News & Media WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to temporarily lift its ban on buyers directly paying for professional real estate representation until the agency deems it necessary to engage in a formal rulemaking process, a VA official said Tuesday at a Mortgage Bankers Association conference in New York. Although not […]
WASHINGTON – Receiving notification that you’ve won a business grant — one you don’t remember applying for — could seem like a stroke of luck. It’s not. It’s a scam. Limited access to capital can make a small-business owner especially vulnerable to grant scams, according to Carolina Martinez, CEO of Cameo, a California-based microbusiness […]
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Covid pandemic caused significant volatility in interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. Before the pandemic, interest rates remained in the 3% to 5% range, which helped stabilize the housing industry and restore confidence in homeownership. Homeowners could sell their homes five to seven years later at rates similar to when […]
ORLANDO, Fla.– Florida’s housing market in April showed more closed sales, more for-sale inventory, more new listings and higher median prices compared to a year ago, according to Florida Realtors®’ latest housing data. “More active listings provide more options and more homeownership opportunities for buyers, which in turn helps encourage buyer demand,” said 2024 […]
WASHINGTON – Existing-home sales receded in April, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All four major U.S. regions posted month-over-month declines. Year-over-year, sales decreased in the Northeast, Midwest and South but increased in the West. Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – slid 1.9% from […]
NEW YORK – Are you serious about selling your home? Consider these common seller mistakes: 1. Pricing too high: It’s no secret, price is everything. Overpricing does more to discourage buyers than any other single factor. When you overprice, you put your home in competition with homes that may be newer, larger or have […]
News & Media MIAMI – John Burns Research and Consulting (JBRC) reports that 93,000 new single-family homes for rent were completed last year, the most in any other year and up 39% from the number of rental homes completed in 2022. The number of rental homes being constructed is expected to continue at a […]
MIAMI – Buying your first home can be an exciting yet scary process. All that saving and searching can be stressful, especially when you’re unsure where you’d like to settle down. Thanks to some research by MoneyGeek, they’ve been able to pinpoint where young adults have been buying homes the most in the country. […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Rejecting arguments by Florida and business groups, an appeals court Monday refused to put on hold a U.S. district judge’s ruling in a battle about permitting authority for projects that affect wetlands. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an order that […]
WASHINGTON – The National Association of Realtors® on Monday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for a rehearing, challenging its ruling that would allow the Department of Justice to reopen a previously closed investigation into NAR’s policies. In the filing, which forcefully advocates for the interests of members, […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — More than two-thirds of the $3 billion set aside by the Florida Legislature to shore up the state’s collapsing property insurance industry has gone untouched since it first became available in 2022. Many insurance companies, which asked the Legislature for help, have mostly steered clear of that money. Industry analysts said […]
WASHINGTON – When designing your kitchen, there are so many things to consider, from the colors and layout to the appliances and materials. A kitchen design should be thought of as a long-term investment, considering it’s one of the most expensive areas to renovate in a home. Yet, two-thirds of about 2,000 consumers recently […]