South Florida Real Estate

New MIT Tool Predicts Hurricane Flood Risk

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Coastal cities and communities will face more frequent major hurricanes with climate change in the coming years. To help prepare coastal cities against future storms, MIT scientists have developed a method to predict how much flooding a coastal community is likely to experience as hurricanes evolve over the next decades. When hurricanes … Read more

5 Ways to Generate Leads Year-Round

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Some novel ideas to generate leads include integrating QR codes and chatbots into social media to provide potential buyers and sellers with immediate responses.    NEW YORK – Real estate professionals are always looking to generate leads. Rather than rely solely on third-party advertising, experts agree that organic leads can help firms break the pay-for-leads cycle. … Read more

Inflation Slowed Further, ‘Soft Landing’ Closer

A soft landing – inflation falling back to the Fed’s target without a recession – could make it easier for the Fed to cut its key interest rates. WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge cooled further last month even as the economy kept growing briskly, a trend sure to be welcomed at the … Read more

Microsoft, Others Build AI for Small Businesses

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Microsoft and other large companies are making new tools to help small businesses utilize artificial intelligence to expand their operations. NEW YORK — The influx of generative artificial intelligence software is transforming small businesses. Small business owners are using A.I. tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and others to check grammar in emails, punch up … Read more

NAR: December Pending Home Sales Climbed 8.3%

NAR is projecting a 13% increase in existing-home sales in 2024 (from 2023) to 4.62 million and a 15.8% increase in 2025 (from 2024) to 5.35 million and said interest rates will be cut four times. WASHINGTON – Pending home sales in December elevated 8.3%, according to the National Association of Realtors®, with the South, … Read more

Is It Time to Refinance Your Mortgage?

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The modest drops in rates may make refinancing more attractive to some homeowners, but others are opting to stay on the sidelines.  CHICAGO – After the federal government’s most recent report on inflation showed signs of stabilizing, homeowners with mortgages at high interest rates are among those hoping the lending market will follow suit. While … Read more

Why It’s So Hard to End Homelessness in the U.S.

BOSTON – It took seven years for Abigail Judge to see what success looked like for one Boston homeless woman. The woman had been sex trafficked since she was young, was a drug user and had been abused, neglected or exploited in just about every relationship she’d had. If Judge was going to help her, … Read more

Average Long-Term Mortgage Rate Rises to 6.69%

While the average long-term mortgage rate has increased three out of four weeks this month, it is still lower than the high of 7.79% in October. LOS ANGELES — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed to a six-week high this week, pushing up borrowing costs for homebuyers already facing the challenges of rising housing … Read more

Study: Renters Resist Buying Despite Lower Rates

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Many Americans say renting suits their lifestyle more than owning right now. The decision to rent or buy is a complex one, a new survey found. NEW YORK – Last year was tough for potential home buyers: Prices and mortgage rates were high, while the number of homes available was low. But even if rates … Read more

IRS to Simplify Taxpayer Notices

The IRS is rewriting its commonly received notices using simpler language to make them “shorter, clearer and easier to understand,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. WASHINGTON — The IRS wants to rewrite its complicated letters to taxpayers and speak to people in plain English. The federal tax collector is rewriting and sending out commonly received notices … Read more