Real estate blog entries tagged with paul antonelli by Paul Antonelli, Broker Owner; Antonelli Realty (Antonelli Realty)

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paul antonelli: Here We Come - 5% Mortgage rates - 10/12/18 03:54 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) – Oct. 11, 2018 – Long-term U.S. mortgage rates leaped this week to their highest levels in seven years amid global anxiety over rising interest rates that has gripped financial markets.
Costs for would-be homebuyers are climbing. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages jumped to an average 4.90 percent this week from 4.71 percent last week. That's the highest level for the benchmark rate since April 2011. A year ago, it stood at 3.91 percent.
The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate loans rose to 4.29 percent this week from 4.15 percent last week.
The Federal Reserve … (4 comments)

paul antonelli: The End of an Era . What to do now? - 09/28/18 06:54 AM

Yes, the word is out, ownership of my brokerage has changed hands and NextHome Antonelli Realty is no more. The Kissimmee office is still there but now Jon Brumer is the Broker / Owner of NextHome Premier Neighborhood Realty. The entire Team is still on board because no one has a better support plan to make $$$ and Jon has the best compensation plan around.
This decision did not come easy, as some of you know or don’t know, I have an issue with my neck where the pain, at times, is unbearable. Even for a big bear like me, … (2 comments)

paul antonelli: Mortgage rates up . . . . Again - 09/28/18 04:47 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) – Sept. 27, 2018 – Long-term U.S. mortgage rates are up for the fifth straight week, with the key 30-year rate reaching its highest level in more than seven years.
Costs for would-be homebuyers continue to climb. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages jumped to 4.72 percent from 4.65 percent last week. The average benchmark rate has risen from 3.83 percent a year ago.
The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate loans increased to 4.16 percent this week from 4.11 percent last week.
The Federal Reserve signaled its confidence in the economy on Wednesday by … (1 comments)

paul antonelli: Home prices raise slowly this year - 09/26/18 05:38 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) – Sept. 25, 2018 – U.S. home prices rose in July at the slowest pace in 10 months as climbing mortgage rates become a more significant factor for a growing number of prospective buyers.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index increased 5.9 percent in July compared with a year earlier, down from a 6.4 percent annual gain the previous month.
Home prices are rising at twice the rate of wages, which has likely contributed to a cooling in the market this year. Sales of existing homes have dropped 1.5 percent in the past 12 months. Mortgage rates last week … (0 comments)

paul antonelli: Most Affordable places to retire - 09/10/18 03:30 AM

SEBRING, Fla. – Sept. 7, 2018 – With 74 million members, baby boomers are the largest generation on record to retire. And if they follow previous generations, retirement will prompt them to move.
Many will head to warmer climates, but they're also – unlike previous generations – in search of more active lifestyles too, looking for social and recreational opportunities, nearby restaurants and shopping.
"It's going to be a tsunami when [all] the baby boomers retire," Ken Gronbauch, a demographer at KGC Direct in Bonita Springs, Fla., told realtor.com. "The Southern states are going to get hit so hard. Florida's population is going … (2 comments)

paul antonelli: Disaster Proofing your home during the summer. - 08/20/18 08:55 AM

Just because we are heading out of the summer and into the fall, doesnt mean you can relax against disasters, especially in Florida. HouseLogic posted an article with different ways to disaster proof your home. So I thought I'd share them here.
For their full article visit: houselogic.com/preventing-water-damage

#1 Clean Gutters to Prevent Water Damage.
clogged gutters mean storm water can overflow, saturating — and possibly penetrating — your home’s foundation. Gutter build-up can also contribute to water seeping into your attic and damaging walls.
#2 Protect Your Roof from Storm Damage by Trimming TreesIf huge tree limbs are dangling over your house, you’re at … (2 comments)

paul antonelli: And thus, the summer break ends, and classes resume - 08/08/18 05:48 AM

Back in May we heard the hoot and hollering of students running from their classrooms in excitement. Summer break had begun. No more homework, research papers, or science projects to worry about. Similarly, teachers could now take time to recharge from lesson planning and unruly student behavior. Ah yes, the summer. Hello to pools, beaches, theme parks, time with family, and maybe even some flight travels.
However, summer break is just about wrapped up. Today many of central FL high schools will be packed with incoming students meeting their teachers and hopeful to see their friends or crushes in their same classes. … (3 comments)

paul antonelli: Carry a balance or not - 07/11/18 02:05 AM

NEW YORK – July 3, 2018 – About 43 million Americans wrongly believe that carrying a balance on their credit cards will help improve their credit scores, a report released Monday shows.
The report by CreditCards.com found that 22 percent of U.S. consumers made this mistake, which forces cardholders to pay more in interest, often at high rates.
"It's painful to know that so many millions of Americans are essentially attempting to pay their card issuers to improve their credit scores," said CreditCards.com senior industry analyst, Matt Schulz in a news release about the study. "The fact of the matter is that carrying … (0 comments)

paul antonelli: To pay or not to pay off the credit cards - 07/05/18 06:12 AM

paul antonelli: ‘Amazon’ for Real Estate - 07/05/18 01:55 AM

An “Amazon” connecting homeowners and institutional investors has launched, matching institutional investors with owners of single-family homes.
Applying data science, the Landis platform, developed by Landis Technologies, Inc., is focused on portfolios of anywhere from 10-100 properties, and has clients in aggregate of $200 billion assets under management, according to a company release.
“The application of data science to real estate is long overdue, but the traditional broker system isn’t set up to take advantage of this invaluable information,” says Tom Petit, co-founder of Landis. “By contrast, data sits at the heart of what we do. This enables us to connect investors with the properties that … (0 comments)

paul antonelli: What do you know about the Firecracker - 07/04/18 04:56 AM

Firecrackers are one of China’s oldest legacies. With roots tracing back to the Han Dynasty, firecrackers have remained a long-held tradition for thousands of years. These popping, bursting spectacles are an integral component of many Chinese holidays and celebrations, and with Chinese New Year fast approaching, it seems timely to explore the origins of this festive custom.
Thousands of years ago, there was a fuel shortage that drove villagers to harvest bamboo from neighboring forests. What the villagers did not understand at the time was that bamboo doesn’t easily lend itself to fire consumption. Because of its speedy growth, bamboo traps a … (1 comments)

paul antonelli: more income needed to own a home - 07/03/18 04:34 AM

The average homeowner is forking over 17.1 percent of their income for their mortgage, an allocation that has grown from 15.9 percent in 2017, according to a recent report by Zillow. The increase is the second-most significant since the recession. Why the jump?
“For the past few years, historically low mortgage rates provided the silver lining for buyers as prices rose higher and higher,” says Aaron Terrazas, senior economist at Zillow. “If you were able to come up with a down payment, the low rates kept monthly housing costs relatively affordable in most parts of the country. Now, though, as rates are on the … (1 comments)

paul antonelli: back office software - 07/02/18 05:35 AM

The following information is provided by the Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD).
As electronic forms and signatures begin to dominate the transaction landscape, these platforms will continue to evolve. Currently, companies like zipForm, DocuSign, and DocuSign Transaction Roomsare working on integrating the process of creating, executing, and managing documents in the simplest possible manner.
With the zipForm MLS product, the forms can access the MLS and input the property information fields automatically, linking the property information to every document in the transaction. Everyone can use e-signatures to execute the documents, and then DocuSign Transaction Rooms to manage the documents, using checklists to manage the transaction. Dotloop offers similar integrations in … (1 comments)

paul antonelli: June 18 Mortgage Update - 07/02/18 05:32 AM

For the fourth time in five weeks, mortgage rates have settled, with the average 30-year, fixed mortgage at 4.55 percent, a decline from 4.57 percent the prior week, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®).
The average 15-year, fixed mortgage was at a 4.04 percent rate, flat from the prior week, but the average five-year, Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable mortgage was at a 3.87 percent rate, up from 3.83 percent the prior week.
“The decrease in borrowing costs are a nice slice of relief for prospective buyers looking to get into the market this summer,” says Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie … (0 comments)

paul antonelli: a New NAR - 07/02/18 05:27 AM

The search for the next CEO to head the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) was an intense process. When it came down to the final few candidates, Bob Goldberg knew he had his work cut out for him, having served with NAR for 22 years. Goldberg also knew he was the change agent needed, and was brimming with cutting-edge ideas to quickly steer NAR and the industry into the future.
To prove that he was exactly the right person for this mission, in his final presentation to the search committee, which included NAR 2018 President Elizabeth Mendenhall, Goldberg presented a long list of changes he … (1 comments)

paul antonelli: 10 Questions to Ask About Transaction Management Software - 07/01/18 11:03 AM

paul antonelli: The Mortgage Rate Update - 07/01/18 04:44 AM

paul antonelli: How Does Refinancing Work? - 06/29/18 02:32 PM

With a refinance, you pay off an old loan on your home and take out a new one, usually at a lower mortgage interest rate. To refinance, you will generally need to have equity in your home, a good credit rating, and steady income. You can borrow a percentage of the equity to cover remodeling costs, debt consolidate, and college tuition.
When you refinance, you will incur all the closing costs that go along with getting a new mortgage. So unless you are doing extensive renovations and can get a mortgage interest rate at least two points below your current loan rate, … (0 comments)

paul antonelli: Be Sure to Prep for Your Project - 06/29/18 02:25 PM

According to data compiled by Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, the amount spent on remodeling and home improvements is expected to see healthy growth by 2025.While in 2015, the home improvement market reached $340 billion, the market is expected to increase 2 percent annually on average through 2025. That said, this forecast is slightly below the average pace of growth over the past two decades.Demographically speaking, older homeowners are expected to account for the majority of spending in the market, but climbing mortgage interest rates and rising house prices pose problems for potential younger homeowners. Despite the challenges, … (1 comments)

paul antonelli: Few things to know about buying a second home - 06/27/18 05:19 PM

Before you sign on the dotted line, pack up for San Diego, and break out your favorite moving tips, there are a few more things to keep in mind. Since this is your second residence, your mortgage situation will look a little different. There are also additional considerations since you won't be spending 365 days a year in the new house. The big thing to think about is what will happen to the house while you're not there. Will you rent it? Even if you don't, you have to think about upkeep when you're not there to dust and wash the windows … (1 comments)

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