Desktop Appraisals Will Outlast the Pandemic
FHFA announced this week that remote appraisals for conventional loans – a temporary pandemic-era change – will become a permanent option starting in 2022.
NAR Names Clearwater Realtor as Good Neighbor Award Winner
The contest to recognize Realtors who serve their communities selects 5 Realtors each year. In 2021, Christina Sauger was honored for her work feeding those in need.
Lumber Prices Dropped 65% – But Don’t Expect Cheaper Homes
Rising lumber costs pushed new-home prices higher and higher. While that supply-chain problem is easing, however, other building materials are still in short supply, even as builders face a labor shortage and high buyer demand. The bottom line: New-home costs won’t plateau anytime soon.
Study: 3 Fla. Metros in Top 10 for Highest Rent Increases
Over the past 7 quarters, Tampa-St. Pete had the nation’s second-highest rent increases (23.7%), with Jacksonville No. 3 (up 23%) and Broward County No. 9 (19.5%).
A Dab of Halloween Can Boost Social Media Posts
Halloween topics, like trick-or-treating safety tips, can boost posts but even a consistent fall theme can increase engagement and create a feeling of mutual celebration.
U.S. News & World Report: Fla. Has 8 of Top 10 ‘Best Retirement’ Metros
The magazine’s 2021 list ranks Fla. metros in the top four spots– Sarasota, Naples, Daytona Beach and Melbourne – but 7 other Fla. metros also made it into the top 20.
First Street Outlines Flood Risk for Every U.S. Metro
The company that created realtor.com’s flood risk tab released a report by city and county. Fla. and Louisiana are top-risk states – but so are Kentucky and W. Virginia.
Vacation-Owners: The IRS Needs to Know Where You Live
Under U.S. tax law, payers can have only one official residence, and lockdowns may have changed the state a vacation owner calls “home.” But it’s also not that simple.
Remember QR Codes? They’re Back and Better
Most new phones make it easy for users to snap and go. A QR code on a for-sale sign, for example, can help pedestrians quickly secure listing info and the agent’s bio.
Zillow Puts Its iBuyer Program on Hiatus Until 2022
An iBuyer program can help homeowners willing to take a slightly lower price in exchange for a quick and easy sale. But sellers aren’t willing to come down too much, and Zillow may not have enough resources under current market conditions to essentially be a large-scale home flipper.