Did you know that Average 30-year mortgage rate rises to 3.85%

06 Oct

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Average 30-year mortgage rate rises to three point eighty five percent WASHINGTON (AP) – Oct. 5, 2017 – Long-term mortgage rates ticked up slightly this week as the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.85 percent from 3.83 percent a week ago. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the 15-year home loan, often used by homeowners... Read more »

Hard lessons businesses learned after the hurricane

06 Oct

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Hard lessons businesses learned after the hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria have taught small business owners that disaster planning is more than just evacuating and trying to mitigate physical damage – it’s also about the “what ifs.” Many realized they hadn’t done the right kind of preparation, including buying flood insurance. Some say they want... Read more »

It’s getting easier to crowdfund a down payment

04 Oct

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It’s getting easier to crowdfund a down payment SAN RAMON, Calif. – Oct. 2, 2017 – Crowdfunding – websites or apps that encourage friends, family and others to donate money – are a popular way for some first-time buyers to save for a home’s downpayment. CMG Financial, for example, just released a version, called HomeFundMe.... Read more »

YouTube’s redesign will make your videos look better

29 Sep

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YouTube’s redesign will make your videos look better SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Sept. 28, 2017 – Video promotion – specifically on YouTube – is an integral part of many real estate professionals’ marketing, and smartphone videos are a quick, easy way to capture shareable content for your business. But vertical videos can look lost in... Read more »

Real estate Q&A: Mortgage relief after Hurricane Irma?

29 Sep

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Real estate Q&A: Mortgage relief after Hurricane Irma? FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Sept. 28, 2017 – Question: While we survived Hurricane Irma, we missed a lot of work and had to spend our savings to get things back to normal. Now we can’t afford to make our mortgage payment. Are we going to lose our home?... Read more »

Citizens claims expected to top $1.2 billion

28 Sep

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Citizens claims expected to top $1.2 billion TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sept. 27, 2017 – An estimated $1.23 billion in claims are expected to be filed by Citizens Property Insurance policyholders because of damage from Hurricane Irma, the state-backed insurer announced Wednesday. However, with 70,000 claims now anticipated to be filed over the next two years,... Read more »

Harsh reality hitting Floridians without flood policies

26 Sep

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Harsh reality hitting Floridians without flood policies FORT MYERS, Fla. – Sept. 25, 2017 – Anita Dennis talked on the phone with her homeowner’s insurance company, her furrowed brow expressing more than words could say. The 72-year-old widow carried flood insurance on her home years ago, then let it lapse after learning her neighborhood in... Read more »

Invasion of privacy tops commercial drone use concerns

25 Sep

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Invasion of privacy tops commercial drone use concerns WASHINGTON – Sept. 22, 2017 – When it comes to commercial drones’ usage, 61% of risk managers are concerned about the potential for invasion of privacy, according to a 2017 survey conducted by Munich Reinsurance America, Inc. Other concerns include inadequate insurance (15%), personal injury (15%) and... Read more »

Homeowners will pay most Irma damage out of pocket

25 Sep

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Homeowners will pay most Irma damage out of pocket It will be years before the true cost of Hurricane Irma is clear, but a team of Florida International University (FIU) researchers estimates that the storm’s winds alone will set the Sunshine State back $19.4 billion. Of that total, FIU’s researchers said, $6.3 billion of the... Read more »

Mortgage rates increase after lengthy decline

22 Sep

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Mortgage rates increase after lengthy decline WASHINGTON – Sept. 21, 2017 – Average long-term mortgage rates rose this week in Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. It’s the first time the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased in seven weeks: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.83 percent with an average 0.5 point, up... Read more »