The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Friday, March 28, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES FBI investigating flood insurance map changes Do some U.S. condo complexes underpay for coverage due to incorrect flood map changes? NBC News says FBI is examining 500 properties - 47 in Fla. Read more. Freddie Mac: Fla. most-improved state in past year It's also the most-improved state month-to-month in January. Miami, Orlando and Tampa are cited in the index's top-five for improving local markets. Read more. Average 30-year mortgage rate rises to 4.4% A suggestion from the Fed chair that short-term interest rates might go up in 2015 sparked an increase in the 30-year FRM. Read more.   Fannie Mae extends 3.5% closing cost incentive Owner-occupant buyers have 20 days after a lis... 03/28/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet Of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor NewsThursday, March 20, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Fla.’s housing market shows rising prices in Feb. Single-family home median prices up 10% year-over-year, condo prices up 15.2%; single-family sales up 1.5%. NAR: Feb. sales subdued but strong price growth. Read more. HUD awards $1.8 billion for public housing Of that amount, 79 Fla. providers will receive over $48 million. Awards range from $11 million for Miami-Dade County to $11,000 for Gilchrist County. Read more. Condo and puppy at center of fair housing complaints A nonprofit group that seeks out buildings without disabled access led to one complaint, while doubt about a diabetes-sniffing dog led to the other. Read more.   Fla. TaxWatch: Put trust back in trust funds A repo... 03/20/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Thursday, March 6, 2014    TODAY'S TOP STORIES Online listing service to note nearby sex offenders RealtyTrac says it will make its online search more transparent by including negative housing details, such as nearby hazards, former meth labs, etc. Read more. Fed: Economy hobbled by extreme weather Last week, economists said bad weather alone couldn't explain the U.S. slowdown. This week they back-peddled - and some now expect a big spring bounce-back. Read more. CoreLogic: 4M homes achieve positive equity in 2013 In Fla., 28.1% of homes with a mortgage were underwater, with No. 1 Nev. at 30.4%. An additional 3.6% of mortgaged Fla. homes were barely above water. Read more. Mortgage lenders put clients' information at risk ... 03/06/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Friday, February 14, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Most Fla. real estate brokers expect higher profits Latest Fla. "Profile of Real Estate Firms" finds 70% expecting higher profits over next two years, 46% recruiting agents and 72% anticipating more competition. Read more. New home purchases up sharply in Jan. 2014 Mortgage bankers say new home sales skyrocketed, rising 35% month-to-month. Sales rose so much that MBA went out of its way to assure readers it was correct. Read more. Average 30-year mortgage rate up to 4.28% The rate remains near historic lows, but experts polled by Bankrate.com this week expect a bit more of an increase over the short term. Read more.   Borrower may benefit from forbearance plan Real estate Q&A: ... 02/14/2014

    The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Thursday, February 6, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Expired short sale tax relief may impact home sales While Congress may yet extend IRS tax forgiveness for short sales retroactively, potential sellers could be holding off their home listing until it's official. Read more. Insurance fraud operation in S. Fla. nets 22 arrests Operating like hit men for houses, a network of people started fires or flooded homes so the owners could submit false property insurance claims - $7.6M worth. Read more. More young adults stick with parents, delay buying 40% of Fla. adults age 18 to 34 live with parents to save money, and as the rebound picks up, these potential first-time buyers could be the next hot niche. Read more.   Like ‘em or ... 02/06/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Friday, January 24, 2014     TODAY'S TOP STORIES New do-not-call rules stop most robocalls The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s new rules ban most automatic, non-human phone calls, including ones to established business relationships. Read more. Study: U.S. has most of world's affordable markets A look at housing costs globally finds U.S. cities a relative bargain compared to most countries: It's home to 84 of 95 "affordable" world markets. Read more. Nearly all U.S. cities will grow in 2014 The U.S. Conference of Mayors predicts broader expansion in 2014 than 2013. Of 363 metropolitan areas, all but seven should grow. No. 1 in U.S.? Naples, Fla. Read more.   Court: Citizens can face bad-faith lawsuit Escambia Cou... 01/24/2014

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Tuesday, October 15, 2013   Feature of the Day MLS: RX-9984907 Offered for $119,900   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Mortgage Investors Corp. stops writing loans St. Petersburg company that refinances mortgages for veterans announced Monday that it was laying off nearly 500 employees and would no longer write new loans. Read more.   Builders push buyer incentives as sales slow When buyer demand increased, homebuilders raised prices. But after a demand dip from higher interest rates, they brought back incentives to help close deals. Read more.   Measure the value of social media marketing A "purchase equivalency calculator" looks at viewers, clicks, forwards and shares, and compares their return on investment relative to other market... 10/15/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News  Wednesday, October 9, 2013     TODAY'S TOP STORIES Fla. fines one insurer, cuts rates for another Second-largest property insurer, Universal, fined $2.6M and will change its customer dealings. American Security must drop rates 10% on force-placed policies. Read more.   Fla. looking at alternatives to fed flood insurance Office of Insurance Regulation is talking to private insurers that seem interested in writing privately backed flood insurance policies for Fla. homeowners. Read more.   New mortgage regulations hurt working-class buyers Rule effective Jan. 1 say banks can't charge more than 3% in mortgage fees. But that makes a $160K home loan almost unprofitable for many mortgage brokers. Read more.   Real estate Q&A: R... 10/09/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News   Friday, September 27, 2013   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Lawsuit names FEMA, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. On Wed., U.S. senators from Fla., La. and New Jersey filed bill for 1-year delay of Biggert-Waters Act. Read more.   Average U.S. 30-year mortgage rate down to 4.32% It's the lowest point in two months, says Freddie Mac. The drop follows the Fed's decision to hold off slowing its monthly bond purchases. Read more.   Income rose 0.4%, the best gain since Feb. The data points to modest economic growth in third quarter, but could signal stronger growth in final three months. Read more.   Sellers can use FHA, VA loans as marketing tool A selling tool is making a comeback for sellers with low-rate FHA or VA mortgages: A buye... 09/27/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Thursday, September 19, 2013 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Fla.'s housing market continued upswing in Aug. 2013 Closed sales (12.5%), median prices (18.6%) and pending sales (17.2%) rose for single-family homes. National sales highest in 6 ½ years - prices up 14.7%. Read more.   Mortgage rates drop fast after Fed stimulus decision Homebuyers caught off guard by recent interest rate spikes could catch a break. The Fed's surprise bond-buying decision yesterday caused immediate decline. Read more.   Lawmakers file 2014 bill to reduce Fla. lease tax Similar House and Senate bills submitted recently would reduce commercial lease tax by 1% - a change also pushed by Florida Realtors in letter to Gov. Scott. Read more.   Effective networki... 09/19/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Friday, August 30, 2013 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Average rate on 30-year mortgage at 4.51% Freddie Mac: Rates for FRMs declined this week but remain close to their highest level in two years. Still, rates are low by historical standards. Read more.   Private real-estate trusts draw interest, scrutiny A privately traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that is unlisted could promise high returns but fail to deliver what an investor expects. Read more.   Citizens Ins. moving out 400K policies Fla.-owned insurer plans to transfer policies to 10 private companies in Nov. Homeowners will receive a 30-day notice and may have a few options. Read more.   More brokerages choose to become one-stop shops The most popular ancillary ser... 08/30/2013

  Five Tips For Buying A New Home Starts HereBuying a new home or your first home is a very exciting thing. If it’s your first time, you might quickly find that there is a lot more to home buying than you originally thought. You can take care a lot of the early work—like loan pre-approval and looking into a home warranty—on your own. For most other things, you should be able to turn to your real estate agent for help. Here are 5 tips to get you started toward buying a new home. 1. Start by making 2 lists for your new home: a list of needs and a list of wants. Needs should come first. For instance, if a home warranty is important to you, then make sure that is included with your home. If you must have at least 3 bedrooms and a big yard, put that on your list. If you want a big yard, but ... 08/25/2013

  Why “PATH” Approach to Fannie, Freddie Phase-out is Troubling Lawmakers have been talking about reforming the secondary mortgage market since the housing bust, but the effort has remained largely in the planning stage. Now it’s moving forward.   In the House last week, the Financial Services Committee passed a bill, called the PATH Act, which would phase out the two secondary mortgage market companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bill would also make major changes to the way FHA conducts its business. “PATH” stands for “Protecting America’s Taxpayers and Homeowners.” In the Senate, comprehensive legislation has been introduced that would also phase out Fannie and Freddie but, unlike in the House, the federal government would remain as an insurer of last resort, much like the FDIC ... 08/18/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Thursday, August 15, 2013     TODAY'S TOP STORIES Florida Realtors honors 2013 award winners Patricia "Patti" Fitzgerald, 2011 president, was named 2013 Realtor of the Year today at Florida Realtors' 97th annual Convention & Trade Expo. Read more.   July month-to-month foreclosure activity up 2% It's the first month-to-month increase in over six years. Nine of the nation's 10 highest metro foreclosure rates were in Fla., with five up from a year ago. Read more.   Fla.’s rebound powered by foreigners’ housing money In top 10 counties with an influx of post-recession international cash, property-tax assessments are up 4.1% this year - nearly twice the other counties' rate. Read more.   Inventory shortage problem appears to ... 08/15/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Thursday, August 8, 2013       TODAY'S TOP STORIES Fla.’s housing market continues positive trends 2Q existing home sales up 14.7% year-to-year, price up 14.1%; condos up 7.9%, price up 16.7%. NAR: Sales up 12.3% year-to-year, single-family price up 12.2%. Read more.   Florida CFO: Why aren’t insurance rates dropping? Property insurers have cited rising reinsurance costs as a reason to hike premiums. But if reinsurance rates are currently falling, shouldn't premiums go down? Read more.   Florida Realtors releases phone app for convention New this year, members have a suite of tech tools to stay organized at Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo, including a customized schedule option. Read more.   Closing Fannie, Fredd... 08/08/2013

  10 Great Ideas for Sales Success to Finish off the Year   Your sales engine needs to run smoothly. If there is sand in your gearbox, the engine doesn’t run very well. The alternative is to add oil periodically to keep things fresh and clean and running smoothly. How often do you add oil to your gearbox? Here are 10 things you could add to your “sales engine” right away: 1. Record your lead generation calls for 15 minutes and listen to your conversations. 2. Read inspirational material 30 minutes every morning and every night. 3. Get an accountability partner and check in with them every day. 4. Pick one bad habit you want to eliminate and cut it out right away. 5. Identify one good habit you want to start immediately. Click HERE for More   08/04/2013

  The Daily Hot Sheet of palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Friday, July 26, 2013     TODAY'S TOP STORIES Average rate on 30-year loan falls to 4.31% It's down from 4.37 percent last week but nearly a full percentage point higher than in early May. Few experts predict a further decline. Read more. Fla. school ratings decline under new standards Buyers shopping for good schools may be taken aback. State has 39% fewer "A" schools this year and 167% more "D" schools under stricter testing standards. Read more. Renters say homeownership a top priority NAR survey: Now, more than in past three years, renters are considering a home purchase. They overwhelmingly believe it's a good financial decision. Read more.   Chinese buyers fastest growing international niche They're especially eager... 07/26/2013

< How to Pick Paint Colors That Will Dazzle Any Prospect       Paint has remodeling power when you use it to emphasize a room’s best features or play down the flaws. “Paint is a powerful tool that can enhance the architectural character and intent of space,” says Minneapolis architect Petra Schwartze of TEA2 Architects. “As you choose your paint, think about what the experience in the room should be.” More Schwartze advice: Always sample paint colors on a few walls. Don’t be shy about painting a few large swaths on walls and trim to consider the effect of natural and artificial lighting. Add samples to opposite sides of a room to judge the paint color from different angles. Check the space with the samples in place and watch how the paint color changes at different times of the day. Eva... 07/21/2013

  Are First-Time buyers losing out as home sales continue to rise???    U.S. home prices have risen for 14 straight months, but first-time buyers have been increasingly on the sidelines. In May, first-time buyers accounted for 28 percent of existing-home purchases, down from 34 percent a year before and 36 percent two years ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. The declining share of first timers means that many have missed out on low interest rates – which recently moved up from near-record lows – and home prices that have risen sharply from their bottom. “The people buying homes today … are participating in home price growth. Younger people, they are being left out,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the NAR. “It remains to be seen when the first-time buyer can r... 07/07/2013

  Hypoluxo of Palm Beach County, FL Market Stats for May 2013   Stats and facts about Lantana, Florida, are out for the month of May 2013.  The report is packed with information about the county and the local city mentioned above. In a nut shell the inventory of single family homes available for sale are at a 6.3 month selling point which is down nearly 9.3%from a year ago. That’s a good sign things are loosening up and people are buying. Click on this LINK, for more graphs and stats. Whether you are buying or selling in this hot market of the County of Palm Beach, FL, choosing the right company will save you money, time and many sleepless nights. I not only have 29 years experience as a Realtor, construction was a passion of mine as well. This alone is worth so much more than the avera... 06/30/2013