ORLANDO, Fla. – Federal law requires all renovation, repair and painting firms that work in housing or facilities where children are routinely present built prior to 1978 be certified. In Florida, this law is enforced through the state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (RRP Rule) went into effect […]
News & Media NEW YORK – U.S. homeowners are still investing in renovations, but remodeling growth is expected to slow in 2026 as higher costs and shifting priorities reshape demand, even as some markets show greater resilience. Total spending on home improvements and maintenance is projected to reach $522 billion by year-end. However, year-over-year […]
WASHINGTON – Budgeting is one of the most important skills a homeowner can have. Planning ahead and budgeting for home projects can help prevent unexpected costs and ensure your projects go smoothly from start to finish. The first step when creating a budget is to evaluate the current state of your home and determine […]
NEW YORK – A helping hand every now and again is vital as people pursue a wide range of goals. Financial assistance can be particularly helpful in modern life thanks to the significant increase in traditionally high-priced items like vehicles and homes. Home prices have soared over the last half decade, and the analysts […]
News & Media WASHINGTON – Pending home sales in January decreased by 0.8% from the prior month and 0.4% year-over-year, according to the National Association of Realtors® Pending Home Sales Report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem — including agents and homebuyers and sellers — with data on the level of home sales […]
News & Media WASHINGTON – The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week to its lowest level in more than three years but remains around 6% in the same narrow range it has been in this year. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.01% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer […]
Dear Shannon: I’m a listing broker and listed a home. I presented the seller with three offers from three different buyers, though all were below the listed price. I advised the seller to accept the offer from the buyer who presented the highest of the three offers. In my opinion, this price was a […]
NEW YORK – Real estate pro Ryann Brier remembers the disappointment on her clients’ faces after being “catfished” by a listing. They fell in love with the online photos of what appeared to be a lakefront home in West Michigan—sunset images glimmering over the water, floor-to-ceiling windows promising sweeping views. Then, they arrived in […]
WASHINGTON – The dust has settled on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the tax landscape for homeowners looks quite a bit different than it did a year ago. Some provisions expired while others expanded, and a few long-debated rules are now permanent. What’s less clear is who actually benefits from these changes […]
News & Media NEW YORK – After years of fast-paced, forgiving conditions, real estate has shifted from what some describe as an “action-based” market to a “skills-based” one. During the boom years, agents could succeed largely on timing and availability. “If you could answer your phone, unlock a door and stay relatively organized, you […]
News & Media ORLANDO, Fla. – Total housing starts for 2025 were 1.36 million, down 0.6% from the 1.37 million total in 2024. Single-family starts in 2025 totaled 943,000, down 6.9% from the previous year. Multifamily starts ended the year up 17.4% from 2024. “Single-family home building dipped in 2025 because of ongoing affordability […]
News & Media WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices are expected to remain flat in 2026 as modest shifts in supply and demand offset each other, according to the 2026 year-ahead forecast from JPMorgan Global Research. Analysts project 0% price growth next year after nearly doubling over the past decade. A slight pickup in demand, […]
