– Top lenders forecast housing market gains New ability-to-repay rules start in Jan. While tighter lending may hurt marginal buyers and cut down on some mortgage amounts, it shouldn’t stop rebound.
– Citizens sinkhole changes to boost real estate market Underwriting changes allow homes Citizens previously turned down based on sinkhole history to now qualify for coverage. TaxWatch study: How does flood ins. impact Fla.? Floridians paid $3.60 in flood premiums for every $1 that came back to cover damages....
– Fla.’s housing market continues on positive track in Oct. Closed sales (6.5%), median price (16.6%) and pending sales (3.4%) rose for single-family homes. National total sales up 6% year to year – price up 12.8%. Multifamily market off peak but still positive Outlook for apartments remains strong. NAHB...
– Realtors to Congress: Hit the pause button on changes to flood program Realtor Call for Action: NFIP program changes derail home sales and harm Fla. owners. Take two minutes today to tell Congress it must delay implementation. Homebuilder confidence holds steady in Nov. U.S. builders have viewed the...
– Census: About 36M Americans moved in the last year About one in 10 U.S. residents found a new place to live in 2013 – slightly less than in 2012 yet more than 2011, the slowest relocation year on record.
– NAR: Commercial market recovery remains uneven Smaller transactions, properties under $1 million, is moving incrementally. But expensive properties priced above $2 million are doing much better.
– Fla. modifies informal wetland determination fee Development by a property owner can be difficult if the parcel contains a wetland. Fla. offers an informal survey, but it modified the fees charged on Oct. 1. U.S. homes sell 30 days faster year-to-year Zillow says real estate ads on its...
– HUD tool estimates a home’s transportation costs One online tool calculates a homeowner’s transportation costs based on data and addresses they input; a second tool provides a community overview. NAR: Florida Realtors’ YPN ‘State Network of the Year’ Young Professionals Network honored for “effective involvement” with assoc., community...
– Free Craigslist ads? They’re now more challenging If a homebuyer can’t click a link to view a home, will they cut-and-paste a URL? New policy makes users wonder what’s happening with Craigslist. NAR forecast: Price gains to drive housing growth Economist: For total sales to rise, U.S. needs...
– Condo sales challenge: Restrictive FHA rules NAR: While condos make good first-time homes, FHA has cut back on the number of buildings it approves – 60% were denied in 2013 compared to 20% in 2011. Predictive analytics to boost real estate business NAR: Data generally shows what already...
