Lawyers wary of possible insurance changes by Fla. lawmakers Even if lawmakers finally agree this year on measures aimed at curbing home insurance claims abuses, court challenges will likely follow, plaintiffs attorneys say. The proposed reforms take aim at attorneys’ income streams by seeking to revise a right that’s been part of Florida law since... Read more »
Are condo associations required to record meetings? Our Board of Directors disagrees over whether we are required to record our meetings, and if not, should we? – B.D., Stuart Answer: This is a common question and the first answer is no, the Board is not required to audio record or video record its meetings. Many... Read more »
How to buy a house when you already own one You’ve found the perfect new home for your family, but your current house hasn’t sold yet. You can’t afford to carry two mortgages, or maybe you were counting on money from your sale to help with the downpayment and closing costs. Before you let that... Read more »
New-homes sales up again in Jan. Americans bought more new homes in January after a steep fall-off the previous month, a sign the housing market is healthy despite higher mortgage rates. New home sales rose 3.7 percent to a seasonally-adjusted 555,000, the Commerce Department said Friday. That is 5.5 percent higher than a year ago.... Read more »
Feds renew ID requirement for South Fla. homebuyers The Treasury Department said Thursday it would extend by six months a requirement that title insurance companies disclose the identities of luxury homebuyers in Broward and Palm Beach counties. In January 2016, the federal agency announced the temporary order for cash sales priced at $1 million or... Read more »
Landlord sues Airbnb in spat over subletting One of the nation’s largest owners and operators of apartment homes is trying to stop Airbnb from listing its units. Apartment Investment & Management Company (Aimco), a property manager that oversees more than 50,000 properties, has filed a lawsuit in both California and Florida to prevent Airbnb from... Read more »
Fla.’s housing market: More sales, rising prices in Jan. Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices, increased pending sales and more new listings in January, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 16,779 last month, up 5.2 percent from January 2016. “Florida’s housing... Read more »
Homeowner tax breaks: It’s not just the property Owning a property can unlock some of the biggest potential tax breaks most families have access to. It’s not just the home-related tax breaks you get access to, either, says Lisa Greene-Lewis, a CPA and tax expert for TurboTax. “Getting enough qualified expenses can top the standard... Read more »
NAHB: Home affordability favorable but at eight-year low The U.S. has a shortage of buildable lots and skilled labor, excessive regulations, rising mortgage interest rates and high home price appreciation – and those negative factors pushed housing affordability to its lowest point in eight years (3Q 2008) in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to... Read more »
2017 legislative priority: Time to cap estoppel fees A seller and a buyer are under contract for a condominium, a loan has been secured, inspections have been performed, and the closing documents have been delivered when the seller notices a $600 fee for an estoppel certificate. Now the seller is asking what this certificate is... Read more »