Looking at the Hidden Costs of Homeownership

​ News & Media NEW YORK — Home buyers not only need to save money for a down payment on a home and calculate the monthly cost of a mortgage, but also calculate property taxes, utilities, routine maintenance costs and property insurance premiums. A 2023 report from Zillow and Thumbtack found those additional home expenses […]

NAR: Young Buyers Still Fenced Out of Ownership

​ CHICAGO — Today’s young adults continue to face delays in homeownership compared to past generations at the same age. Not only is the homeownership rate lower for those under 35 today compared to past generations, but the first-time buyer share is lower, and the age of first-time buyers is older than seen historically. Let’s […]

Redfin: Home Tours Rise Modestly to Start 2025

​ News & Media SEATTLE — More house hunters are starting their home search as the new year kicks off, according to a new report from the real estate brokerage Redfin. Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index — a seasonally adjusted measure of tours and other buying services from Redfin agents — posted a small 2% increase […]

Florida Cities Shine for First Time Buyers in 2025

​ SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For first-time homebuyers, the Mid-Atlantic and Florida are the best places to kickstart their homeownership journey in 2025, according to the 2025 Realtor.com® Best Markets for First-Time Homebuyers report, The report ranked three Florida locations — Villas (Lee County), Altamonte Springs (Seminole County) and Lauderdale Lakes (Broward County) — as […]

Mortgage Rates Increase for Fourth Straight Week

​ News & Media By Matt Ott WASHINGTON — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate ticked up again this week, remaining at its highest level since July.  The benchmark 30-year fixed rate loan rate rose to 6.93% from 6.91% last week, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. It was at 6.66% a year ago. It […]

Florida Realtors: College Scholarships Open Now

​ ORLANDO, Fla. — Do you have kids currently in college, or maybe one who is about to graduate high school? Or maybe you have customers with high school seniors in their households: if so, make sure they know about about the Student Scholarship Program offered through Florida Realtors® Education Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that […]

Boost Your Credit Score: Tips for 2025 Loans

​ NEW YORK – Making sure your credit score is in good shape could be vital if you’ve got a significant loan application coming up in 2025. And even if you haven’t, it’s still worth checking it from time to time to make sure there’s nothing unexpected on there. John Webb, credit expert at Experian, […]

January Mortgage Outlook: Rates Trending Lower

​ NEW YORK – Mortgage rates might ride up and down in January and finish lower than where they started, like a road trip that begins in the mountains and ends at the beach. January is dominated by a change in presidential administrations, which dials up the uncertainty. “When things are more uncertain, rates tend […]

Realtor.com: Active Listings Grew in December

​ SANTA CLARA, Calif. – December 2024 saw a 22.0% growth in homes actively for sale compared with the same time last year nationally, according to the December Monthly Housing Trends Report from Realtor.com. Miami (45.4%), San Diego (42.4%) and Denver (41.9%) led the way with the highest active listing growth year over year amongst […]

Citizens Starts Year with 935K Policies

​ News & Media TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Amid efforts to shift customers into the private market, the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. started 2025 with more than 935,000 policies. Data posted on the Citizens website showed it had 935,576 policies as of Friday. That was down slightly from 936,203 policies a week earlier. Citizens was […]

Redfin: Many Homeowners Say They’ll Never Sell

​ SEATTLE — More than one-third (34%) of U.S. homeowners say they’ll never sell their home, and another 27% say they wouldn’t consider selling for at least 10 years, according to the real estate brokerage Redfin. Roughly one-quarter (24%) of homebuyers plan to sell in five to 10 years, while just 8% plan to sell […]

How to Use ‘Unexpected Red Theory’ to Sell Homes

​ CHICAGO – Perfecting home staging is an art as much as it is a science. “Unexpected red theory” is gaining buzz in the interior design world, and you may be able to leverage it when preparing homes for sale by crafting more memorable spaces. Here’s how it works. ‘Unexpected Red Theory’ Uncovered Red is […]