US Says No Interest Rate Cuts
Mon Jun 30 2025, 3:58 pm
Powell Says No Rate Change "For Now" Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently conveyed to Congress that the Fed will maintain its current benchmark interest rate—4.25% to 4.50%—for the time being. He described the U.S. economy as being in a “solid position,”...
Improved condo guidelines coming to Florida
Mon Jun 30 2025, 3:51 pm
Florida Realtors announce major updates to Florida’s condo laws, set to take effect July 1, 2025, introducing new legal forms and rule changes. Key revisions include: Extended Buyer Review: Section 718.503 of the Florida Condominium Act now grants prospective buyers a full se...
Florida Benefits From Improving Insurance market
Mon Jun 30 2025, 4:03 pm
Florida’s property insurance market is showing strong signs of recovery, signaling optimism for homeowners across the state. Citizens CEO Tim Cerio confirmed that recent legislative reforms have significantly improved market dynamics. Since 2024, the number of active private insurers in Fl...
U.S. consumer confidence experiences a notable rebound
Thu May 29 2025, 6:37 pm
U.S. consumer confidence experiences a notable rebound! In May 2025, U.S. consumer confidence experienced a notable rebound, breaking a five-month streak of declines. The Conference Board reported a 12.3-point increase in its Consumer Confidence Index, elevating it to 98 from April's 85.7&mda...
Why Choose an Energy-Efficient Home?
Thu May 29 2025, 6:27 pm
Why Choose an Energy-Efficient Home? 1. Reduced Utility Bills Energy-efficient homes consume less power, leading to significant savings on electricity and gas bills. With energy costs projected to rise by 10% in 2025, these savings become even more impactful. The U.S. Department of Energy estima...
Lighting plays a pivotal role in shaping the ambiance and functionality of your home
Thu May 29 2025, 6:22 pm
Lighting plays a pivotal role in shaping the ambiance and functionality of your home. According to Florida Realtors, understanding the four primary types of lighting—ambient, task, accent, and decorative—can help you create a well-balanced and inviting space. Ambient Lighting Ofte...
Industrial Style Makes a Bold Return
Sat May 3 2025, 6:30 pm
Industrial Style Makes a Bold Return in Home Design: A Raw, Refined Look for Modern Living In the ever-evolving world of interior design, trends may come and go—but some styles make a strong and lasting comeback. Industrial design, once rooted in the transformation of old factories and ware...
U.S. Pending Home Sales Surge
Sat May 3 2025, 6:32 pm
U.S. Pending Home Sales Surge 6.1% in March: A Sign of Market Revival Pending home sales in the United States saw a notable rebound in March 2025, climbing 6.1% compared to the previous month—the strongest month-over-month gain in over a year. This increase marks a potential turning point i...
Luxury Design Features 2025
Sat May 3 2025, 5:20 pm
In 2025, luxury home design is evolving to meet the desires of discerning buyers, blending sophistication with functionality. According to Florida Realtors, several key features are defining the new standard in upscale living. 1. Gourmet Kitchens with High-End Finishes Modern luxury homes prio...
Mortgage Applications Rising
Tue Apr 1 2025, 12:56 pm
Mortgage Applications Rising Some good news was reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) in terms of the national housing market. Mortgage applications rose 11.2 percent for the week ending March 7, 2025, from a week earlier. This can only mean one thing: More people are seeki...
Budget Friendly Laundry Room Upgrades
Tue Apr 1 2025, 12:54 pm
Budget Friendly Laundry Room Upgrades Even if you’re on a budget, there are many ways to upgrade your laundry room to make it a more functional and attractive space. There will also be a ROI (return on investment) when and if you decide to sell your home. In any case, you spend co...
Consumer Housing Sentiment Mixed
Tue Apr 1 2025, 12:53 pm
Consumer Housing Sentiment Mixed In the February Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), the results were not exactly optimistic. In their report, (which measures consumer sentiment, not expert opinion), housing sentiment fell for the first time since 2023, year over year. The HPSI fell...
Homeowner Tax Advantages for 2025
Sat Mar 1 2025, 2:23 pm
Homeowner Tax Advantages for 2025 Tax deductions for homeowners can add up to many thousands of dollars. But in order to claim every last deduction, it is necessary to itemize your deductions. Usually, the standard homeowner deduction offered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a h...
Are Foreclosure Rates Up or Down?
Sat Mar 1 2025, 2:22 pm
Are Foreclosure Rates Up or Down? The news concerning foreclosures/repossessions nationally is mixed. While in January 2025 (the latest stats available) foreclosure filings, default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions were up eight percent from the previous month but wer...
While All-Cash Sales are Down Nationally, Florida leads
Sat Mar 1 2025, 2:19 pm
While All-Cash Sales are Down Nationally, Florida leads Redfin, the highly respected Seattle based corporation, operating in over 100 markets in the U.S. and Canada specializes in residential real estate brokerage and mortgage origination services. Under any market conditions, those...
What’s New for Florida Real Estate in 2025 and 2026
Mon Jan 27 2025, 1:43 pm
What’s New for Florida Real Estate in 2025 and 2026 In this article I will try to keep it simple, avoiding real estate jargon and quotations from experts who tend to use obscure real estate lingo in order to make the article more palatable for average folks. So, when I make broad...
Southwest Florida Office Space Market Sees Improvement
Mon Jan 27 2025, 1:39 pm
Southwest Florida Office Space Market Sees Improvement The Colliers International Group Inc., the fourth largest commercial real estate firm, focusing on professional services and investment management, including consulting, corporate facilities, investment services, landlord and tenant...
Builder Confidence on the Rise
Mon Jan 27 2025, 1:37 pm
Builder Confidence on the Rise The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) produces the Housing Market Index (HMI) monthly, which is a measure of home builder sentiment. The HMI, in January, moved slightly higher from the prior month. Analysts think this upward move reflects an impr...
Florida Housing Markets Poised for 2025 Growth
Thu Jan 2 2025, 7:33 am
Florida Housing Markets Poised for 2025 Growth In recent decades, the Florida housing market has seen astonishing growth, attracting homebuyers, investors, and families seeking a better life. Florida is now the third largest state (by population), eclipsing New York in 2014. Regional gr...
Renters Fear Scams on the Internet
Sun Dec 29 2024, 9:46 am
Renters Fear Scams on the Internet Scams on the internet (especially social media sites) concerning rentals are growing by leaps and bounds, according to Rently, a leading firm in self-touring and smart home technology. According to the company, the tight rental market serves as an i...
New Survey Reports Real Estate is the Best Investments to Grow Your Finances
Mon Nov 25 2024, 11:40 am
New Survey Reports Real Estate is the Best Investments to Grow Your Finances Investing your money wisely can provide you with a strong source of income. It can also help fund your retirement. Investing can grow your wealth; while helping you meet your financial goals and increase your p...
Where are Wealthy Generation Zers Moving?
Mon Nov 25 2024, 11:37 am
Where are Wealthy Generation Zers Moving? Generation Zers (the generation born in the late 1990s to the early 21st century) are highly adept with the use of digital technology, the internet, and social media from a very young age. And the wealthy members of Generation Z are on the mo...
Southwest Florida Sees Residential Real Estate Price Ease
Mon Nov 25 2024, 11:52 am
Southwest Florida Sees Residential Real Estate Prices Ease According to the Business Times, Florida’s west coast, including the areas of Sarasota, is seeing the biggest home price declines since the Great Recession of 2007-2008. While prices are still rising in some parts of the c...
US Consumer Sentiment Slips in October
Mon Oct 28 2024, 5:42 pm
US Consumer Sentiment Slips in October The highly regarded University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) slipped in October amid lingering frustration over high prices (the index is issued monthly and is arrived at through interviews with hundreds of random Americans)....
Boomers and Millennials Disagree on Home Ownership
Mon Oct 28 2024, 5:39 pm
Boomers and Millennials Disagree on Home Ownership Opportunity To put it bluntly, Baby Boomers (those who were born from 1946 to 1964) hold a dim view of the complaints by millennials (a person born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s) concerning how difficult it is for them...
Benefit of Elevated Homes Takes Precedence
Mon Oct 28 2024, 5:36 pm
Benefit of Elevated Homes Takes Precedence Storm surges are when strong winds push sea water onto the shore. This can result in significant flooding, which can lead to severe structural damage to homes including foundation weakening and interior water damage. Elevated homes are better p...
How to Make Your Home Cozy and Inviting
Sat Sep 28 2024, 11:58 am
How to Make Your Home Cozy and Inviting Here are some tips for making any living space more cozy, warm, and inviting. The bonus is that this can be accomplished even on a tight budget. Add texture using blankets and cushions in warmer, neutral tones, Add an area rug, again in a...
Commercial Buildings Finding New Purpose
Sat Sep 28 2024, 11:55 am
Commercial Buildings Finding New Purpose Many developers of commercial properties thought that the pandemic had supercharged demand for the life sciences and that the demand would be sustainable. Unfortunately, for these developers, they were wrong. Biotech and pharmaceutical buildin...
Reluctant to Sell
Sat Sep 28 2024, 11:53 am
Baby Boomers are Reluctant to Sell Boomers own 38% of American Real estate but more than half (54%) never plan to sell their homes, according to a study by Clever Real Estate. Boomers, now between 60 and 78 years of age account for only 21& of the U.S. population, yet they own 38...
Florida Protecting Vacation Rentals as Vacation Rental Industry Lobbying Steps Up
Sun Sep 1 2024, 4:30 pm
Florida Protecting Vacation Rentals as Vacation Rental Industry Lobbying Steps Up In June, Governor DeSantis vetoed a bill to tighten restrictions on short term rentals in favor of local legislation. Those who support the view that short term rentals should be permitted on a wide sca...
Florida Ranks Number One for Fun Activities
Sun Sep 1 2024, 4:28 pm
Florida Ranks Number One for Fun Activities Wallet Hub, the personal finance company that launched in August 2013, is based in Miami and owned by Evolution Finance, Inc. Recently, they conducted a study to determine the states which offer the most fun. States were ranked according to th...
Mortgage Rates Hit 15 Month Low
Sun Sep 1 2024, 4:35 pm
Mortgage Rates Hit 15 Month Low The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in 15 months, easing some of the cost for would be home buyers, in an otherwise tough housing market. Even a tiny drop in mortgage rates is enough to indicate that house-hunti...
Top Earners Flock to Florida
Fri Jul 26 2024, 4:37 pm
Top Earners Flock to Florida While Florida has been steadily gaining population for decades, the pace of in-migration has quickened in the last several years. And those newer arrivals are more than in the past from the higher income classes. Why? In recent years, states such as California, New...
Generation Z Fears They May Never Be Able to Afford a Home
Fri Jul 26 2024, 4:44 pm
Generation Z Fears They May Never Be Able to Afford a Home Generation Z, also known as "Zoomers", is the demographic cohort of people born between 1997 and 2012, making their age range from 11 to 26 years old. This generation comes after Millennials and before Genera...
Buyers Interested in Sustainable Spaces
Fri Jul 26 2024, 4:38 pm
Buyers Interested in Sustainable Spaces In a March 2024 survey by the Nation Association of Realtors (NAR), a significant percent of the agent respondents (see below) said their clients were “at least somewhat interested in sustainability.” But still, a large pe...
Investors are Stepping up Buying Office Buildings Amidst Depressed Prices
Sun Jun 30 2024, 12:28 pm
Investors are Stepping up Buying Office Buildings Amidst Depressed Prices The crash in commercial real estate prices in the U.S. has finally come. The delay was mostly due to the fact that no one knew how much commercial properties (especially office buildings) were actually worth. T...
Some Buyers are Assuming Mortgages
Sun Jun 30 2024, 12:24 pm
Buyers are Assuming Mortgages to Beat High Rates To begin with, what are assumable mortgages? When you assume a mortgage, the original borrower signs the balance of their loan over to you, and you become responsible for the remaining payments. That means the mortgage will have...
Bonita Del Sol
Sun Jun 30 2024, 12:16 pm
New Community: Bonita Del Sol Located in Bonita Springs, this new, gated, manned community of 248 private homes is set on 117 acres. Bonita Del Sol is just a 20-minute drive to downtown Naples (renowned for its restaurants and retailers) and about a 7-mile drive to the beach. Boating, k...
Where is the Real Estate Market Heading?
Sat Jun 1 2024, 5:13 pm
Where is the Real Estate Market Heading? The Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Lawerence Yun, sees home sales rising nine percent in 2024 and rising 13.2 percent 2025. Yun also forecasts home sales rising in eight of the next ten years. He thinks mortgage r...
Skip These Design Trends
Sat Jun 1 2024, 5:12 pm
Skip These Design Trends Elle Magazine, one of the most respected and revered worldwide women’s magazines that focuses on fashion, beauty, and lifestyle quotes the old but wise adage: “Trends come and go, but style is eternal” The magazine is issued in no less than 45...
New Grants to Help Current Home/Condo Owners
Sat Jun 1 2024, 5:09 pm
New Grants to Help Current Home/Condo Owners Governor Ron DeSantis has signed two pieces of legislation to strengthen and expand the My Safe Home grant program. The governor approved $200 million (SB 7028) to continue a “home hardening grant program” aimed to help low-and mo...
What You Should Know Before Buying an Investment Property
Thu Apr 25 2024, 9:01 pm
What You Should Know Before Buying an Investment Property There are many advantages to owning an investment property. But there are also dangers and pitfalls. Let’s look at some of both. To begin with, an investment in a rental property should offer a net return that is greater th...
Is it Time to Renovate?
Thu Apr 25 2024, 8:59 pm
Is it Time to Renovate? Home renovation is a $500 billion a year industry. Although the average renovation will cost $10,000, many Americans will spend far more. While kitchens and bathrooms are the most popular rooms to renovate, all other rooms in a home will often get their turn. But...
Good News for Florida Home Insurance
Thu Apr 25 2024, 8:56 pm
Good News for Florida Home Insurance The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) is reporting that the home insurance market is continuing to strengthen as more property and casualty carriers are entering the state. This, of course, is good news for Florida homeowners, as competiti...
Is the Color of Your Home Hurting Your Sale?
Tue Mar 26 2024, 3:02 pm
Is the Color of Your Home Hurting Your Sale? When selling a home, most experts agree that distracting, bold, and loud flashy colors, such as reds and bright yellows are not a good idea. Surveys have consistently shown that only a very small minority of respondents are total non-conformi...
Commercial Loans are Under Pressure
Tue Mar 26 2024, 3:00 pm
Commercial Loans are Under Pressure Commercial real estate owners are coming under increasing pressure from a dangerous combination of falling commercial real estate value and high interest rates. The combination of the post-Covid continuation of the trend of many white-collar employees...
Are Renters or Homeowners Happier?
Tue Mar 26 2024, 2:58 pm
Are Renters or Homeowners Happier? Are homeowners or home renters happier? Hmm. On the one hand, the satisfaction of ownership is quite fulfilling. But on the other hand, the maintenance, and repairs, and therefore expenses, never seem to end. According to an October 2019 study b...
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Real Estate Photography
Sun Feb 25 2024, 3:38 pm
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Real Estate Photography Every real estate professional understands the value of quality images to include in a listing, the purpose of which is to highlight the properties best features. AI is a game changer in this regard. For example, a ne...
A Reduction in the Sales Tax on Commercial Leases is Coming to Florida
Sun Feb 25 2024, 3:32 pm
A Reduction in the Sales Tax on Commercial Leases is Coming to Florida A reduction in the state tax on commercial leases could begin earlier than anticipated, perhaps as early as the summer. The earlier estimate is due to the replenishing of the state’s Unemployment Compens...
Seven Shores
Sun Feb 25 2024, 3:29 pm
Seven Shores Seven Shores, a gated community, is the most recent addition to the Naples landscape. The builders, Toll Brothers, are a Fortune 500 Company and among the top five homebuilders in the U.S. Seven Shores is comprised of four unique collections, comprising expansive sin...