Category Archives: Uncategorized

Next buyers’ market? Two or three years, say some experts

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WASHINGTON – June 14, 2017 – Just last month, a 32-year-old meteorologist was excited by his promotion to a better-paying position with the National Weather Service. At long last, he figured, he could afford to buy a modest single-family house in a middle-income suburb near his office. But so far, his housing search has proved…


How to claim Florida as your state of residence to save on taxes

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NEW YORK – June 13, 2017 – Question: I live in New York. If I buy a second home in Florida, can I count Florida as my residence for state tax purposes? Answer: Maybe, and claiming the Sunshine State as your permanent residence could save you a lot of money. Florida has no state income…


25 tips for first-time home buyers

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GROVE, Okla.– June 9, 2017 – Buying a home can be a nerve-racking experience, especially if you’re a first-time home buyer. Not only is it probably the biggest purchase of your life, but the process is complicated and fraught with unfamiliar lingo and surprise expenses. To make the first-time home buying journey a little less…


Fannie to loosen mortgage requirements

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WASHINGTON – June 9, 2017 – Government-sponsored financing giant Fannie Mae will ease its requirements next month, raising its debt-to-income ceiling from 45 percent to 50 percent on July 29. The move could pave the way for a larger number of new buyers to qualify for a mortgage, particularly millennials who may be saddled with…


The bridge loan is back! Buy a New Home while yours is on the market!

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – June 5, 2017 – The bridge loan is back. While the details of a bridge loan vary by lender, they allow a homeowner to buy a new home before selling their current home. Under a new version announced by Third Federal, for example, an owner’s existing home payment is eliminated during the…


5 tips for buyers in a tight housing market

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WASHINGTON – May 15, 2017 – When inventory is low, home prices tend to go up. Attempting to purchase a house in this type of market can make the already complex home-buying process even more overwhelming. To help buyers successfully get through the buying process in a tight inventory market, the National Association of Realtors®…


1st Quarter Florida home sales up 5.1% year-to-year

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ORLANDO, Fla. — May 15, 2017 — Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices and more pending sales during the first quarter of 2017, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Closed sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 60,733 in 1Q 2017, up 5.1 percent over the 1Q 2016…


Ransom virus infecting PCs worldwide

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NEW YORK – May 15, 2017 – A massive ransomware attack is currently spreading like a tsunami around the world, hitting high profile targets like UK’s National Health Service and disabling Spain’s Telefonica carrier. The attack appears to exploit a hole patched by Microsoft in a critical update in March 2017, encrypting important data documents…


Help boomers navigate retirement

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CHICAGO – April 28, 2017 – Brokers will play a key role in helping homeowners live more comfortably and be more financially secure in retirement, as three out of four adults say they plan to downsize their home to lower ongoing costs and cash in on the equity. According to the results of a new…


First-time homebuyer mortgage options

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NEW YORK – April 28, 2017 – Buying a home for the first time can be daunting. In addition to mountains of paperwork and new financial terms to sort through, you’ll face costs and fees that can quickly add up. Fortunately, many grants and programs exist to help first-time homebuyers. Here are some of them:…


U.S. home sales jump 4.4% – hit 10-year high

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WASHINGTON – April 21, 2017 – U.S. existing-home sales took off in March to their highest pace in over 10 years, and severe supply shortages resulted in the typical home coming off the market significantly faster than in February and a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Only the West saw…


U.S. new home sales rise despite higher mortgage rates

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WASHINGTON (AP) – March 23, 2017 – Americans shrugged off higher mortgage rates and snapped up new homes in February at the fastest pace since July. The Commerce Department says new home sales rose 6.1 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 592,000. That is nearly 13 percent higher than a year…


Spring real estate buyers: Early bird gets worm

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CHICAGO – March 15, 2017 – Entering real estate’s traditionally busiest time of year, the housing market is buoyed by a stronger economy and consumer confidence. Job creation is 30 percent stronger year-to-year, unemployment is near a nine-year low, and wages and incomes are growing at the highest levels in about eight years, says Jonathan…


Fed Hikes Rates: The Mortgage Impact

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The Federal Reserve hiked short-term interest rates Wednesday, in a move largely predicted by economists. So, what does this mean for mortgage rates and buyers? First off, the Fed does not set mortgage rates. Short-term rates are different from long-term rates. Mortgage rates typically follow long-term bond rates, such as the 10-year U.S. Treasury note….


Report: Home prices still ‘have room to run’

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WASHINGTON – Dec. 6, 2016 – There’s still a lot of equity-building potential for homeowners. Freddie Mac’s Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi) stands at 86, which the mortgage giant says is on the “outer edge of its historic benchmark range of housing activity.” In Florida, the Index is a bit better coming in at 86.7 in…


Lots of positive trends in today’s housing market

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WASHINGTON – Dec. 2, 2016 – What fall slowdown? In many markets across the country, the housing market is showing anything but the typical seasonal slowdown. In fact, a report released by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) finds just the opposite. Existing-home sales eclipsed June’s cyclical sales and, in October, zoomed to the highest…


Fla.’s housing market: Median prices continue to rise in Oct. 2016

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Nov. 22, 2016 – Florida’s housing market reported higher median prices and fewer all-cash sales in October, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Shortfalls in inventory continued to impact sales statewide: Single-family home sales totaled 20,194, down 5.3% from October 2015, while townhouse-condo sales totaled 7,955, down 12.3…


6 ways to take title of Florida real estate

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Rania Soliman, Soliman Law, Altamonte Springs, FL November 7, 2016 — There are a number of ways to take title to Florida real estate, and each has potential advantages and limitations. Here are common options: Sole Ownership. Unmarried people, those who are legally divorced and married people who wish to hold the property in their…


Don’t believe myths about reverse mortgages

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STUART, Fla. – Nov. 16, 2016 – Let’s dispel some myths about reverse mortgages: Myth no. 1: The lender owns the home You will retain the title and ownership during the life of the loan, and you can sell your home at any time. The loan will not become due as long as you continue…


Fla.’s housing market: Median prices rise in September

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Oct. 20, 2016 – Florida’s housing market had more new listings, higher median prices and fewer all-cash closed sales in September, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Tight inventory continues to impact the state’s housing market, noted Florida Realtors Chief Economist Brad O’Connor. Closed sales of single-family homes…