NEWS
It's cheaper to rent than own a home in 11 states, but Fla.'s average monthly rent, $1,543, is still higher than the cost of an average monthly mortgage: $1,376.
Renewing your RE license after March 31, 2018? There are new education requirements. The 14-hour rule stays but it will include a mandatory Ethics and Biz course.
Fixed-rate mortgages rose above 4% three weeks ago, but they're down to 3.92% this week even though the Fed has increased short-term rates 4 times in 18 months.
It's a good time to sell. Sellers' home equity increased 45.3% in South Fla., but the Fla. metro with the lowest equity growth still saw a healthy 25.4% increase.
A TV and media focus on "living small" boosted demand for 400-square-foot homes, but a new study finds that many once-excited owners don't really like them much.
The Fed announced that it wouldn't raise short-term interest rates, which is good for adjustable-rate mortgages. But it might start to sell off its bonds in the fall, which would probably start to push rates higher for fixed-rate mortgages.
The Commerce Dept. said new-home sales rose a healthy 10.9% so far this year – a sign that more would-be buyers are seeking newly built property.
Remember the IRS scam where criminals stole Social Security numbers and hijacked tax return money by filing a false claim? Businesses are the new target.
Congress says the National Flood Insurance Program can't afford to keep covering homes that repeatedly flood. One tactic under consideration: Buy up all the high-risk properties. It's unclear, however, how any changes would impact Fla.
Cash offers often win bidding wars even if lower, because skittish sellers worry that a low appraisal might jeopardize a deal if their buyers need a mortgage.
State officials say skimmers, which record data and passcodes, are now showing up at more gas stations and even retail stores.
In exchange for a bigger home in a nicer setting, more buyers are willing to commute up to two hours each way to combat higher home prices and tighter inventory.
The Fed could raise short-term interest rates this week, which affect ARMs and, indirectly, fixed-rate mortgages. But few experts think that will happen.
The CFPB recently loosened rules, and agents now have easier access to the closing disclosure providing certain private information is removed. However now, as before, the lenders decide how to handle it.
The Standard and Poor's CoreLogic national home price index increased 5.6% in May, the latest data available. It's now 3.2% higher than its July 2006 peak.
Conference Board's chief economist says that consumers "foresee the current economic expansion continuing well into the second half of this year."
It's not only Fla. wrestling with rules for high-rises. Other U.S. cities are also trying to find a balance between the high costs to retrofit vs. resident safety.
While institutional investors receive lots of attention, however, they only own abut 5% of non-owner-occupied single-family homes. Small investors own the rest.
U.S. home prices rose 6.5% year-to-year, though sales declined 1.8% from May to June. The supply of available U.S. homes "remains stuck at a meager level" and price growth is straining buyers' budgets," says NAR's chief economist.
Florida Realtors' June home report found that single-family sales grew 4.3% year-to-year as median prices rose 8.9%.
Also: The HOA owns the irrigation system under our driveway but we own the pavers. If the HOA's system caused our driveway to sink, who has to fix it?
Bright light can drown out a smartphone, making you duck into a dark corner to read a new email – but a few tricks can make sunlight viewing easier.
While the computer glasses were trashed by privacy advocates the first time around, faster data access and safety benefits might make them a good business tool.
An uptick in smaller new homes was noticed about a year ago, but builders still have trouble finding affordable land in close-to-the-city locations.
Buyers can secure a mortgage using only electronic documents, but 70% aren't comfy doing everything through a smartphone even if they like the convenience.
The bill working its way through Congress has "significant improvements," including a commitment to protect current owners from substantial rate increases.
Federal flood policies base their rate on flood maps, but Fla.'s growing number of private flood insurers will lower the cost of a policy if a home has been fortified to minimize potential damage from rising waters.
The U.S. alleges that the bank discriminated against 53K mortgage borrowers. JP Morgan denies the accusation, but it agreed to settle the charges anyway.
After two weeks of increases that took the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to 4.03%, it dropped back this week to an average 3.96%.
ATTOM's first half of 2017 report: Year-to-year, the Fla. foreclosure rate dropped 34%, and its No. 1 status a few years ago dropped to No. 7 this year. The state's foreclosure process still takes a long time, however – an average 3.3 years.
A homeowner was preparing to cut down a backyard tree that drops leaves in his pool until a neighbor said he needed a permit to do so. Can that be right?
Should consumers be able to view a website faster if the website's owner paid a fee? That proposal stirred debate, and NAR came out against it earlier this week.
Managed to get your website to appear near the top of a Google search? Will that change? Google has once again tinkered with its search criteria.
Millennials want to buy a home, but YOLO makes it tough. Realtors who find a way to introduce FOMO budgeting (fear of missing out) may create new clients.
However, a lot of people "lose a lot of money because they don't know what they're doing," says brother Jonathan Scott. The twin celebrities of home renovation TV shows say it takes know-how to invest in the real estate business.
Sec. Ben Carson pledged to "work toward a time when no family is without a home," even though the Trump administration has proposed 14.5% cuts to HUD's budget.
In May, experts wondered if the drop in housing starts was an anomaly, and June's surge suggests that it was. In addition, building permits rose 7.4%.
The recession hit when today's 35-50 year olds should have been buying homes, and the foreclosure wave and bad job market hurt them more than other generations.
Study: Google searches related to buying a first home surged to 44% of all home-buying-related search activity – an 11-percentage point year-to-year increase.
A tightly sealed home can reduce heating/cooling costs and minimize its environmental impact, but stale recirculated air can also cause health problems.
The lowest reading since Nov. 2016 is based, in part, on fears about the rising cost of supplies, notably lumber from Canada that now faces potential tariffs.
A substantial increase in sales dollar volume from Canadians pushed foreign investment in U.S. real estate to an all-time high, and Fla. was the top draw with 22% of all U.S. transactions. Second-place Texas and Calif. each had 12%.
The FCC wants to allow internet providers to charge website owners for faster loading, but NAR says that would limit consumers' access to real estate listings.
What do Americans click most on home remodeling websites? Currently, they're drawn to modern, high-end finishes, spa-like bathrooms and chic industrial features.
WalletHub looked at affordability, quality of life and real estate market health in 300 cities. While Miami ranked toward the bottom, five Fla. cities landed in the top third, including two S. Fla. markets. Tampa led Fla. cities at No. 31.
Fake "rental" info using data from a real home listing is common on Craigslist, but a Ga. scammer broke in, changed locks and gave keys to unsuspecting renters.
Can you summarize the new estoppel fee requirements? And our association has some commercial tenants with no written leases. Is this legal?
More private S. Fla. insurers are pulling out of the market or raising rates, in large part because assignment of benefits claims make it unprofitable to stay.
Tense situations with clients can sometimes get heated, and it's important to control emotions. But that's sometimes easier said than done.
Fla. owes money to owners after the state cut down citrus trees, but Gov. Scott vetoed the funds and the Fla. Supreme Court ruled that he has the right to do so.