– In the buy vs. rent battle, ‘buy’ is winning The latest buy vs. rent analysis from Florida Atlantic and International universities finds that buying makes more financial sense in most metro areas. Fla.’s recent housing success? Thank baby boomers Clear Capital Index: Four Fla. cities made “Highest Performing...
– 1 in 10 home sales flipped in many Fla. metros RealtyTrac: Home flipping increased 20% in the first quarter, though the total number of flips was still 26% below its 2006 peak – and more flippers now pay cash. Smart homes? You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet Amazon’s Echo...
– Supreme Court sides with owners in wetlands case The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tue. that property owners can file a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers if they disagree with its land-use decisions. How will Fla.’s smaller insurers handle a crisis? Fitch Ratings: The state’s smaller...
– Banks rush to offer 3% downpayment loans If one major bank starts to offer 3% downpayment loans, others often follow. So far, Wells Fargo, Chase and BofA are offering non-FHA, low-downpayment products. Does your buyer qualify for special financing? Financial help is out there through programs offered by...
– NAR: Pending home sales at a 10-year high Consumers are buying homes. NAR’s monthly gauge of homes under contract rose for the third straight month in April to a level not seen since Feb. 2006. Single men’s home values increased more than women’s RealtyTrac: Homes owned by single...
– Credit score problems still haunt Americans The first thing buyers should do? Check credit scores. CFPB says that a lot of consumers still complain about mistakes and trouble with getting them corrected. Website accessibility: Not just about the law The DOJ has made it clear that “public accommodation”...
– Free credit scores becoming the norm Many credit cards now give customers access to their FICO score, and Discover says it will start to provide the score to everyone – whether a customer or not. Homeownership elusive for young adults without college degrees Apartment List survey: For young...
– FHA may be reopening doors to condo financing At one time, FHA offered “spot” condo loans even if a complex wasn’t certified, and while those may or may not be coming back, some changes are in the works. Real estate impact from transgender bathroom issue? Fla. law provides...
– Fed may be wedded to a June rate hike Few experts thought the Fed would raise interest rates in June but that changed yesterday. An interest rate increase would directly impact ARMs and indirectly FRMs. NAR survey: More younger Realtors enter industry The median age of U.S. Realtors...
– Fla. will appeal State Farm policy ruling A circuit court ruled that State Farm doesn’t have to submit its policy-count totals to the state, but Fla.’s new insurance commissioner says he’ll file an appeal. New overtime rule to impact some industries New overtime rules may affect brokers with...
