By Bendix Anderson As in firms nationwide, real estate companies vary greatly in return-to-the-office policies. A handful mandate vaccines for everyone; others say they never closed. NEW YORK – The current spike caused by the Delta variant has thrown a wrench into many firms’ return to office plans. Companies, including Apple and Google, that had slated full-scale returns to the office this fall have been forced to readjust those timelines, with some now delaying until 2022. What’s more, the FDA’s recent approval of the Pfizer vaccine has led many firms to implement vaccine mandates for employees. In the current wave,
Read More

Florida Realtors: A new effort will offer homeownership opportunities for frontline workers and take the place of the Housing Funds for Housing ballot campaign. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Realtors® announced that it is pursuing a legislative solution as the fastest way to address Florida’s affordable housing crisis, including new homeownership opportunities targeted at frontline workers. The decision was made following highly productive discussions with legislative leaders indicating strong support to address this crisis. This legislative relief will take the place of the Housing Funds for Housing ballot campaign. Florida Realtors will be working with legislative leaders to protect existing programs that provide
Read More

Investors love foreclosures and short sales. The homes usually need work, which is ideal for flippers who fix and sell. They also tend to be less expensive – ideal for large companies that own thousands of homes to rent out. Buyers hoping for more affordable listings may be disappointed. NEW YORK – Wall Street’s appetite for fixer-upper houses is insatiable, a challenge compounded by the task of finding shabby, out-of-date properties to renovate and resell for a profit. For more than a year, foreclosure moratoriums blocked a major flow of fixer-uppers, starting with last spring’s lockdown. At the same time,
Read More

In Daytona Beach, home prices are up 9.07% since Dec. In Orlando, they’re up 8.15%. Relocating Northerners have increased the pressure on existing residents. ORLANDO, Fla.  The Daytona Beach area ranks 10th in the United States for home price increases since December 2020, with a 9.07% median price hike. Orlando ranks 23rd with a 8.15% jump in the same time frame, according to a report from loan comparison site Credible based on data from home valuation service HouseCanary. The median home price in Daytona Beach climbed from $259,963 in December to $283,546 in June, according to the report. Meanwhile, the
Read More

By Amber Randall Frustrated homebuyers remember the last housing crisis and think it’s going to happen again as prices keep going higher and higher – but they’ll likely be disappointed. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – People who have spent months trying to find an acceptable, affordable home in South Florida are starting to think they’ll wait until the market collapses and they can snatch up a house at a bargain. They’re probably going to be disappointed. Economists and housing experts don’t expect another crash like the one in 2008, when hordes of people got homes at rock-bottom prices and then made
Read More

By Kerry Smith Realtors, through RRF, help restore communities after natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. RRF celebrates 20 years this Fri. with a special livestream event. WASHINGTON – “What can we do to help rebuild communities?” leaders at the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) asked following the tragic events of 9/11. The answer became the Realtors® Relief Foundation (RRF), a charitable organization that provides housing-related assistance to victims of disasters. Twenty years later, RRF continues to restore and rebuild communities affected by disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes. It’s supported by the generosity of individual Realtors,
Read More

By Kerry Smith A study found investors help local buyers by selling property if rents stagnate and home prices rise – but hurt homebuyers if rents are rising and home prices are not. SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In two out of five U.S. metro areas, buyers are being helped by real estate investors who have decided it’s a good time to put their homes on the market. In the other three out of five metro areas, however, investors more often compete with buyers for the same properties. According to the latest Realtor.com Investor Report, investors largely make decisions based on
Read More

By Kerry Smith Florida Realtors and the Florida Bar work together to keep FR/Bar contracts current and useful, and the latest update has just received final approval from both groups. Members will have time to study the changes before it replaces current forms on Nov. 1. The AS IS contract, Residential contract and seven Riders were updated, and three new Riders were created. ORLANDO, Fla. – Revisions to the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar Contract for Sale and Purchase (FR/Bar) – both the AS IS and the Residential – have recently been approved and contain numerous changes. In addition, seven Riders have
Read More

By Kerry Smith Of that money, almost $1.5M goes to four groups under HUD’s Private Enforcement Initiative to investigate and litigate complaints filed under the Fair Housing Act. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $47.4 million to fair housing organizations across the country under its Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), with $2,371,333 going to organizations in Florida. The grants support 120 national and local fair housing organizations working to address violations of the Fair Housing Act, and part of the funding allows grantees to conduct fair-housing investigations, test to identify discrimination in the rental
Read More

By Kerry Smith 38% of homeowner households and 66% of renter households have difficulty paying for usual household expenses, including food, according to NAR’s study. “Housing affordability and food sufficiency are inseparable to families’ balance sheets,” says NAR VP Jessica Lautz. WASHINGTON – Households burdened by housing costs are more likely to need food assistance, according to a new analysis by the National Association of Realtors®’ (NAR) Housing Affordability and Food Sufficiency report. From June 23 to July 5, 2021, 38% of homeowner households (23.3 million) and 66% of renter households (17.8 million) reported difficulty paying for usual household expenses,
Read More