June is National Homeownership Month

​ ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Realtors®, along with Realtors® in the Sunshine State and across the U.S., celebrate June as National Homeownership Month. The recognition acknowledges the importance of owning a home and the impact it has on the lives of American families, local communities and the nation’s economic health. This month marks the 22nd anniversary of […]

Stuck in a Starter Home

​ NEW YORK – If buying a home is an inexorable part of the American dream, so is the next step: eventually selling that home and using the equity to trade up to something bigger. But over the past two years, this upward mobility has stalled as buyers and sellers have been pummeled by three […]

Feds Still Weighing Wetlands Case Appeal

​ TALLAHASSEE — The Biden administration said Monday it is still deciding whether to appeal a U.S. district judge’s ruling that the federal government improperly shifted permitting authority to Florida for projects that affect wetlands. U.S. Department of Justice attorneys also urged a federal appeals court to reject a request by Florida to expedite handling […]

Florida Consumer Sentiment Down Slightly in May

​ GAINESVILLE – Consumer sentiment in Florida edged down two-tenths of a point in May to 73.1 from a revised figure of 73.3 in April. This slight decline contrasts with the national sentiment, which plummeted 8.1 points.  “The decline in consumer sentiment was driven by Floridians’ perceptions of current economic conditions. Although inflation is not […]

HUD, VA Announces $78M for Veteran Homelessness

​ WASHINGTON – The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Veteran Affairs on Monday announced a $78 million investment into vouchers to assist veterans in finding housing. The HUD-Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers can help more than 7,000 veterans in their search for permanent housing. The organizations also assist in providing healthcare […]

Rental Market Settling in Most Florida Cities

​ BOCA RATON – Just a year ago, nearly all the measured Florida metros were at double-digit premiums, but now renters in Florida could see cheaper rents as most of the measured cities are showing signs of rents trading either at a discount compared to long-term pricing trends or premiums of less than 1%, according […]

2 Florida Cities Due for Housing Price Drop

​ MIAMI – Ultra-high housing prices may soon take a dip – at least in a handful of U.S. cities. CoreLogic, a financial analytics company that tracks real estate markets around the country, expects home prices to drop in several metro areas over the next year. While home prices in the Northeast – think places […]

Will Staging Help Your Home Sell for More?

​ NEW YORK – With mortgage interest rates near 7%, home sellers are pulling out all the stops when it comes to finding buyers. According to Thumbtack, in 2024’s first quarter, requests to hire home-staging companies rose 10% compared to the previous year, and the average cost of staging a home increased 18% to $1,816 […]

June Mortgage Rates Could Be Turbulent

​ NEW YORK – Mortgage rates probably won’t vary much in the first week and a half of June. But starting June 12, it’s anyone’s guess what rates will do. A bunch of factors influence mortgage rates. In the last two-plus years, two items have exerted an especially big impact: the monthly consumer price index, […]

Business Rent Tax Reduction Guidance Released

​ News & Media TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The state sales tax on commercial leases dropped Saturday to 2.0% from 4.5%, providing Florida employers with an estimated $1 billion in tax relief. The tax, also known as the Business Rent Tax, was originally slated to begin on July 1 with a 2.5% reduction. The timing of […]

Redfin: Renters Are Staying Put Longer

​ News & Media SEATTLE — One in six (16.6%) U.S. renters stayed in their home for 10 years or more in 2022, up from 13.9% a decade earlier, according to the real estate brokerage firm Redfin. Redfin analyzed renter tenure by other timeframes: 5-9 years: One in six (16.4%) lived in their home for […]

Program Updates to My Safe Florida Home

​ News & Media TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) released new information about the My Safe Florida Home Program, a Florida Realtors® legislative priority. Under the program, property owners can protect their homes against storms and reduce their insurance premiums. The program received an additional $200 million in the past […]