New laws impacting insurance lawsuits may be helping. State-run Citizens says it received 200 fewer monthly lawsuits Jan. to June than it did last year. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State-operated Citizens Property Insurance Corp. was served with 4,711 lawsuits during the first sixth months of 2023, a decrease of about 200 lawsuits per month compared to … Read more
But these Realtors aren’t just “good” – they’re great. Fort Lauderdale’s Kasia Maslanka and Palm Coast’s Sandra Shank are 2023 NAR “Good Neighbor” finalists. WASHINGTON – The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) selected 10 Realtors as finalists for its annual “Good Neighbor Awards,” and two of them call Florida home: Kasia Maslanka, a Realtor from … Read more
After hitting a 20-year high last week of 7.23%, the average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage moved lower again. A year ago, the FRM averaged 5.66%. LOS ANGELES – The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped after climbing for five consecutive weeks to a more than 20-year high, a modest relief for would-be homebuyers … Read more
Pres. Biden declared seven Fla. counties disaster areas, but Gov. DeSantis thinks more will be added. A declaration opens up additional aid, including more fed funding. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Search-and-rescue efforts have narrowed to three counties hit hard by the Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, while Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the federal government to expand a … Read more
Two Fla. agencies will receive $425K each – one in C. Fla., one in the Palm Beaches – for fair housing testing and enforcement to eliminate discriminatory practices. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is allocating $24,195,749.33 from its $56 million fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget to support 57 fair … Read more
Georgia Institute of Technology: A before/after study of new affordable housing found that it didn’t harm nearby home values – and in some cases, it raised them. ATLANTA – A new study from Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy debunks a common belief about the impact of affordable housing on neighborhood property values. The researchers, … Read more
Survey: 12% of U.S. homeowners don’t have property insurance. About half of them have household incomes of $40K or less and say they can’t afford it. NEW YORK – Policyholders increasingly opt out of homeowners insurance as premiums become unaffordable. Bankrate found the average premium for $250,000 in dwelling coverage rose to $1,428 per year … Read more
Agents offer buyers and sellers their market expertise, but that expertise can quickly become stale in a fast-changing RE market without regular educational updates. NEW YORK – A major success factor for real estate agents is to never stop learning. Most top professionals have a continual desire for knowledge and realize that each day is … Read more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As questions loom over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ability to fund disaster recovery efforts, people who lost homes to recent wildfires and storms are trying to make their way through the difficult process of securing financial aid. Residents in communities hit by Hurricane Idalia, the Maui fires or other recent … Read more
The order includes Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor counties and clears the way for federal funds to aid in their recovery. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a federal disaster declaration to help state and local recovery efforts after Category 3 Hurricane Idalia slammed into North Florida’s Big Bend … Read more
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