The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News
Monday, January 27, 2014
MLS: RX-3352810 Offered for $275k Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Banks again pitching home equity loans Eager to speed up sluggish revenue growth, banks are returning to a business that lost appeal during the downturn - but they're being more cautious. Read more. Report: Apple plans larger iPhones Considering an iPad for business? A larger iPhone rumored to appear later this year might bridge the gap between phone and pad for some users. Read more. NOW YOU KNOW … (3 comments)
The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News
Monday, January 6, 2014
RX: 9987866 Offered @ $399,900 Delray Beach, FL
Fla. is No. 3 in population - almost Growth that fuels Fla.'s housing boom seems to be returning. The Sunshine State should pass N.Y. sometime this year, adding about 630 new residents each day. Read more.
Scientists creating map to predict sinkhole activity The state hopes to create a detailed, multilayered map that pinpoints areas with the greatest chance of sinkhole activity. Read more.
Transitional land deals stage a comeback The somewhat risky buying and selling of land with development potential has picked up again, though its hotness depends on location. Read more.
2013 Atlantic hurricane season draws to close Despite forecasters' predictions for a busier than normal year, this season delivered the fewest hurricanes - two - since 1982. The season ends Saturday. Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW Study compares homeownership for older Americans Mortgage … (0 comments)
Somebody please tell homebuyers rates are still low D.R. Horton exec says 2% drop in sales resulted from mortgage rate increases since Jan. But buyers forget that current rates are an amazing bargain historically. Read more.
Can fake lakes bait buyers? A Port St. Lucie man-made lagoon - essentially a swimming pool and beach large enough to support kayaking - could turn second-tier land into first-rate housing. Read more.
Census: About 36M Americans moved in the last year About one in 10 U.S. residents found a new place to live in 2013 - slightly less than in 2012 yet more than 2011, the slowest relocation year on record. Read more.
Eminent domain battles brew again An eminent domain tactic to take foreclosure homes and sell them back to owners is gaining traction nationwide, even if it creates some major problems. Read more.
Couples face challenges if relocating in retirement It's hard for a couple to agree on a state, city and home, much less their new retirement roles. Their relocation turns some Realtors into marriage counselors. Read more.
Q&A: Passing on a small business to your children An owner must prepare for an honest and realistic conversation with the family about his or her vision for the succession and legacy of the business. Read more. … (1 comments)
Predictive analytics to boost real estate business NAR: Data generally shows what already occurred, but researchers are now trying to use that data and other variables to predict what will happen next. Read more.
Condo sales challenge: Restrictive FHA rules NAR: While condos make good first-time homes, FHA has cut back on the number of buildings it approves - 60% were denied in 2013 compared to 20% in 2011. Read … (1 comments)
Iowa City lowers its flood insurance rates A FEMA certification for flood mitigation efforts lowered everyone's flood ins. costs 10%. But the city asked for a re-certification and costs went down 15%. Read more.
Fla. Senate’s Lake Okeechobee plan: $220 million A committee yesterday backed plans to clean the lake and help riverfront property owners harmed by water surges after the natural river flow is redirected. Read more.
Blackstone offers new type of rental bond A company that buys single-family rentals says a new bond tool allows an investor to share in rental profits and also make money when a home is sold. Read more.
S&P: Home prices rise 12.8% year-to-year Compared to July, the 10-City and 20-City Composites gained 1.3% in Aug. A look at all cities finds the highest overall yearly price increase in seven years. Read more.
Then and now: A decade of technology in real estate NAR: Tech has advanced at breakneck speed: 10 years ago, smartphones didn't even exist. Still, only 41% of buyers consider tech skills "very important." Read more.
Rate buydowns not a dealmaker for homebuilders Most new homebuyers don't see higher interest rates as a problem. Builders dropped some lower-your-rate programs saying buyers like incentives better. Read more.
Raise the house, lower the flood risk A number of Northeast homeowners are paying big money to elevate their homes as a way to lower flood insurance costs and sustain less damage in future storms. Read more.
NY jury: Bank of America liable in mortgage fraud In civil case, gov't accused Countrywide, which BofA purchased, of urging workers to churn out loans, accept fudged applications and hide ballooning defaults. Read more.
Apple sticks to high-price strategy with new iPad New iPad Air is 9.7-inches. At one pound, it's 28% lighter and 20% thinner, and has a faster A7 chip, new camera, dual microphones, and silver or gray color. Read more.
Home prices up slightly in August The U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency's House Price Index rose 0.3 percent in August. Prices have now risen for 19 consecutive months. Read more.
Fla. approves Citizens Property Insurance hikes State regulators announced yesterday that they approved an average statewide rate hike of 6.3% - the fourth year in a row the Fla.-owned insurer raised rates. Read more.
Rental redo: New complexes offer condo amenities Some new rental complexes, notably in South Fla., have all the trimmings: a fitness center, a bayfront pool, a sauna and steam room, and a social center. Read more.
Three lessons learned from home flippers With home prices rising, more people want to try this type of real estate investing. One tip: Don't overpay for a property or count on fast price appreciation. Read more.
CoreLogic: 49,000 completed foreclosures in July Foreclosure inventory down 32% year-to-year, though Fla. continues its reign as having more homes in its foreclosure inventory than any other state. Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW Study: Where do Fla.'s foreign students come from? Florida Realtors … (0 comments)
Home equity offers make a comeback, but be careful Community banks, credit unions and major banks have shown renewed interest in making the loans and offering lines of credit as home values climb. Read more.
Fla.: Temporary injunction in mortgage relief scam Attorney General Bondi: Broward-based firms charged up-front fees and falsely guaranteed that defendants would have their home equity restored. Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW Protect data from cloud-based storms Storing data in "the cloud" empowers an office … (1 comments)
UF: Florida's consumer confidence dips unexpectedly Despite state's good economic news, the July index dropped 3 points, likely due to younger residents feeling more pessimistic about finances. Read more.
Create real estate infographics with Infogr.am Realtors can use Infogr.am and other apps to make interactive infographics for creative marketing and to boost their online content. Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW A new life for an old smartphone Some aging smartphones could be worth up to $250 when … (0 comments)
Consumer confidence drops slightly in July Confidence increased year-to-year but was down for the month. U.S. consumers felt better about their present situation but a tad pessimistic about the future. Read more.
Seven ways to get to top of YouTube YouTube distilled best practices down to a science and calls it the Playbook. First step: Think viral. What makes you want to watch and forward to friends? Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW Florida Realtors publishes 718 … (1 comments)
The mortgage rate lock is back in style Mortgage rates fluctuate but, for practical purposes, were steady for a long time - but not lately. Skittish buyers now lock in earlier rather than later. Read more.
Real estate agents returning to traditional sales When the market changes, agents react - they learn more about short sales or foreclosures, for example. But today, it seems to be returning to "normal." Read more.
Apps can help you manage cloud portfolio Some photos go to iCloud, others to Flickr; work docs go to Dropbox or SkyDrive. New apps can keep track and organize all that offsite storage, however. Read more.
New trend: Developments that make their own energy In the past, individual homebuyers could add upgrades for energy efficiency. But now whole energy-efficient, zero-net developments are starting to crop up. Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW Your clients fall for these three … (1 comments)
DBPR explains Fla.'s new association reporting law In a newsletter, Sec. Ken Lawson says a website will be active by Oct. 1 for registration by Nov. 22, 2013. Law also limits some homeowner association actions. Read more.
Housing recovery leaves Millennials behind First-time buyers can't catch a break as they face low listing inventories, competitive bidders with cash and burdensome student loan payments. Read more.
NOW YOU KNOW Four small changes can capture lost leads Leads … (1 comments)
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