The Daily (111416) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Realtor.com: Expect busier months aheadLow inventory will create problems, but the housing market outperformed the economy in the first half of the year, and it will probably continue to do the same. Read moreAffordability has become an issue in rural areasThe National Rural Housing Coalition says that government funding cuts for rural housing support have created problems for renters and homeowners. Read moreNaples Realtors have an eye on safetyThe son of Beverly Carter, the Arkansas Realtor kidnapped and killed in 2014 during a showing, shared his story and urged all Realtors to put safety first. Read more.Q&A: Can a voluntary HOA become mandatory?The board announces a voluntary HOA is now mandatory - does that mean ho... 11/14/2016

Single Women In The Housing Market Trends High  Over the past 12 months, single women made up 17 percent of all homebuyers , purchasing at twice the rate of their single male counterparts, according to a new annual report from the National Association of REALTORS®.   Furthermore, 2016 research from MGIC Connects shows single women representing the second largest home buying group, right behind married couples. This is even more impressive when you consider wage inequality, which is still a country-wide issue. In 2015, women made only 80 cents for every dollar earned by men working a comparable job - a gender wage gap of a shocking 20 percent. Read more.   11/12/2016

Revised (111216) Craigs List Scam Phone Numbers & Emails To Avoid These are the Names, Phone Numbers and Email Addresses associated with those that will try to scam you. Please note this is just my list so be aware of others and the tactics that follow. (201) 677-5505 (205) 671-8780 (208) 464-4369 (210) 960-1125 (224) 757-8176(234) 401-0746(234) 414-1853 (256) 269-2870(267) 719-4323(269) 948-7951(309) 425-0574(315) 270-3270(320) 207-4241(321) 222-3740(321) 312-2622(321) 413-4147(323) 518-1950(323) 835-1381(325) 400-4108(347) 363-1861(386) 603-3900(407) 901-6784(424) 231-7424 (424) 336-1616(440) 373-7754(440) 678-8101(440) 481-1760(469) 270-8302(501) 547-3689(502) 487-4027(504) 266-0534(504) 308-2729(508) 296-9262(509) 269-8736(512) 309-8432 (512) 759-0912(516) 253-4153(520) 222-6921(561... 11/12/2016

The Daily (111116) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   1 in 5 mortgage borrowers regret their decisionThe rate is even higher - 1 in 4 - among first-time buyers. Some regrets stem from poor customer service; others feel they weren't told about all their options. Read moreU.S. foreclosure activity up 27% in Oct.In a surprise turnaround, foreclosures surged month-to-month, though they're still down year-to-year. While Fla. dropped to No. 6 nationally in Oct., ATTOM economists expect an uptick after a recent Fla. Supreme Court ruling. Read moreAverage 30-year mortgage rate rises to 3.57%The presidential election could influence mortgage rates. There may be a short-term spike, for example, but it isn't clear what will happen over the long term. Read more.HUD charges Fla. landlo... 11/11/2016

The Daily (111016) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Short-term rentals come with risks and rewardsFirst thing: It's critical to understand the legal, zoning and tax rules about owning a short-term rental, which is any property rented out for 30 days or less. Read moreWhat if a possible listing has a reverse mortgage?A reverse mortgage, part of HUD's HECM program, is insured against loss by the FHA - but various programs could affect a potential home sale in different ways. Read more.Should condo notices be emailed or snail-mailed?Legal Q&A: It's cheaper to send emails, but it's not always legal. What are the rules? And who is responsible for replacing a condo's windows? Read more.Supreme Court: Can a city sue banks for bias?At least four of eight Supreme Court justices ap... 11/10/2016

The Daily (110916) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  The top 10 things you should know about 2017Issues to expect, according to experts at NAR's trends forum: Housing affordability, population changes and online retailers' impact on brick-and-mortar stores. Read more9 global trends that may impact your marketBig global shifts, such as U.K.'s Brexit vote, can change demand for U.S. real estate, but it's often subtler shifts in economies or politics that do it, such as an uptick in Greek immigrants due to high unemployment. Read moreSupreme Court will consider property rights caseIf homeowners own two adjacent lots with a home on only one, do they always have a right to sell the empty lot? The court will consider "parcel as a whole" rules. Read more.Facebook faces lawsuit fo... 11/09/2016

The Daily (110816) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  NAR's 2017 residential real estate forecastMore millennials in their prime home buying years, rising household formation and continued job gains are expected to boost housing next year. Read moreNAR's 2017 commercial real estate forecastLook for growth to flow into smaller markets and overall commercial expansion to continue next year. However, higher interest rates could come into play along with some global and domestic headwinds. Read moreReal estate giant stresses LGBT inclusionBetter Homes & Gardens calls the LGBT legal landscape "murky" and their purchasing power substantial - both reasons for agents to emphasize inclusion. Read more.Realtors' flood insurance role? Tell owners about itMaria Wells, NAR insurance cha... 11/08/2016

The Daily (110716) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Fla. Supreme Court changes foreclosure's timelineLenders have five years to foreclose, but the court ruled that the clock resets if a case is dismissed. "Basically, banks are getting a do-over," says one lawyer. Read moreRealtors 'challenged' by clients' lack of knowledgeFreddie Mac survey: Most Realtors refer buyers to a select group of lenders; only 30% are comfy talking about downpayment programs, and 35% find clients' lack of real estate knowledge challenging. Read moreHUD, others balk at Facebook ethnic affinity optionFour lawmakers and HUD have "serious concerns" about a Facebook marketing tool that enables agents to avoid showing ads to specific ethnic groups. Read more.Mobile devices officially overtake computers... 11/07/2016

DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE ON TUESDAY!    A Republican, in a wheelchair, entered a restaurant one afternoon andasked the waitress for a cup of coffee. The Republican looked acrossthe restaurant and asked is that Jesus sitting over there?" Thewaitress nodded "yes!” So, the Republican requested that she giveJesus a cup of coffee, on him.The next patron to come in was a Libertarian, with a hunched back. Heshuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down,and asked the waitress for a cup of hot tea. He also glanced acrossthe restaurant and asked, "Is that Jesus, over there?"The waitress nodded, so the Libertarian asked her to give Jesus a cupof hot tea, "My treat." The third patron to come into the restaurant, was a Democrat oncrutches. He hobbled over to a booth, sat down and hollered, "Heythere hon... 11/05/2016

Some of Us Are Just Blessed With God Given Talent Beyond Our YearsThis an example of talent that is so far advanced it is beyond comprehension. This gift is not learned it is GOD given.  I know some adults, my two parents that both played and achieved degrees in music, that took years to master what this little girl has already completed at the age of six. I’m also sure she started and wanted to play as early as she was able to walk. Enjoy the clip and appreciate what true gifts are when no money is involved.  11/05/2016

What do hurricanes and South Florida have in common? This story takes place when my wife and I were thinking of moving to Florida and came down in 2001. We were looking around in Palm Beach county, between Boca Raton and Boynton Beach. Hurricanes were kind of new to us never living or visiting Florida before and living in Maryland for the last 30 years.  We proceeded to finally move here in July of 2002. I’ll never forget the quote a Realtor joked about while viewing property. She said:Question: You know why hurricanes don’t come to Boca? Answer: They can’t afford it.Of course we all know what happen it 2003, 2004, & 2005….Still wondering where that Realtor is and if she still believed that.  11/05/2016

Is there a City that You lived In you liked the best?  Some of us throughout our lives have lived in one city to several. This may come from just a desire to move away from child birth or job relocation. There are several things that may draw you to that spot by which making it the best ever. Which one was it or a combination below. Feel free to add to the list. Discovering the vast things your city had to offer.Great RestaurantsMuseums or Architecture possibly History of  the areaWaterfront, Mountains or WildernessOutdoor ActivitiesSports ArenasChildren Activity's       11/05/2016

Revised (110516) Craig's List Scam Phone Numbers, Addresses, & Emails  These are the Names, Phone Numbers and Email Addresses associated with those that will try to scam you. Please note this is just my list so be aware of others and the tactics that follow. (201) 677-5505 (205) 671-8780 (208) 464-4369 (210) 960-1125 (224) 757-8176(234) 401-0746(234) 414-1853 (256) 269-2870(267) 719-4323(269) 948-7951(309) 425-0574(315) 270-3270(320) 207-4241(321) 222-3740(321) 312-2622(321) 413-4147(323) 518-1950(323) 835-1381(325) 400-4108(347) 363-1861(386) 603-3900(407) 901-6784(424) 231-7424 (424) 336-1616(440) 373-7754(440) 678-8101(440) 481-1760(469) 270-8302(501) 547-3689(502) 487-4027(504) 266-0534(504) 308-2729(508) 296-9262(509) 269-8736(512) 309-8432 (512) 759-0912(516) 253-4153(520) 222-692... 11/05/2016

The Daily (110116) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Do online lenders offer lower mortgage rates?Maybe, maybe not. NerdWallet: General online quotes can seem lower, but lenders weigh different details and buyers should shop around to find the best rate for them. Read moreFirst-time buyers, single women get traction in 2016NAR's 2016 buyer-seller survey found that FSBO transactions hit at an all-time low, almost 90% of buyers and sellers worked with a real estate agent, and the share of first-time buyers ticked up to 35%. Read moreCould a Facebook ad be a fair housing violation?An "Ethnic Affinities " option allows Facebook ad buyers to target or exclude minorities - but if used in real estate it could also violate the Fair Housing Act. Read more.Legal Q&A: Who's responsib... 11/01/2016

The Daily (103116) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  The lowdown on new low-downpayment mortgagesFor legal and regulatory reasons, some lenders are shying away from FHA loans and pushing newer 3% down loans - and some are starting to require even less. Read moreHUD wants minimum elevation rule for FHA homesNew rule proposed: Buildings backed by HUD, such as ones with FHA mortgages, must be two feet higher than the 100-year floodplain. Critical buildings, such as hospitals, must be three feet higher than the 500-year floodplain. Read more2.5M foreclosed owners qualify for a mortgage againExperian: By June 2017, 2.5M ex-owners with recession-era foreclosures or short sales will be qualified to buy after that black mark drops off their credit score. Read more.Don't lose your ... 10/31/2016

We Have A Special Guest Visiting Us Today I wanted to introduce our new visitor. He arrived today and will only be with us for a short layover. He flew in on Spirit Airlines Flight 777, early this afternoon. Said he liked the spot and was looking forward to a small get together with old friends. Captured here was a few shots of his visit.     10/30/2016

The Daily (102616) Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now  S&P index: Home prices rose in AugustPrices went up 5.1% in August after a 5% gain in July as an increasing number of buyers competed for a decreasing number of listings. Read moreFannie and Freddie plan to streamline underwritingMortgage loans could be less expensive and underwritten faster under new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines. The new rules could affect over half of all mortgages originated in the U.S. Read moreConsumer confidence retreats in OctoberThe Consumer Board's index dropped almost 5 points to 98.6, possibly due, in part, to political uncertainty, rising gas prices and a lackluster jobs report. Read more.HUD expands protection for survivors of violenceThe rule codifies protections across HUD program... 10/26/2016

The Daily (102516) Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   Your buyers' nemesis: Student debt, high rentStudy: 53% of potential homebuyers with student loan debt say the debt is "somewhat" or "very much" an obstacle to buying a home, up from 49% in 2014. Read moreIn condos, what's considered a 'nuisance' violation?Legal Q&A: What exactly does a condo doc's boilerplate nuisance provision cover? Also: What's a sober home, and what can HOAs do about one operating in their community? Read moreAn Apple smart home? It may be the next trendAs iPhone sales slow, Apple is inching its way into the smart home market by teaming up with builders and connecting newly constructed houses to the Internet. Read more.5 common errors when buying short-sale homesWhen a home is listed as a short sal... 10/25/2016

 The Daily (102416) Hot Sheet of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   4 proposed constitutional amendments on ballotVoters will consider Florida constitution changes on Nov. 8, with two of those proposals focused on property tax exemption rules for seniors and first responders. Read moreSupreme Court limits benefits when insurers go brokeA property-insurer-paid Fla. fund helps owners if their property insurer goes bankrupt, but a payout doesn't have to be as good as the benefits stated in a now-defunct policy; and the court ruled that a 2011 law can be applied retroactively. Read moreIndustrial real estate demand continues to surgeAs online retail grows, warehouse space needs drive demand for big-box distribution centers, and the industrial market has tightened for 26 consecutive quarter... 10/24/2016

  Are you Creative, Professional or Just Lazy? Sometimes just going back to basics makes more sense than to make it more difficult for the reader. The listing sheet should provide as much information and then some. I often see these with one picture, no description, no cell phone number and a showing assist button that has no information. I too would like to know if this ranks as creativity, professionalism or just being lazy?      10/22/2016