The National Association of Home Builders’ 3Q affordability study found that just 37.4% of Americans can afford a median-priced home in their metro area.

An estimated 10% of pandemic-relief fund recipients committed fraud – a $280B loss. In one case, a Fla. man, now in prison for 5 years, bought a private island.

Don’t ignore social media and newer forms of marketing, but getting out into the community and holding open houses can be more effective tools for lead generation.

More people are adding property investments to their retirement portfolios. If added cautiously, it can be a viable hedge against the volatility of stocks and bonds.

While some private insurers were approved to take policies from the state’s “insurer of last resort,” they may later pull that offer for internal business reasons.

Florida Realtors VP Juana Watkins urged patience in a Thur. webinar, which is now available online. The decision might have an impact but the process will take years.

About 12K Realtors will gather in Anaheim, Calif., next week, with some sessions offered virtually. Its “Own the Moment” theme will feature Mindy Kaling.

FEMA wants a mandatory flood disclosure form from states that plan to participate in national flood insurance, but NAR’s study shows that a disclosure isn’t needed.

In No. 2 Jacksonville, they dropped 48.2% in 3Q and over 40% in 3 Fla. metros, but W. Palm Beach saw only a 7.6% drop, Miami was down 14% and Fort Lauderdale, down 19.1%.

It’s a notable drop from last week’s 7.76% for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, due in part to a drop in bonds after the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates the same.

In Fla., cash sales dropped year-to-year in only one metro: Fort Lauderdale. The percentage of cash sales ranged from 38.2% in Tampa to 49% in West Palm Beach.

Tracy Kasper calls the ruling “disappointing, (but) just one chapter in a longer legal process.” She answers some key questions, including: How does this affect my business?

The RE market is changing rapidly, but seasoned agents have seen that before. Start 2024 by taking stock of the things that worked – and didn’t work – in 2023.

A unanimous House and Senate approved more funding. Floridians who already submitted applications may get recommended storm upgrades with a match up to $10K.

Under SB 264, property owned by foreign principals used for “bona fide agricultural purposes” must be registered, and it can now be done online.

Some homebuyers priced out of the market opt for a mortgage buydown, usually funded by sellers, in order to lower their monthly payments for the first few years.

Electronic fund transfer problem wasn’t a scam: TCH, which is owned by 22 major banks, says some e-deposits failed last week due to a technical error.

Brokers who can keep RE agents for years have many traits in common, with trust topping the list and “ongoing steadfast support” close behind.

Commercial projects feared trouble early this year when regional banks stumbled and lending slowed – but so far, other providers have picked up the slack.

WeWork once threatened to change the traditional office model, but its rapid expansion suddenly faced lower office-space demands and higher interest rates.