South Florida Real Estate

New Year, New Condo Rules

Starting Jan. 1, condo sale contracts must include conspicuous statements about the milestone inspection, turnover report and structural integrity reserve study. ORLANDO, Fla. — A new year, another condominium law. We ring in this new year with a 2023 condominium law that created a future deadline for sales contracts entered into after December 31, 2024, … Read more

Private Insurers OK’d to Take Citizens Policies

Three private insurers were approved to assume up to 160,440 policies from Citizens in March. Citizens had 982,892 policies as of Friday. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Homeowners’ insurance policies appear poised to continue flowing out of the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. in 2025. The latest indication came Monday, when Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky signed … Read more

FBI Warns: Keep Texts Secure

Officials recommend texters use messaging apps with encryption such as Google Messages, Apple’s iMessages and WhatsApp. WASHINGTON — In the wake of a massive cyberattack linked to the Chinese government, FBI officials are renewing warnings that your private text messages aren’t secure. The concern comes after a hacking operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, gained access to … Read more

DeSantis, Cabinet Approve Land Deals

The land deals total $318 million to protect 86,819 acres across the state and include plans for a new state park and conservation easements. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved land deals that could help protect 86,819 acres across the state. The approvals included land purchases and acquiring … Read more

CFPB Rule Boosts Protections for PACE Borrowers

The finalized rule requires mortgage disclosures for PACE loans, aiming to protect homeowners from costly, unaffordable financing for clean energy upgrades. WASHINGTON — Homeowners with Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans have the right to receive standard mortgage disclosures that allow them to compare the cost of the PACE loan with other forms of financing, … Read more

Honoring Moe Veissi | Florida Realtors

Florida Realtors is deeply saddened to announce 2002 Florida Realtors President Maurice J. “Moe” Veissi died. He was 78. ORLANDO, Fla. — With a heavy heart, we announce the recent passing of 2002 Florida Realtors® President Maurice J. “Moe” Veissi, 78, founder and broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc. in Miami. Often affectionately referred to … Read more

5 Common Questions About FR/BAR Contracts

Test your knowledge and learn more about the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar (“FR/BAR”) contract with this short quiz. ORLANDO, Fla. — Here’s a short quiz to test your contract knowledge. Following are a few common questions we get about the FR/BAR contract on the Florida Realtors® Legal Hotline. Any contract language cited below comes from the most … Read more

Redfin: Buyers With Kids Get More Family Help

One in four buyers with kids received family cash for down payments, compared to 12% of those without, highlighting higher housing costs for families. SEATTLE — One-quarter (25%) of recent homebuyers who have kids living at home received a cash gift from family to help fund their down payment, more than double the 12% of … Read more

Existing-Home Sales Rise 4.8% in November

NAR: Existing-home sales in the South rose 5.6% from October to an annual rate of 1.87 million in November, up 3.3% from one year before. WASHINGTON — Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – improved 4.8% from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.15 million … Read more

U.S. Homes Hit Record for Extra Bedrooms

The trend in increasing number of excess bedrooms is driven by both declining household sizes and by an increase in the number of bedrooms per home. SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Although your home might feel tight this holiday season, nationally, the number of extra bedrooms, defined as a bedroom that is in excess of the … Read more