– How will Fla. grow? UF maps shows options A UF study projects about 15 million more people in 50 years, and interactive maps show potential population distribution under various smart-growth scenarios. Can the condo board change common areas? Legal QandA: Is it lawful to amend bylaws by a...
– Have a Yahoo email account? Change your password Information from at least 500M Yahoo accounts was stolen in 2014, making it easier for thieves to hack Realtors’ email and pull off a common closing scam. Should millennials delay ownership for student loans? An advice columnist for millennials suggests...
– EB-5 visa program set to expire Sept. 30 Without Congressional approval, the program that grants visas to foreigners who invest at least $500K in an American business that creates 10 jobs will expire. NAR: Tight inventory slows August existing-home sales Fla.’s housing sales, median prices rise in August...
– Fed keeps key rate unchanged, hints of coming hike The Fed held short-term interest rates steady yesterday but appears ready to hike them later this year. The Fed’s rates directly impact ARMs and, indirectly, FRMs. HUD expands rules protecting transgender access Transgender protections now extend to homeless shelters....
– Not enough construction in most Fla. metro areas NAR compared local employment gains to housing stock and found 80% of U.S. metros need more construction. In Fla., one city tops list; another ranks near bottom. Most real estate firms optimistic about the future NAR’s 2016 Profile of Real...
– U.S. homebuilder sentiment hits one-year high New-home builders have a rosy outlook about the future based on current trends and their projections for 2017. The monthly index rose 6 points to 65. Patent troll to stop seeking fees from RE Industry In what NAR calls a major victory,...
– Household incomes see first big gain since 2007 Census: It appears that Americans got fatter paychecks in 2015 – the first significant hike since 2007. U.S. median household income rose 5.2% to $56,516. Don’t put your clients on hold Survey: People still want to talk on the phone...
– CoreLogic reports 34K completed foreclosures in July 2016 Completed foreclosures down 16.5% from a year ago; U.S. foreclosure inventory down 29.1%. Fla. still leads the nation in completed foreclosures, at 57K, in July. Aggressive tenant screening creates class of ‘unrentables’ Many people can’t rent a place to live,...
– Yet again, penalties pile up at Wells Fargo In its latest regulatory black eye, Wells Fargo must pay $185M in civil penalties for actions allegedly taken by about 5,300 employees, who secretly opened millions of accounts without customers’ permission. Luxury buyers are more likely to bid on a...
– Hermine: Losses seen up to $500M, could have been worse, insurers say Insurers: It could have been much worse, with some saying the Category 1 hurricane was “a good quiz” for the catastrophe plans of companies doing business in Fla. First-time buyers are slowly re-emerging Realtor.com: In Aug....
