Welcome to my Real Estate Insider blog. I collect & update only the most relevant Real Estate Information that I think would be of interest to you.
Florida foreclosures fall in January
MIAMI – March 11, 2015 – The foreclosure rate for Florida homes dropped by nearly half in January compared to the same time last year, another sign that the state’s housing market has recovered from the disastrous shocks of the financial crisis. The percentage of Florida homes in foreclosure fell to 3.9 percent in January…
Experts make case for big 2015 spike in young buyers
CHICAGO – March 11, 2015 – The millennial generation is inching their way into homeownership. These millennials, born from the early 1980s through the late 1990s, have largely delayed their entrance into homeownership, because they’re saddled by debt and experiencing high unemployment in the aftermath of the recession. But economists are growing optimistic that the…
Baby boomer housing a hot market over next decade
NEW YORK– March 2, 2015 – Sixty-five percent of retirees say they’re living in the best homes of their lives, according to a new Merrill Lynch study conducted in partnership with Age Wave. But many retirees – free from work and family restrictions – will choose to move. The study, “Home in Retirement: More Freedom,…
National Association of Realtors: Pending sales highest in 18 months
WASHINGTON – Feb. 27, 2015 – Improved buyer demand at the beginning of 2015 pushed pending home sales in January to their highest level since August 2013, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). All major regions except for the Midwest saw gains. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator based on…
Floridians’ consumer confidence rises again in Feb.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 27, 2015 – Floridians’ consumer sentiment in February rose more than a point, to 94.7, compared to January. It’s the seventh straight month of an increase, according to the University of Florida (UF) survey. “Economic optimism among Floridians continues to advance as many of the fundamentals show improvement,” says Chris McCarty,…
A Reverse Mortgage Can Create Problems for Heirs
WASHINGTON – Feb. 23, 2015 – A new government report shows many seniors are taking out reverse mortgages on their homes without fully understanding the ramifications, leading to foreclosures among borrowers and a tangle of problems for heirs after the borrower dies. “Consumer complaints tell us that the complex terms of reverse mortgages continue to…
Real estate Q&A: Living trust avoids hassle and expense of probate
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Question: I own a condo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that I live in every winter before going back to New York. I maintain my main house and my finances back home. What happens to my condo when I die? _ Ruth Answer: When you pass away with…
The Best Seasons to Sell a Home
SEATTLE – Feb. 10, 2015 – Spring is traditionally considered the best season to list a home, but it doesn’t inch out the other seasons by much, according to a new analysis by the real estate brokerage Redfin. Redfin’s research team analyzed 7 million homes listed from 2010 through 2014 to gauge how important the…
Which Metro Palm Coast Communities Fared Best in 2014?
By Toby Tobin Palm Coast, FL – January 21, 2015 – 2014 was a good year. By all measures, the Palm Coast and Flagler County housing market is rebounding steadily from the effects of the Great Recession. Here are the highlights of year-over-year improvements. Homes The number of single-family Flagler County homes reported sold via…
Millennials Seek Smaller Houses
Palm Coast, FL – January 27, 2015 – As Millennials begin to enter the home buying market in larger numbers, homes will get a little smaller, laundry rooms will be essential, and home technology will become increasingly prevalent, said panelists during an International Builders’ Show press conference on home trends and Millennials’ home preferences held…
55-plus housing market ‘one of healthiest segments’
LAS VEGAS – Jan. 23, 2015 – The 55+ housing market fared quite well in 2014, and 2015 should be no different, according to industry experts at a press conference held today at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. “The 55+ housing market has been one of…
Fla. real estate sales, listing, prices up in 2014
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jan. 23, 2015 – Florida’s housing market wrapped up 2014 with more closed sales, more new listings and higher median prices compared to the year before, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. “In December and throughout 2014, we’ve seen positive signs that Florida’s housing sector is on a…
Buyers turning to credit unions for mortgages
WASHINGTON – Jan. 19, 2015 – Credit unions are increasingly pressing into a category traditionally reserved for banks: mortgage lending. More homebuyers are turning to credit unions for mortgages, according to a new report by Sageworks, a financial information company. Credit unions have quadrupled their market share since 2006, according to data from Callahan. Sageworks…
A More Robust Year for Housing
LAS VEGAS – Jan. 21, 2015 – A strengthening labor market, low interest rates, improving mortgage availability and growing pent-up demand will help to significantly boost single-family housing production in the year ahead and move the housing recovery to higher ground, according to economists speaking at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas today. Economic…
Confluence of events could bolster housing market
NEW YORK – Jan 12, 2015 – A confluence of events could bolster the U.S. housing market, especially for entry-level buyers, according to Fitch Ratings. While no recent actions will independently push the needle for housing higher, they could cumulatively have a “relatively meaningful impact on homebuyer psychology, pent-up demand and housing trends in 2015…
Florida now No. 3 U.S. state in total population
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Jan. 5, 2015 – Florida has bested New York in terms of population. The Sunshine State, averaging 803 new residents a day, is now the third most populous state in the nation, according to U.S. Census Bureau. “It’s an important milestone because it reflects many years of rapid population growth in Florida,”…
2015 to be banner year for real estate
WASHINGTON – Jan. 5, 2015 – After a slowdown in the market this year, housing analysts and economists have high hopes for 2015. The real estate market is expected to build momentum across the board next year, mostly due to a strengthening economy. Positive trends Millennial force: Overall, employment is on the rise, but jobs…
New lending guidelines target first-time homebuyers
WASHINGTON – Dec. 16, 2014 – Years after the bursting of the housing bubble, many consumers – particularly young borrowers and those who suffered a major financial setback during the Great Recession – have found it is difficult to qualify for a mortgage. People who experienced a temporary job loss or a bad credit event,…
Florida investors could turn a 29% profit
MIAMI – Dec. 16, 2014 – During the down real estate market, institutional investors – funds that purchased 10 or more single-family homes per year – bought 33,651 Florida property, according to a study by RealtyTrac. With little profit in quickly flipping those homes, these investors used a different business model: They rented the homes,…
Huge Discounts on Real Estate Taxes
$50,000 Homestead Exemption Every person who on January 1 of the current year has legal title or beneficial title in equity to real property in this state and who in good faith makes the property his or her permanent residence or the permanent residence of another or others legally or naturally dependent upon him or…
