By Sarah D. Sparks A recent study showed the number of homeless families with school-age children jumped 16% from 2022 to 2023 and the number of unaccompanied homeless children and youth rose 15%. WASHINGTON – Children, living either with their families or on their own, are the fastest-growing segment of the nation’s homeless populations, according to new federal housing data. And schools still struggle to find many of them. A new study in the journal Educational Researcher suggests districts could find anywhere from a third to nearly five times as many homeless students if districts used the student data they
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By Amy Connolly Floridians anticipate a positive economic outcome in the coming year, bolstered by a strong market and low unemployment, a University of Florida survey found. GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Consumer sentiment among Floridians started the year at the highest level over the last two years, highlighting residents’ positive outlook about the future of the economy and personal finances, the University of Florida found in its monthly consumer confidence survey. The survey showed Floridians’ consumer sentiment increased 3.3 points in January to 72.8 from the revised December figure of 69.5. A national survey, conducted by the business research group Conference
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By Jessica Lautz One possible reason single women lead in home buying is due to who is living in the home. Single women are more likely to have kids under 18 living at home and purchase a multigenerational home. WASHINGTON – In 1981, Dolly Parton topped the billboard charts with “9 to 5.” That year, the National Association of Realtors® first started the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, and a stunning finding was made: single women outpaced single men in the housing market. In fact, single women were second only to married couples. Today, both Dolly Parton and single
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By Matt Ott Consumer confidence came in better than expected in January and anxiety over a possible recession continues to fade. WASHINGTON – American consumers, fresh off strong holiday spending, are feeling more confident than they have in two years. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose for the third straight month, to 114.8 in January from 108 in December. January’s reading came in just slightly higher than the 114 that analysts were expecting. The index, which measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six
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By Amy Connolly Redfin said buyers can afford a more expensive home since mortgage rates have dropped from nearly 8% in October. SEATTLE – A homebuyer on a $3,000 monthly budget has gained nearly $40,000 in purchasing power since mortgage rates peaked this past fall, according to a new report from real-estate brokerage Redfin. A $3,000 monthly budget will buy a $453,000 home with a 6.7% mortgage rate, roughly this week’s average. That’s compared to the $416,000 home the same buyer could have purchased in October with an average rate of 7.8%.  That is, the monthly mortgage payment on a
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By Amy Connolly The Federal Housing Finance Agency also said the year-over-year growth was slightly above the historical average. WASHINGTON – U.S. housing prices in November rose 0.3% from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). Home prices rose 6.6% year over year. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes from October 2023 to November 2023 ranged from -0.2% in the New England division to +0.7% in the Mountain division. The 12-month changes ranged from +3.1% in the West South Central division to +9.8% in the
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By Gary M. Singer What are the options when a family member who is on a jointly held property deed refuses to sell? FORT LAUDERDALE – Question: About a decade ago, due to a health scare, I prepared a deed I found online and added my daughter’s name to my house. I thought this was good in case something happened to me. Now, I want to sell my home to downsize to a smaller condo, and my daughter won’t agree to sign unless I give her some of the proceeds. Is there anything I can do? — Millie Answer: This
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Agents who use an attorney during real estate transactions can protect themselves and their assets. NEW YORK – If you own real estate property that you rent out to tenants, being in compliance with the latest regulations and laws is crucial. Doing this is not only cost effective, but it can help you in the long run. Consulting with an attorney may seem like it takes time and can be costly, however is a wise decision for real estate landlords for several important reasons. 3 Key Components To Consider Legal Compliance and Regulations: Real estate laws and regulations are complex
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By Shannon Allen A Realtor® thought he was helping when he drafted a power of attorney for a friend goes above and beyond to help a friend, when the friend asks Realtor to draft a power of attorney. But, after  a complaint is was filed, and the Realtor is found in violation of the Code of Ethics.  How can that be if the power of attorney was directly related to real estate matters?  Doesn’t that mean that Realtor provided real estate, not legal, services?  ORLANDO, Fla. – Dear Shannon: I am reaching out for guidance on understanding a situation where
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By Christopher Rugaber As the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) begins its two-day closed meeting, many wonder when an interest rate cut will come. The post-meeting press conference, later this week, will tell more. WASHINGTON — Chair Jerome Powell will enter this week’s Federal Reserve meeting in a much more desirable position than he likely ever expected: Inflation is getting close to the Fed’s target rate, the economy is still growing at a healthy pace, consumers keep spending and the unemployment rate is near a half-century low. A year ago, most economists had envisioned a much darker outlook. As the
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