Florida Real Estate

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

An initial growth estimate of 2.4% was downgraded, though it’s still an acceleration from the 2% growth rate logged in the first quarter. WASHINGTON – The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.1% annual pace from April through June, showing continued resilience in the face of higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, the government said … Read more