Top Remodels That Boost Home Value

​ News & Media NEW YORK – Remodeling projects, particularly kitchen and bathroom renovations, can increase a home’s value in Florida’s competitive real estate market. Despite economic shifts, Florida’s real estate market remains strong — particularly in cities like Miami, Tampa and Orlando — with median home prices around $400,000 and a trend toward fixed-rate […]

Shutters That Add Style to a Home

​ News & Media NEW YORK – Homeowners have many options at their disposal if they want to improve their homes. A focus on the exterior can be a promising and rewarding way to direct renovation dollars. Curb appeal has a significant impact on how a home is viewed. Manicured landscapes, updated windows and doors […]

21 Names Ready for 2025 Hurricanes

​ News & Media By Ryan Mancini MIAMI – Instead of an internet sensation to be lampooned or commented about, the next popular Karen could be a force of nature. Hurricane season officially starts on June 1, and the World Meteorological Organization has a list of 21 names chosen names ready in anticipation of these […]

Home Prices Up in Many U.S. Metros in Q1 2025

​ WASHINGTON – More than 80% of metro markets (189 out of 228, or 83%) registered home price gains in the first quarter of 2025, as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate ranged from 6.63% to 7.04%, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ latest quarterly report. Eleven percent of the 228 tracked metro areas recorded […]

New Builds Boosting Affordability Nationwide

​ AUSTIN, Texas — New homes are offering an affordability edge in today’s challenging housing market, according to the Realtor.com New Construction Quarterly Report. In the first quarter of 2025, the median list price for newly built homes fell slightly year-over-year to $448,393, reducing the price gap with existing homes to its lowest first-quarter level […]

Florida tops U.S. for economy, up to 6th overall

​ News & Media By Amy Connolly NEW YORK — Florida has the best economy of any state in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best States list, and is the 6th best state overall, up from 9th place last year. The ranking, which looks at eight categories (health care, education, natural […]

Fed Leaves Key Rate Unchanged

​ WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and said that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen. The Fed kept its rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year. Many economists and […]

Is Carpet Right for Your Renovation?

​ NEW YORK – No two homeowners are the same, and that’s perhaps most evident in the design decisions people make when decorating their homes. Flooring is among the first things a person notices when entering a home, and the array of options consumers have when choosing flooring materials underscores how unique each homeowner is. […]

Organize Your Way to a Better Bottom Line

​ CHICAGO — Years ago, South Florida–based Steve Snider, managing broker at One Sotheby’s Realty, received a day planner at a conference held by the late Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” But when the program ended, he drove off, leaving the planner on top of his car. When he […]

Florida Leads U.S. for Roomy Rentals

​ NEW YORK — Just in time for the start of the moving season, bigger apartments are making a comeback, as hybrid and remote work along with suburban living turned “more space” into a coveted amenity. RentCafe.com’s annual report on apartment size found that the average size of new apartments grew in 2024, reversing a […]

Florida Tops U.S. for Economy, Up to No. 6 Overall

​ News & Media By Amy Connolly NEW YORK — Florida has the best economy of any state in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best States list, and is the 6th best state overall, up from 9th place last year. The ranking, which looks at eight categories (health care, education, natural […]

Plan Update Could Lower Flood Insurance Rates

​ SARASOTA — Florida Atlantic University has completed its draft updates to the Sarasota County and city of Sarasota watershed master plans. If they’re approved by the Insurance Services Office and the governing bodies of the city and county, they could contribute to an increase in the discount that property owners receive in the National […]