Author Archives: adminacc
Millennials continue to delay committing to buy a home
MIAMI – Aug. 8, 2016 – Millennials as a demographic are characterized by many things, not the least of which is their tendency to wait on the purchase of a home. Some have blamed tighter lending conditions, while others have cited a difficult job market, underemployment and/or stubbornly low wages. But one other theory holds…
South Florida buyers frustrated by shortage of listings
MIAMI – Aug. 1, 2016 – A scarcity of homes for sale is rattling buyers, emboldening sellers and pushing prices higher in South Florida. Analysts say a market balanced equally between buyers and sellers has a six-month supply of properties, meaning that’s how long it would take to sell all of the homes if no…
Fannie Mae enhances affordable mortgage program
WASHINGTON – July 29, 2016 – Fannie Mae announced enhancements to HomeReady, its affordable mortgage option. HomeReady allows borrowers to provide as little as 3 percent down – the first affordable option to give borrowers the ability to qualify with income from non-borrower household members. New enhancements Simplified income eligibility – Fannie Mae says it…
Baby boomer housing a hot market over next decade
NEW YORK– March 2, 2015 – Sixty-five percent of retirees say they’re living in the best homes of their lives, according to a new Merrill Lynch study conducted in partnership with Age Wave. But many retirees – free from work and family restrictions – will choose to move. The study, “Home in Retirement: More Freedom,…
National Association of Realtors: Pending sales highest in 18 months
WASHINGTON – Feb. 27, 2015 – Improved buyer demand at the beginning of 2015 pushed pending home sales in January to their highest level since August 2013, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). All major regions except for the Midwest saw gains. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator based on…
Floridians’ consumer confidence rises again in Feb.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 27, 2015 – Floridians’ consumer sentiment in February rose more than a point, to 94.7, compared to January. It’s the seventh straight month of an increase, according to the University of Florida (UF) survey. “Economic optimism among Floridians continues to advance as many of the fundamentals show improvement,” says Chris McCarty,…
A Reverse Mortgage Can Create Problems for Heirs
WASHINGTON – Feb. 23, 2015 – A new government report shows many seniors are taking out reverse mortgages on their homes without fully understanding the ramifications, leading to foreclosures among borrowers and a tangle of problems for heirs after the borrower dies. “Consumer complaints tell us that the complex terms of reverse mortgages continue to…
Real estate Q&A: Living trust avoids hassle and expense of probate
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Question: I own a condo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that I live in every winter before going back to New York. I maintain my main house and my finances back home. What happens to my condo when I die? _ Ruth Answer: When you pass away with…
The Best Seasons to Sell a Home
SEATTLE – Feb. 10, 2015 – Spring is traditionally considered the best season to list a home, but it doesn’t inch out the other seasons by much, according to a new analysis by the real estate brokerage Redfin. Redfin’s research team analyzed 7 million homes listed from 2010 through 2014 to gauge how important the…
Which Metro Palm Coast Communities Fared Best in 2014?
By Toby Tobin Palm Coast, FL – January 21, 2015 – 2014 was a good year. By all measures, the Palm Coast and Flagler County housing market is rebounding steadily from the effects of the Great Recession. Here are the highlights of year-over-year improvements. Homes The number of single-family Flagler County homes reported sold via…
Millennials Seek Smaller Houses
Palm Coast, FL – January 27, 2015 – As Millennials begin to enter the home buying market in larger numbers, homes will get a little smaller, laundry rooms will be essential, and home technology will become increasingly prevalent, said panelists during an International Builders’ Show press conference on home trends and Millennials’ home preferences held…
55-plus housing market ‘one of healthiest segments’
LAS VEGAS – Jan. 23, 2015 – The 55+ housing market fared quite well in 2014, and 2015 should be no different, according to industry experts at a press conference held today at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. “The 55+ housing market has been one of…
Fla. real estate sales, listing, prices up in 2014
ORLANDO, Fla. – Jan. 23, 2015 – Florida’s housing market wrapped up 2014 with more closed sales, more new listings and higher median prices compared to the year before, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. “In December and throughout 2014, we’ve seen positive signs that Florida’s housing sector is on a…
Buyers turning to credit unions for mortgages
WASHINGTON – Jan. 19, 2015 – Credit unions are increasingly pressing into a category traditionally reserved for banks: mortgage lending. More homebuyers are turning to credit unions for mortgages, according to a new report by Sageworks, a financial information company. Credit unions have quadrupled their market share since 2006, according to data from Callahan. Sageworks…
A More Robust Year for Housing
LAS VEGAS – Jan. 21, 2015 – A strengthening labor market, low interest rates, improving mortgage availability and growing pent-up demand will help to significantly boost single-family housing production in the year ahead and move the housing recovery to higher ground, according to economists speaking at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas today. Economic…
