ARCHIVED BLOG POSTS
2020
TOP STORIES: New CFPB Loan Should Help Lower-Income HomebuyersLenders approve qualified mortgages (QM), knowing Fannie or Freddie will buy them – but they could buy “seasoned QM loans” if lenders hold them for a period of time. Read more Pensacola's Real Estate Q&A? What is Title Insurance, Escro...
09/21/2020
TOP STORIES: U.S. News & World Report Lists Best Mortgage LendersThe magazine ranks mortgage lenders and best personal loans, including a Fla.-specific list based on borrowers’ needs. Chase, for example, offers $3,000 at closing for Floridians who take a homebuyer education course; Fifth Third is...
09/21/2020
TOP STORIES: Housing Industry Wants Fannie, Freddie to Cancel New Refi FeeHousing industry associations are condemning a change announced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to charge homeowners a sizable fee to refinance starting Sept. 1. A coalition of 20 groups that includes NAR has signed onto a pu...
09/20/2020
TOP STORIES: Respond to the Census: Be Counted. And Hurry.Realtors are U.S. Census partners, so urge all to participate, which households can do using a self-respond online form. The NEW deadline to participate is now Sept. 30, 2020 Pensacola's Real Estate Q&A? What is Title Insurance, Escrows an...
09/19/2020
TOP STORIES: Tourists Spoke: Fla. Is Home to 10 of 15 ‘Best U.S. Beaches’Those online tourism reviews on TripAdvisor? The company analyzed them to identify most-loved beaches, and 10 of the top 15 are in Fla., ranging from the Panhandle to Miami. Overall, tourists’ online reviews ranked Clearwate...
09/18/2020
TOP STORIES: Appeals Court Rejects Insurer’s ‘AOB’ ArgumentsAn owner assigned benefits to a vendor after hurricane damage, and the insurer refused to pay, citing “alienation” in the Fla. constitution – but an appeals court rejected it. Read more Pensacola's Real Estate Q&A? What is Title Insuranc...
09/18/2020
TOP STORIES: Opinions Differ on Coastal Areas’ Response to Climate ChangeWhat should Fla.’s coastal communities do to mitigate rising seas? In Miami-Dade County, residents’ preferences differ from Army Corps of Engineers’ plans. Read more Pensacola's Real Estate Q&A? What is Title Insurance, Escr...
09/17/2020
TOP STORIES: Builders Not Excited About the Multifamily MarketNAHB’s multifamily confidence index for the second quarter found a 10-point increase in builder optimism – but at 37, attitudes still remain below the median score of 50. Read more Pensacola's Real Estate Q&A? What is Title Insurance, ...
09/16/2020
TOP STORIES: Long-Term Mortgage Rates Almost Rise Above 3%The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 2.99% this week – its second increase since hitting a record low of 2.88%. A year ago, it was 3.55%. Read more Pensacola's Real Estate Q&A? What is Title Insurance, Escrows and closings expl...
09/16/2020
TOP STORIES: Recovery Report: All 4 Fla. Metros Exceed Pre-Pandemic LevelsIf the Jan. Fla. real estate market was “normal,” today’s market is even better in the four metro areas tracked by realtor.com’s Recovery Report. The U.S. report declined slightly this week, however, largely because new lis...
09/15/2020