated that an ultra-low...
October 7, 2023
Good Economic News is Bad Inflation News
The U.S. added 336K jobs in Sept. – far above expectations for 162K. It says good things about the economy, but the Fed...
October 6, 2023
Mortgage Rates Move Higher Yet Again, Hit 7.49%
Skittish investors keep nudging mortgage rates higher. Last week, a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.31%; a year...
October 5, 2023
NAR Economist: 2024 Better than Rest of 2023
Lawrence Yun and other economists spoke to Naples Realtors last week. Yun says mortgage rates could hit 8% later this...
October 4, 2023
Fla. Getting New Private Flood Insurance Company
An AI-based, NextGen cloud platform, Titan Flood, plans to offer private flood insurance policies with the ability to...
October 3, 2023
Property Appraiser Q&A on Homestead Exemptions
Property appraisal tax rules vary by county, but they’re similar. A Q&A with the Citrus County property appraiser...
October 2, 2023
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...
September 30, 2023
Buyers’ Tactics in the Face of High Mortgage Rates
Buyers may be able to make rising mortgage rates less onerous by using one or more of these nine tips suggested by RE...
September 29, 2023
Mortgage Rates Hit 7.31% – a 23-Year High
Last week, a 30-year, fixed-rate loan averaged 7.19%; a year ago, it was 6.70%. The last time rates were this high was...
September 28, 2023
Start Spreading the News: Fla. Tops NY in Home Values
Study: Fla. leaped past New York to be No. 2 in housing values, trailing only Calif. S. Fla. (No. 5) and Tampa (No. 18)...
September 27, 2023
US HOUSING MARKET VALUE UP 49% FROM THE START OF THE PANDEMIC
The total value of the U.S. housing market is now 49% higher than the level at February 2020, the period before the...
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