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It’s difficult for housing experts to determine whether the market has finally bottomed out, especially since home sales typically slow during the winter months. Moreover, Census data shows that 4.6 percent of the nation’s for-sale and rental homes, or 5.7 million units, sat vacant in the third quarter — up from an average 3.5 percent […]
After three solid months of gains, consumer confidence in Florida fell in December by four points to 89, University of Florida (UF) economists report. “The release this month shows a Florida consumer who is still reasonably optimistic about the economy at present but is expecting a decline in their finances and the overall economy over […]
The bull market in commercial real estate made 2006 a record year, and many believe 2007 will be just as good.
“There’s just a lot of cash in the system chasing assets that throw off a yield,” says Michael H. Winer, who manages the Third Avenue Real Estate Value Fund. “As long as the liquidity is […]
Seeking happiness? An Australian researcher finds that making payments on a mortgage is a good way to feel better. Professor Bob Cummins of Deakin University told the Sydney Morning Herald that his studies of well-being have found that homeowners are more content than renters at all levels of income. Renters tend to be more footloose, […]
Charlotte County home sellers may have finally learned that the boom market is over — at least for now.
Supply and demand seem to be finding a new equilibrium in the Punta Gorda metropolitan statistical area, which also includes all of unincorporated Charlotte County, according to October existing-home sales figures released Tuesday by the Florida Association […]
Cities are struggling to adequately meet the housing needs of lower-income working families, those with disabilities, people in transition, and immigrant families. At the same time, three-fourths of local housing officials report that the spiraling cost of housing is significantly limiting the opportunities for homeownership for lower-income people and younger families. These findings are part […]
Brevard County’s housing market continued to be in the doldrums in November, according to the latest statistics from the Home Builders & Contractors Association of Brevard.
The number of housing construction permits issued countywide in November was 235, down from 613 permits in November 2005 and down from a short-lived increase of 512 permits in October […]
Buyers and sellers are waiting for the other to blink: The housing slowdown isn’t giving buyers the big bargains that they might have hoped; and where there are discounts, buyers aren’t leaping to grab them, says Karl E. Case, an economics professor at Wellesley College, who specializes in real estate. Case says the most recent […]
As real estate cooled this year, teardowns plummeted by at least 20 percent nationally, roughly corresponding to the drop in housing starts, says Stephen Melman of the National Association of Home Builders.
That news was greeted with delight by preservationists, but few believe it will last.
The potential profits of teardowns simply are too attractive to dissuade […]
A new study by the Consumer Federation of America found that in 2005 about one third of women took out mortgages with interest rates over 7.66 percent (above the average prime mortgage rate of 5.87 percent) compared with about a quarter of men. The study, which examined 4.4 million mortgage originations throughout the country, also […]
Once you’ve hit the big time, there are certain perks you become entitled to enjoy: first-class travel, better bottles of wine, a garage full of expensive cars, and a vacation home. But all too often this last luxury takes the shape of a seasonal ski lodge or beach house, usually a good distance from your […]
Many landlords don’t understand their responsibilities under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and that could get them in trouble as a result, says Scott Brueggeman, publisher of CompleteLandlord.com.
The law, which is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, is designed to promote accuracy and ensure the privacy of the information used in consumer reports. It doesn’t […]
In what might be one of the more audacious examples of the real estate frenzy gripping the United States, a California-based Internet company is allowing participants to gamble on the direction and magnitude of home prices.
HedgeStreet Inc. has launched trading in six new “hedgelets” grounded in the price of houses in Miami, Chicago, New York, […]
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — May 8, 2006 — Local builders are beginning to rediscover that there may be a potential market in building starter homes, mainly for young families with both parents working.
Among these is Punta Gorda’s PGI Homes, which is making a major departure from its traditional high-end work by launching Entryway Homes, with […]
Homebuyers are getting the big breaks in an increasing number of
U.S. markets, says Tom Early, president of the National Association
of Exclusive Buyers Agents. But even as the market shifts to favor
buyers, to get the best deal, buyers should take the right approach.
Some advice from Early:
• Tell your buyers to stifle the guilt. Remind them, if […]