News & Media By Mae Anderson NEW YORK — Google is changing the way its Google Local Services ads work, which could affect millions of small businesses. Google Local Services ads run locally and are a big way that small businesses market their goods and services. Ads appear on the top of Google search […]
WASHINGTON — No one knows how Tuesday’s presidential election will turn out, but the Federal Reserve’s move two days later is much easier to predict: With inflation continuing to cool, the Fed is set to cut interest rates for a second time this year. The presidential contest might still be unresolved when the Fed […]
WASHINGTON — The first-time homebuyer market share decreased to a historic low of 24% (down from 32% last year), while home buyers’ ages hit all-time highs of 56 years overall (49 last year), 38 years for first-time buyers (35 last year) and 61 years for repeat buyers (58 last year), according to the National […]
NEW YORK — Mortgage rates may be declining, which puts new homebuyers in a better position than just a year ago. The 30-year fixed-interest rate mortgage hit a high of 7.79% in late October 2023; now, we’re seeing this type of mortgage at an average of 6.38% (forecast for the fourth quarter of 2024). […]
NEW YORK — Real estate firms are increasingly using technology to market and sell homes through virtual tours, blockchain-based transactions, online listings and other strategies. By leveraging technology to streamline manual and administrative tasks, real estate professionals free up time to focus on client relationships and the business of buying and selling property, which […]
NEW YORK — Market changes are taking place as mortgage rates finally decline and supply conditions slowly improve. This is a great time to refresh your client gift ideas with some new takes on what you can offer as a “thank you” gift after a transaction closes and you part ways. Custom and thoughtful […]
News & Media SEATTLE — Newly built homes made up 28% of single-family homes for sale nationwide in the third quarter, the lowest level in three years, according to a new report from Redfin. That’s down from 30.5% a year earlier and a record-high of 34.4% at the start of 2022. The share of […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — The news rippled through Treasure Island, Florida, almost like a third storm: The mayor planned to move off the barrier island a month after Hurricane Helene flooded tens of thousands of homes along the Gulf Coast and two weeks after Hurricane Milton also ravaged the state. Mayor Tyler Payne’s home had […]
News & Media By Melissa Dittman Tracey CHICAGO — More home buyers signed contracts for a home purchase in September, a sign that the housing market may be on the mend after a sluggish summer. The National Association of Realtors®’ Pending Home Sales Index a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — What rights do tenants and landlords have if a hurricane damages their rental unit? There’s no simple answer. While Florida law requires landlords to comply with certain minimum requirements, as well as all applicable building, housing and health codes, some requirements may depend on the lease terms themselves. Section 83.51(1)(a) of […]
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After four consecutive months of increases, consumer sentiment among Floridians fell nine-tenths of a point in October, dropping to 77.4 from a revised figure of 78.3 in September. In contrast, national sentiment rose slightly for the third consecutive month. “The decline in consumer confidence is not surprising, as this month’s reading […]
NEW YORK — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose for the fifth straight week, returning to its highest level since early August. The rate rose to 6.72% from 6.54% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.76%. […]