The Daily (051216) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   Magazine says Fla. is second-best state for businessChief Executive magazine's annual list put Texas in the top "best for business" category, but No. 2 Fla. "continued to steadily edge up in qualitative measures." Read more.7 Fla. Realtors inducted into RPAC Hall of FameThe Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC), which works with lawmakers to keep housing affordable and attainable, recognized its major contributors. Read more.Citizens tells owners about new claims restrictionsCoverage by the Fla.-owned insurer changes July 1, and Citizens says it will educate policyholders. Emergency repairs, for example, cap out at $3,000 after that. Read more.NAR: New condo rules may help student debt challengeHUD says changes are... 05/12/2016

The Daily (050516) Hot Sheet Of Real Estate News Trending Now  Downpayment insurance helps recession-leery buyers For the first time, buyers can purchase insurance that protects their downpayment if real estate values fall. One Fla. bank offers it now but more should follow. Read more.81% of small businesses don't ask for helpIn a survey, 38% of small business owners said they need help, but four out of five don't tap into existing resources, such as their local chamber of commerce. Many owners also rely too heavily on personal funding. Read more. HGTV host offers tips on selling homes to CanadiansIf you want to sell a home to a Canadian, ditch the faux-marble finishing, store doodads, and paint it gray or beige, says HGTV personality Kimberley Seldon. Read more.Why do good people quit?... 05/04/2016

NAUTICA ISLES WEST POOL HOME SOLD! This gorgeous pool home featured 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a 2 car garage. Just a few features included an upgraded kitchen,  open floorplan and outdoor grilling station. Listed on December 14th, 2015 for $350,000 this Nautica Isles West home was SOLD on March 7th, 2016 for $342,500 to a VA financed home buyer.Nautica Isles West is located in Greenacres Florida on the west side of Haverhill Road just north of Lantana Road. Within the gates you will find amazing amenities, which include a community swimming pool, playground, volleyball courts and more. Access to the Florida Turnpike and I-95 is close by along with shopping, dining and entertainment. Great schools are also a short walk, bike or drive away.5030 Sabreline Terrace was listed and closed by... 04/28/2016

 Checking the Facts On The Internet, "How To Guide" Here’s how to check the “Facts” and nothing but the FactsCheck the writer. Look on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for a blue checkmark verifying occupation and identity. Double check breaking news. These stories often misidentify people and misreport what’s going on. Find a news outlet getting reports from its own people on the scene, not from other sources, indicated by phrases like “we have reports that...” and “we’re trying to confirm...” Correct your own mistakes. If you post something you discover is untrue, delete it, apologize and provide the facts. Respectfully correct others. When friends or family share misinformation on social media, gently tell them where they can find the right story. Question all political ads. Compa... 04/24/2016

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE & Beyond for the week of 4/4/16   Many of us in the housing market know exactly the feeling the legendary hitter was talking about. Last week we got a nice peak at what the spring home buying season may bring us and it was promising.  The Pending Home Sales index shot up 3.5% in February, reaching its highest level in seven months. That level is 0.7% ahead of where it was a year ago, and that's 18 months in a row of year-over year gains.  This National Association of Realtors (NAR) gauge of contracts signed on existing homes presages future sales. The NAR's chief economist observed, "after some volatility this winter, the latest data is encouraging." The chief economist for Realtor.com elaborated: "Given the level of pent-up demand evident in web activity... 04/05/2016

 The Daily Hot Sheet of Real Estate News Trending NowMarch 30, 2016   Neighborhoods can't do much about sober-living homes In most cases, a city cannot treat licensed or unlicensed group homes, including sober-living facilities, any differently than it treats single-family homes. Read more. In Jan., home prices rose faster than incomesThe increase in home prices (5.7%) was more than double the increase in wages, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index. Read more. Xplode conference aims to bridge technology gapMany buyers and sellers love new technology; many Realtors do not. But a real estate career today focuses on apps and URLs as much as contracts and clients. Read more.Consumer confidence surges on hopes for the futureThe overall March index rose 2.2... 03/30/2016

The Daily Hot Sheet of Real Estate News Trending Now March 24, 2016  Western U.S. homebuyers push up new-home salesCommerce Dept.: New-home sales rose 2% in Feb. to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 512,000; the increase is because of a 38.5% surge in sales in the West. Read more.Still-low interest rates boost refinancingIn 2015, refis made up half of all mortgage applications; and this year, some analysts predict they'll account for 40% of the total. Read more.First-time buyers may face a difficult springThe inventory of properties priced below $250K fell 8.2% in Jan. from a year earlier, says NAR, so competition among entry-level buyers could be fierce. Read more.Foreign buyers of U.S. assets not slowing downReal Capital Analytics: Foreign real estate investors bought a record $91.... 03/23/2016

Daily Hot Sheet of Real Estate News Trending Now March 10, 2016  Monthly REO filings rise againAccording to CoreLogic, the number of homes in foreclosure dropped in Jan., but banks finalized the takeover of more homes. Fla. ranked No. 4 in the nation. Read more.Company says it now offers flood-only coverageA private firm claims it's the first insurer to offer private, stand-alone flood insurance in Fla., and it will provide owners a quote in only seconds. Read more.HUD: $72.9 million for Fla. homeless programs272 Fla. programs that fight homelessness locally will receive the funds - part of $1.6 billion HUD is distributing nationwide. Read more.Boomers and millennials desire different thingsNAHB: For every generation except boomers, a laundry room tops their list of desired home ameniti... 03/09/2016

The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending NowFebruary 18, 2016Banks start to ease 20% downpayment for jumbo loans 20% downpayments for a jumbo loan became an industry standard after the bust, but now lenders are starting to approve ones with 10% down - and sometimes less. Read more.Housing starts fall in cold and snowy Jan.Cold weather appears to have cut homebuilding in the Midwest and Northeast, causing the pace of construction to tumble in Jan. as housing starts slip 3.8%. Read more.Builders eye outer lots for entry-level buyersThe outskirts of town - a development hot spot during the housing bubble - are coming back into favor as builders seek C- and D-grade lots for their new homes. Read more.Another reason to own a home: Cheaper car insuranceIt costs a 30-year old safe... 02/17/2016

Expect Moderate Housing & Price Growth in Next 12 Months REALTORS® who responded to the November 2015 survey expected prices to increase by 3.2 percent over the next 12 months (3.2 percent in October 2015; 3.0 percent in November 2014).9 REALTORS® expect the recent strong price growth to moderate as rising prices have made homes "unaffordable” for many, according to the November 2015 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey Report. Read more 02/13/2016

The Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now February 04, 2016   Forbes lists top investment cities - 7 are in Fla. Where should real estate investors put their money? Fla. dominates Forbes list this year with Orlando No. 2, but most regions have at least one city on the list. Read more.Subprime loans are back - but with changesCredit firm Equifax says the number of subprime loans - borrowers have a 620 or below credit score - is rising. But lenders today focus more on ability to repay. Read more.Home affordability still high but for how long?Housing is still affordable in most U.S. cities, but a report claims that could change within two years if home values keep rising at the current rate. Read more.Bill to expand homeownership passes HouseNAR-supported H.R. 3700 eases som... 02/04/2016

Market Minute Updates Ending for the Week of January 15, 2016  Stocks have started the year off with the worst performance ever, causing traders to seek safety in bonds, including mortgage bonds. This has helped rates. Concerns over the world's second largest economy, China, have contributed to poor stock performance. China's economic struggles support low mortgage rates. Dropping oil prices have also been a factor. Poised to fall below $30 a barrel, declining oil prices are disinflationary and contribute to stock market weakening. Buying a house on Amazon? Companies like Ten-X are looking to help brokers offer real estate investors the ability to buy properties with the click of a mouse. NAR's chief economist, Lawrence Yun, expects 2016 home sales to improve over 2015 by 1-3%. 2015 was... 01/15/2016

THIS WEEK'S INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE & BEYOND  ...Too bad the Oracle of Omaha's money can't make him look any better. At least our housing market data looks pretty spiffy these days.  The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported its Builder Application Survey reached its highest November reading since the BAS index began in 2012.   The MBA's vice president of Research and Economics said, "This is a very good result considering the time of year. On a seasonally adjusted basis, we estimate there were 524,000 new home sales in November, up 5.9% from our October estimate of 495,000, and up 31% from November a year ago. The MBA also reported that for the week ending December 4, mortgage applications were up 1.2% overall compared to the prior week, with purchase applications up .04%... 12/15/2015

Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Thursday, December 10, 2015     Banks accelerated Fla. home repossessions in Nov.Fla. ranked No. 1 in total completed foreclosures - twice as many as No. 2 Texas. But scheduled auctions dropped 58% year-to-year as crisis cleanup continues. Read more.FHA: Loan limits won't change in 2016The conforming range for buyers seeking a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan remains the same in 2016, but selected metros will see an increase. Read more.Real estate Q&A: Don't cut corners on permitsA homeowner wants to install a storage shed, but the permit process stalled - the city says it's due to a "setback." What does that mean? Read more.NAR teams up with Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericaThe national association says it's showing "support fo... 12/10/2015

 Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now Wednesday, December 2, 2015   Patent troll targets real estate websitesZillow, Redfin and other websites have been hit by a lawsuit based on the technology they use to track user sessions - other real estate websites may follow. Read more.NAR Call for Action update: Homebuyers won't pay for roadsThe call asked Realtors to email Congress and protest the use of buyer fees to fund transportation projects. It worked. The bill now taps other revenue sources. Read more.Most mortgage loan limits stay the same in 2016The ceiling for conventional loans will remain at $417K for most U.S. metros, though a few that already have higher limits (none in Fla.) will see an increase. Read more.Construction spending up to highest level in 8 yearsThe U.... 12/02/2015

Daily Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Thursday, November 19, 2015   Fla. 'business climate' No. 4 in nationTax Foundation's "State Business Tax Climate Index" looked at the different ways state governments generate tax revenue and ranked their appeal to businesses. Read more.Local gov'ts starting to police illegal drone useMiami is the latest city to consider drone laws. If approved, it would allow local police to confiscate drones and charge operators with a misdemeanor. Read more.Avg. downpayments rise with tighter inventoryLendingTree: Downpayments for conventional 30-year FRMs rose slightly in 3Q to 17.63%, up from 17.34% quarter-to-quarter and 16.29% year-to-year. Read more.65% of good schools in unaffordable neighborhoodsA good local school can increase property va... 11/19/2015

Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate Stories Trending Now  Thursday, October 29, 2015   Fla. No. 2 for home flippingRealtyTrac: In a county-by-county comparison, Fla. holds the top five spots for home flips to baby boomer buyers - and Southwest Fla. leads the nation. Read more.Pending home sales lose more steam in Sept.The U.S. pending home sales index dropped for the second month in a row - but in year-to-year comparisons, pending sales have increased for 13 straight months. Read more.U.S. home values and rents defying global slowdownHousing appears insulated so far from a cooling global economy thanks to strong demand and a tight supply of available properties. Read more.What is harassment? HUD rule clarifies protectionsHUD and courts have always considered harassment a form of discrimi... 10/29/2015

Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now Wednesday, October 21, 2015    Only 3 situations where TRID causes closing delaysWorried that last-minute mortgage changes will derail transactions? Don't be, says CFPB's Cordray. Only a few major events start new three-day waiting periods. Read more.Does green financing hurt home sales?The PACE program helps owners add green improvements. But in Calif., some agents say it makes homes harder to sell because the green loan stays with the house. Read more.Three trends that will impact real estateTransportation changes impact real estate values, and self-driving cars - expected to be common in three years - could boost demand in farther-out developments. Read more.50% of today's renters plan to buy within 2 yearsRising rents are taking a... 10/21/2015

Daily Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Saturday, October 10, 2015   FAA could bust drone users by tracking radio wavesThe FAA is testing drone-tracking technology. If successful, it will allow the agency to identify and fine anyone who flies a drone within five miles of an airport. Read more.Listing data theft is very common and hard to stopScrapers often steal listing data from IDX and VOW feeds, and existing protocols to stop them are outdated and ineffective, a recent study claims. Read more.A rec lease can complicate condo refinancingReal estate Q&A: Several lenders won't refinance our condo because a "rec lease" is part of ownership in addition to other condo costs. What can we do? Read more.Fla.'s zombie problem appears to be improvingFla. has the second highest tot... 10/09/2015

ESTATE PLANNING   John was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. "I may look like just an ordinary man,” he said to her, "but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit 20 million dollars." Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother. Women are so much better at estate planning.         09/29/2015