Home Buying

Fannie Mae Maintains Secret List of Restricted Condos

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MIAMI – Some people trying to buy a condominium in South Florida but getting mysteriously rejected for a mortgage could be in for a jolt: The reason they can’t get a loan may be that the condo is on a secret quasi-governmental blacklist. News media reports and data leaks to a pair of law firms … Read more

NAR Tax Strategist Offers Advice for Business Tax Deductions

You may be able to claim ordinary activities or purchases as a cost of doing business. Anaheim, Calif. – There are three actions you need to take with your money: “Earn, keep and grow. Earn and keep more so you can invest it for growth,” said CPA and real estate tax strategist Gregory Antipoff during … Read more

Higher Interest Rates Make Homeownership Tougher

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Rising home prices and rents are also challenging would-be buyers to save for down payments. NEW YORK – Many would-be buyers were already feeling stretched thin by home prices that increased during the pandemic, but at least mortgage rates were low. Now that they are high, some people are just giving up, since it’s currently … Read more

Buy a House or Have a Wedding? It Can Be Both

Experts say couples can have a wedding and a house if they budget and set priorities. NEW YORK (AP) – Planning a wedding and buying a home are two expensive milestones in adult life. Couples with both of these goals may wonder just how they’ll pay for it all. While some couples may be fine … Read more

Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rates, Possible Cuts in 2024

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Fed policymakers indicated they may make three quarter-point cuts to their benchmark interest rate beginning in the second half of 2024. WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for a third straight time, a sign that it is likely done raising rates after having imposed the fastest string of … Read more

Changes – and Opportunities – Ahead During Hurricane Ian Cleanup

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New building codes and regulatory changes are in the future as Southwest Florida continues to recover from Hurricane Ian’s wrath.   FORT MYERS BEACH – When it comes to once-in-a-generation hurricanes and Florida’s real estate market, one thing is clear: change is afoot. Consider Hurricane Andrew. More than three decades ago, that deadly 1992 storm … Read more

State Considers Easing Fla. Keys Decades-Old Growth Limits

MARATHON, Fla. – The state is considering easing strict long-standing limits on development in the Florida Keys, a move that could fuel the biggest building boom in the ecologically fragile island chain in nearly a half-century. It could – at least potentially – open the door to as many as 8,000 new homes and businesses … Read more

$25M Available for Homeowners Impacted by Hurricane Idalia

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Newly allocated Hurricane Housing Recovery Program funds can be used to pay for repairs, insurance deductibles and down payments, among others. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Home and property owners in 18 Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Idalia may be eligible for state-backed funds for repairs and housing assistance. The Hurricane Housing Recovery Program provided $25 million … Read more

Inflation Inaccurately Measures Homebuyers’ Pain

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To measure housing-cost inflation, the Consumer Price Index uses “the current cost to rent the house you own,” even though many mortgage payments won’t change. NEW YORK – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles the Consumer Price Index (CPI), doesn’t measure the cost of homeownership within home prices. Instead, it estimates what a … Read more

Could Multigenerational Housing Help Supply Issues?

At an NAR panel last week, industry experts said that when multiple generations live together, it can help address affordability concerns and homeownership gaps. ANAHEIM, Calif. – A panel of housing industry experts discussed how multigenerational housing could help combat housing supply shortages and growing homeownership gaps last week during the National Association of Realtors® … Read more