News & Media WASHINGTON – Pending home sales in January dropped 4.9%, according to the National Association of Realtors®. The Northeast and West posted monthly gains in transactions while the Midwest and South recorded losses. All four U.S. regions registered year-over-year decreases. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) – a forward-looking indicator of home […]
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for the fourth consecutive week, another setback for prospective homebuyers just as the spring homebuying season gets going. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 6.94% from 6.90% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate […]
ORLANDO, Fla. – In today’s fast-paced market, sellers receive many competitive offers on their properties. Some sellers may choose to ask for highest and best; some sellers may just accept one of the offers presented to them. This article isn’t about that though. This article focuses on the agents involved and their actions with […]
ORLANDO, Fla. – Question: I’m a sales associate who switched real estate companies a few months ago. I thought everything was in order, but when my former broker paid me for a transaction that closed, the amount didn’t match the split we had when I worked there. My former broker can’t do this to […]
ORLANDO, Fla. – Dear Shannon: I’m a highly professional, well-respected commercial broker, and I negotiated a finder’s fee with a potential buyer to locate a small commercial property. The buyer had specific requirements and said they didn’t have room to compromise. We agreed the buyer would pay me a finder’s fee if I found […]
WASHINGTON – Recent legislation challenges the classification of real estate professionals. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) recent final rule regarding how workers should be classified under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) could pose a risk to real estate professionals’ classification as independent contractors, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). As […]
News & Media POLK COUNTY, Fla. – St. Petersburg-based developer Blue Sky Communities broke ground on a $23 million affordable housing development in Polk County, Florida, called Jersey Commons in Winter Haven. The community will have three buildings with 68 one- and two-bedroom units, with rents ranging from $402 per month to $964 per […]
News & Media TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Personas can help real estate professionals improve their ability to connect with ideal clients, making them feel seen and understood. These personas range from young professionals looking for their first home to others to retirees looking to downsize. Real estate professionals should create a VIP guest list that […]
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – A property appraisal is needed any time mortgage financing is used to purchase residential real estate. Often, an appraisal is ordered and everyone anxiously awaits the completed report since it may or may not support the already agreed-upon contract price. An individual appraiser’s local knowledge and experience contribute to the completed […]
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Sharp increases in what it costs to own a condominium in Florida are driving down prices that owners can get when they sell their condos in the state, according to a report released Tuesday by national real estate brokerage Redfin. The report, written by Redfin data journalist Dana Anderson, cited higher costs of insurance and […]
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy grew at a robust 3.2% annual pace from October through December, propelled by healthy consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday in a slight downgrade from its initial estimate. The expansion in the nation’s gross domestic product – the economy’s total output of goods and services – slipped […]
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Consumer sentiment among Floridians increased for a fifth month in a row in February to 74.1, up 1.5 points from a revised figure of 72.6 in January, reinforcing the optimistic outlook set at the beginning of the year. “The last time consumer sentiment increased for five consecutive months was before the […]
