Florida Realtors News

A major housing bill strongly backed by Florida Realtors passed the Fla. Senate Wed. The House may suggest changes, but it’s a good start early in the 2023 session.

The U.S. consumer watchdog’s report on junk fees focused on a range of businesses, such as banking and payday lending, and includes four used by mortgage servicers.

After three increases, Fannie Mae’s monthly consumer index found a 3.6-point drop in Feb. when 44% of owners said it’s a bad time to sell, up from 39% in Jan.

It’s okay for others to say you “really know how to stretch a dollar.” Bootstrapping means finding tools that maximize your services while minimizing costs.

More Orlando-area owners are being told that state-owned Citizens Ins. is their only option. In a three-county area, the number of policies rose 159% year-to-year.

The spring season will likely draw sellers and buyers to the market, but after that, U.S. metros will probably go different directions for buyers’ and sellers’ markets.

In addition to banks and online lenders, homebuyers should check out options from a credit union, which tends to offer better rates for both borrowing and saving.

The pandemic cut the number of foreign buyers traveling to the U.S., but the first wave is reappearing. A Miami condo has seen a 30% increase in Brazilian buyers.

Fla. is still a home-value exception: The share of U.S. homes worth $1M-plus fell from 8.6% to 7% as of Jan., but it’s gone up in most Fla. metros.

American Rescue Plan money allowed HUD to distribute more than 20K vouchers, over $1.5 billion directly and over $65B to state and local officials.