Florida Realtors® News
Florida Realtors®, formerly known as the Florida Association of Realtors®, serves as The Voice for Real Estate® in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 67 boards/associations.
NAR: Existing-home sales rise again in January, inventory down
Fla. housing market upbeat in Jan. 2012
Sales prices rose 5.3% for single family, 18.8% for condos, and inventory declined. NAR reports 4.3% sales increase.
Biggest U.S. mortgage lenders
MortgageDaily.com: In 4Q 2011, Wells Fargo ranked No. 1; Bank of America fell the most; U.S. Bancorp grew the fastest.
Six questions to ask when shopping for homeowners insurance
Homeowners need coverage, but how much? They should first collect some basic home info and then ask the right questions.
Housing affordability reaches record level
Homeownership is a relative bargain, but tight credit requirements deter buyers: Lakeland-Winter Haven No. 2 nationally.
Florida economy gained momentum in 2011
BMO: State doing better with lower unemployment, more construction and residents - but growth still slowed by housing.
Avatar Holdings becomes AV Homes
A Central Florida builder is changing its name to avoid comparisons to the blockbuster movie that overshadows it.
Reminder: 3.8% tax is not a transfer tax on real estate
NAR: A bizarre Internet rumor surfaced again, but it's not true: There is no real estate transfer tax starting in 2013.
Fed review for robo-signing extended
Ex-homeowners can submit their 2009-2010 foreclosure for federal review if done by one of 27 participating lenders.
NAR to Administration: Don't harm housing
Budget proposal has a cap on IRS mortgage interest deductions and impacts capital gains on some real estate investments.
Florida: Balmy breezes, sunsets and romance
In honor of Valentine's Day, Amazon listed the U.S.'s top 20 romantic cities, and Fla. has more than any other state.
HUD gives Fla. $49.6M for affordable housing
Nationwide, HUD granted a total of almost $1.8 billion, with the top amount, $321.5 million, going to New York.
Foreclosure settlement: Fla. to get $8.4 billion
About $170M for foreclosure victims, rest for underwater owners; will take up to 9 months to identify beneficiaries.
HUD: $7.5 million to fight housing discrimination
Only two Fla. enforcement groups received funds: Jacksonville and Broward County will split about $100,000.
Florida's existing home, condo sales up in 4Q 2011
Existing home sales rose 7%, condo sales 4%. Home prices down 1%, condos 4%. NAR: sales up 5.9%, prices down 4.2%.
SBA 504 loans hit record low interest rate for February
Interest rates for commercial investment or upgrades estimated at 4.7% or 3.81% for 10-year loans.
Realtor University Approved for Master of Real Estate degree program
The Master of Real Estate degree, available online, includes five areas of concentration. First course starts Feb. 27.
Trulia: 1 in 3 home searches cross state lines
Trulia analyzed users' locations and where they searched for a home. Of the top 10 desired locations, seven are in Fla.
Fannie Mae expands online offers for HomePath properties
An Orlando-area pilot program goes national. Realtors now submit offers online and track status through HomePath.com.
Aid for military families facing foreclosure
Hope Now, a private lender alliance, will start to focus on military families at risk of foreclosure.
NAHB: Nearly 100 house markets improving
Seven Fla. metro areas have shown consistent improvement for at least six months, with Miami new entrant on latest list.
Survey: Apartment industry continues recovery
Survey: Multi-family market continues upswing as developers play catch-up to growing consumer demand for rental housing.
Short sale sellers need to close in 2012
If lawmakers don't extend break and a bank nixes $100K in short sale debt, it could cost a taxpayer in 25% bracket $25K.
Baby boomers geared up to move
Mason-Dixon: Up to 1/3 of soon-to-be retirees could move out of state, with 18% of those to Fla.'s warm climate.
Florida Realtors to launch new data system soon
Jan. 2012 report to launch new housing market data system; includes only statewide numbers and not Realtor sales by MSA.
CoreLogic releases 2011 home price stats
Fla. better than nation overall with a 3.3% price drop compared to 4.7%; prices down only 0.9% without distressed sales.
VA loans have lowest delinquency rate
In its year-end report, VA says it backed 14% more loans last year; at the same time, its foreclosure rate dropped 28%.
UF: Fla. consumer confidence surges upward in January
U.S. consumers may be a tad gloomier, but Floridians' outlook surged 7 points; economic expectations rose 14 points.
Obama details broader housing refinance plan
NAR-supported plan faces uphill battle; but, if passed, could help underwater owners refinance at lower interest rates.
EEM mortgage rewards energy efficiency
If a home conserves energy, a buyer can qualify for a higher mortgage because it stretches the debt-to-income ratios.
HUD: Sexual identity a protected class
Starting in March, all HUD-run programs will ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, including FHA mortgages.
Consumer Confidence Index decreases slightly
The Conference Board says American's confidence rose in Dec., but it dropped back to Nov. levels in this month's survey.
St. Joe Company has new real estate strategy
It will cut back on current developments, including amenities, and possibly sell inventory at lower prices or in bulk.
NAR's Confidence Index shows upswing
Each month, Realtors' market outlook improves, says NAR. In Dec., the index was 31.6 compared to 24.5 one year earlier.
HUD: Can't use 'lead paint' to discriminate
A Mass. apartment owner didn't certify her units as lead paint free and used that to turn down families with children.
2011's foreclosures lowest in four years
RealtyTrac: Fla. seventh in number of owners facing foreclosure - 1 in 49 homes; process now takes 806 days to complete.
Fla. No. 5 nationally as 'best for business'
Tax Foundation: State ranks high for its business-friendly low tax burden in annual study based on dozens of provisions.
High downpayments: More harm than good?
UNC study: A QRM rule that mandates a 20% downpayment would push 61% of creditworthy borrowers out of the market.
Pending home sales decline in Dec.; above year ago
Slight 3.5% monthly decline follows two strongest months of contract signings since the homebuyer tax credit expired.
Real estate agents opting for mobile office
In today's fast-pace world, consumers want fast responses, and agents need mobile offices to retain and attract clients.
Citizens backs off pricey replacement costs
In a win for Florida Realtors and state homeowners, insurer won't base costs exclusively on a single appraisal source.
FHA to limit seller help at closing
Tighter rules were announced for FHA lenders; new rules that lower the amount sellers can pay at closing are expected.
Casting call for HGTV' 'House Hunters'
Want 15 minutes of fame and national marketing? HGTV show auditions require three-minute videos and willing buyers.
Florida's housing sales activity higher as 2011 ends
Home sales rose 8%, condos 15% in 2011. Fla. home, condo Dec. median price up 1%, 4% respectively. National sales up 5%.
NAR: Dec. existing home sales show uptrend
Florida Legislature advances Realtor issues
Committees approved septic tank inspection changes, competitive property insurance rules and new homestead exemptions.
Single-family housing starts up 4.4% in Dec.
Single-family starts have risen for three consecutive months, though drop in multi-family caused overall 4.1% decline.
Appraisal Institute: Don't shoot the messenger
New effort, materials attempt to counter a belief that appraisers did something wrong if appraised value comes in too low.
Builder confidence rises fourth consecutive time in January
Index at its highest level in four-and-a-half years; latest uptick seen in every component and region of the country.
Avoid foreclosure with help from HUD-approved agencies
Owners at risk of foreclosure can tap into HUD's nationwide network of counselors for a free evaluation and counseling.