CHICAGO – Homeowners take on outdoor projects for many reasons: curb appeal, resale value and the simple pleasure of having beautiful landscaping. Consumers report a “joy score” of 9.7 out of 10 after upgrading their landscaping, according to a 2023 report from the National Association of Realtors®. Real estate professionals continue to report that […]
SEATTLE — U.S. homebuyers need to earn $76,995 per year to afford the median priced starter home ($250,000), down 0.4% year over year, according to a new report from the brokerage Redfin. That’s the first annual decline since August 2020, when mortgage rates were nearing their record low. Starter-home prices are up 4.2% year […]
News & Media TALLAHASSEE – New laws that require sellers to disclose residential flooding and ban sleeping in public places are among the nearly three dozen measures that take effect today (Oct. 1). The new flood disclosure law, which was supported by Florida Realtors®, allows buyers to have crucial information prior to executing a […]
TALLAHASSEE – Nearly 40,000 insurance claims totaling an estimated $435 million have been filed across the state in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall Thursday night in Taylor County. Links to /tools-research/hurricane-resources/helene-recovery-assistance-realtors-resources We have gathered resources for Realtors in Florida to help you recover and rebuild. The storm had maximum sustained winds […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure on Friday provided the latest sign that price pressures are easing, a trend that is expected to fuel further Fed interest rate cuts this year and next. Prices rose just 0.1% from July to August, the Commerce Department said, down from the previous month’s 0.2% increase. […]
WASHINGTON – The income needed to afford a home fell because mortgage rates posted their first annual decline in three years. The average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped to 6.5% in August from 7.07% a year earlier, and has since fallen further, now sitting at 6.09%. This is based on a Redfin […]
News & Media TALLAHASSEE – Expecting a surge of policies going to private insurers, the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. could have fewer than 900,000 policies at the end of the year. Citizens President and CEO Tim Cerio said Wednesday the policy count is projected to total 891,184 at the end of the year. […]
News & Media WASHINGTON – High mortgage interest rates continue to challenge the housing market. However, ongoing home price appreciation and the resulting increases in home equity is providing a financial buffer and helping homeowners pay for unexpected increases in homeownership costs without falling behind on their mortgage payments. Let’s look at where the […]
ORLANDO, Fla. – As state officials continue to assess residential and business damages from Hurricane Helene, Florida Realtors® is providing additional resources that can assist in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appears to be greater than the combined damage of Hurricanes Idalia and Debby. The storm […]
ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Realtors® was named Friday as one of the Orlando Sentinel’s Top Workplaces in Central Florida for the fourth consecutive year. The annual ranking is based on a confidential and unbiased study by the Philadelphia-based research firm Energage with the Sentinel and focuses on workplace culture. Surveys are filled out online […]
WASHINGTON – Sales of newly built, single-family homes in August fell 4.7% after an unusually strong July, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. August new home sales registered a 716,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, after an upwardly revised estimate of 751,000 […]
WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve’s rate-cut cycle is expected to ease pressure on mortgage rates, driving demand for new homes, even as shares of major U.S. homebuilders rose in early trading on September 19. The U.S. central bank kicked off an anticipated series of interest rate cuts this week with a larger-than-usual half-percentage-point reduction. […]