Garages: Not Just for Cars Anymore

​ NEW YORK – Homeowners tend to want to maximize their homes’ space. For some, this may involve turning a garage from a utilitarian space into one that serves multiple purposes. According to The Mortgage Reports, a home-buying and improvement resource, garage renovations can increase a home’s value and add living space. Garage remodels can […]

U.S. Consumer Confidence Down in September

​ News & Media WASHINGTON – American consumers are feeling less confident this month as concerns about jobs rose significantly. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 98.7 in September, from 105.6 in August. It was the biggest month-to-month decline since August of 2021. The survey […]

AI Tools That Boost Agent Business

​ ORLANDO, Fla. – One of the hot topics at the recent Florida Realtors® annual convention was artificial intelligence. The challenge for real estate agents today is that there is so much noise about AI with new announcements every day that it’s hard to know what tools agents can use to help them grow their […]

Florida Prepares for Storm Impacts

​ TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties ahead of a tropical system moving through the Gulf of Mexico that’s expected to become Hurricane Helene. The system is expected to intensify in the coming 24 hours with possible landfall near the Panhandle and Big Bend […]

Renters Want Pet Areas, Happy Hour

​ SEATTLE – Renters are rethinking what they want and need in a home, looking beyond buildings with traditional rental amenities in favor of those with features and services that better suit their lifestyle and budget. New research from Zillow finds listings with a turfed pet area, coworking space or community happy hours are drawing […]

Condo Inspection Deadline Approaches

​ TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged to provide relief before the end of the year to condo unit owners facing increased costs for required structural safety inspections and plans to fund reserves for upcoming repairs. But leading members of the House and Senate aren’t endorsing a special session to enact changes, so the […]

Back to Basics: Setting Up Your Office

​ CHICAGO – When the rent on her office increased, Atlanta-based Karen Hatcher, CEO and broker of Sovereign Realty & Management LLC, decided to buy her own space. Prioritizing convenience, visibility and value, she aimed to find a spot in a central, up-and-coming area with significant car traffic. Since the location would be prime, she […]

Prepare Now: Tropical System Moving into Gulf

​ News & Media By Amy Connolly ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Realtors® is urging members – particularly those in the Big Bend area – to start preparing for the possibility of severe weather as forecasters predict a tropical disturbance moving into the Gulf to become the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Links […]

Rate Cut Offers Small Step to Ownership for Many

​ WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve gave home shoppers what they hoped for this week: a big rate cut and a signal of more cuts to come. Even so, aspiring homebuyers and homeowners eager to refinance should temper their expectations of a big drop in mortgage rates from here. While the Fed doesn’t set mortgage […]

Some Millionaires Opting to Rent

​ News & Media NEW YORK – Across the United States, the number of millionaire renters is increasing because, they say, the high-quality, reasonably priced homes are hard to find. According to census data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal, the share of households with annual incomes of more than $750,000 that rented between 2018 […]

Attracting Tenants With Technology

​ CHICAGO – Many real estate agents have a portfolio of investment clients that they help. Whether it’s managing an investment portfolio for a client and ensuring their properties are rented out and taken care of or helping with the property management on a larger property, real estate agents are often front-and-center when it comes […]

Q&A: What Are Tenant Rights With a New Landlord?

​ FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Question: Our landlord recently sold the house we have been renting. The sale happened in the middle of the month, and now the new owner wants us to pay him for the remainder of the month even though we have already paid the prior landlord for the whole month. And […]