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| Hank Fishkind: Other economists wrong – housing on slow upswing | ||
| July 27, 2007 | ||
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ORLANDO, Fla. – July 26, 2007 – Economist Hank Fishkind calls other economists’ dire warnings and negative news about the housing market overblown, and says that, outside of Miami’s condominium market, the state’s housing markets hit bottom months ago and are now on a slow return to normalcy. Fishkind, speaking Tuesday on his radio talk show, pointed to recent stories released by respected economists. Last Friday, for example, Bloomberg news published a story with an ominous headline – “Miami condo glut pushes Florida’s economy to brink of recession.” It quoted Moody’s/Economy.com’s Mark Zandi who predicted Miami condo price drops as much as 30 percent and a state recession perhaps by October. “There is no doubt that the Miami condominium market is severely overbuilt, and that there will be sharp price drops and massive defaults,” says Fishkind. “But, this is no surprise to anyone who has followed this market.” But, he adds, “It is also important to note that Florida’s housing markets, outside of Miami’s condo market, have hit bottom months ago. The closing volume for new and for existing homes has stabilized.” Fishkind doesn’t predict a huge upswing in closings, but “they are no longer declining. Therefore, we have already seen the worst for this cycle. There is no evidence of sharp price drops anywhere in the state, and there is no reason to expect any such drops outside of Miami condos. Population growth is holding up well as the state continues to attract large volumes of retirees and working families looking for jobs.” Fishkind says that rising gas prices could impact consumer spending more than expected, but he calls that a nationwide problem, one that “Florida will ride out … better than most other places.” Source: WMFE Radio News, 90.7 FM/Fishkind & Associates Inc. | ||
| Compare Insurance Rates - The Best Approach | ||
| June 28, 2007 | ||
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Homeowners and buyers can now find comparison info on a state-run Web site, which creates a fictional house and then shows how much it would cost to insure, by company and county, based on rate filings submitted to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Gov. Charlie Crist announced the launch of the “Shop and Compare Rates” Web site – www.ShopAndCompareRates.com. “Many Florida homeowners find it difficult and frustrating to compare the cost of homeowners insurance,” says Crist. “This site is a valuable tool and serves as starting point to help Floridians find the insurance policy best suited to their needs.” The site lists standard yearly insurance premiums to cover a five-year-old, concrete block home, with a current replacement value of $150,000, a $500 non-hurricane deductible, a 2 percent hurricane deductible, no claims and no wind mitigation discounts. The value of the site comes from the ability to compare the rates offered by competing companies working in that county. The list of insurers is sorted from the lowest to highest cost and provides a link to the company’s contact information. | ||
| Some Good News For Florida Real Estate | ||
| June 01, 2007 | ||
ORLANDO, Fla. – June 1, 2007 – The worst of the housing slowdown is over, but the nation’s economy still faces challenges including rising unemployment and uncertainty over gas prices, University of Central Florida economics professor Sean Snaith said today. Snaith, director of UCF’s Institute of Economic Competitiveness, said in his second quarter U.S. forecast that housing starts will decline in the third quarter and then begin a “slow upward climb through 2009.” Mortgage rates will “creep to 6.9 percent in 2009” and excess supply of homes in many markets will continue to put downward pressure on prices through 2007 and into early 2008. The nation’s unemployment rate will end a three-year decline, the forecast predicts, and begin to rise slightly this year but will remain below 5 percent before falling back to 4.7 percent in 2009. U.S. payroll job growth also will slow to 1 percent in 2008 before recovering to 1.5 percent in 2009. Inflation also should remain relatively tame, and even dip in 2008 and 2009, though energy prices “threaten to reignite inflation.” Copyright © 2007 The Orlando Sentinel, Fla., Jerry W. Jackson. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. | ||
| MLS SEARCH ADDED FOR FLORIDA - SEARCH RESALE HOMES | ||
| April 18, 2007 | ||
Now you can search the MLS in Florida on one website! Visit the MLS search page to locate a resale home found on the MLS in Florida. With the addtion of Google Maps for the counties of Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Lee, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Collier you can now see on a map where properties are located. You can still search all of Florida through the expanded MLS search too. SAVE YOUR SEARCHES FOR FREE!!! You can save your property searches for the counties on which Google maps are provided! Get property updates when new listings are added. Simply sign up for new updates and be informed when new properties hit the market. Be the 1st to know. Preconstruction Search Too! Locate Preconstruction either on your own or through us and get a cash back rebate too! The only way to buy is with CASH BACK! Our Free service costs you nothing. | ||