Feb. Housing Starts Fall More than Expected – 10.3%
Starts hit a 14-year high in Dec. before seeing an unexpected drop (5.1%) in Jan. and then 10.3% in Feb. Building permits – a sign of future activity – also declined.
Job Postings Make Work-from-Home Trend Seem Permanent
Any work change has major implications for commercial (where to invest) and residential (where to live) real estate, and new job ads suggest it’s a permanent trend.
Big Data: RE Has It – What Are You Doing with It?
Combine readily available data and you can market your services only to the local owners most likely to list a home soon. But most real estate agents don’t do that.
New FHFA Rule May Raise Cost of Second-Home Mortgages
After April 1, Fannie and Freddie will buy fewer second-home mortgages. That increases lenders’ risks and will likely translate into higher fees and/or interest rates.
Builder Confidence Drops: Demand Strong, Supplies Expensive
March confidence remained strong for buyer traffic, but late deliveries coupled with higher prices, notably for lumber, bumped builders’ confidence index down 2 points.
First-Time Buyers Have Advantages Over Repeat Buyers
First-timers may have more flexibility than buyers who must sell a home first, plus access to more financing options like grants or down payment assistance.
Regulators Eye Citizens Insurance Rate Increases
Will Fla.-owned Citizens Insurance rates go up an average 7.3%? Fla. regulators questioned Citizens officials Monday and are analyzing the request.
Flood Insurance 2.0: Congress Updates Its Analysis
National flood insurance will undergo a seismic change for homebuyers on Oct. 1, 2021, and for existing homeowners on April 1, 2022. Under “Risk Rating 2.0,” policy rates will be individualized based on a specific home rather than a general blanket rate based on flood zones.
Vote for Our Realtors from Florida for 2021’s ’30 Under 30′ Honor
Cast a vote every day this week to help one of our own become the 2021 Web Choice Award winner to be featured in the May/June issue of NAR’s REALTOR Magazine.
Once Redlined Homes Flood More – Though Not in Fla.
Study: Redlined neighborhoods – metro areas once relegated to Blacks or other minorities – are less appealing geographically than nearby white neighborhoods. But Fla. is the exception, where a home’s desirability is often based on proximity to the beach – an obviously high-risk flood area.