Blog
5 ‘UNCONVENTIONAL’ LOAN OPTIONS FOR ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF HOMEBUYER
Because let’s face it. As many times as we (the mortgage people) tell homebuyers to speak with a mortgage professional as the first step in their homebuying process, we all know they’re going to you, their agent, first. And that’s kind of a great thing… especially when you can explain what’s possible. Read More
NEW HOME SIZE: SMALLER, BIGGER, SMALLER AGAIN
Housing affordability remains a struggle, which home buyers recognize. Nine out of 10 buyers (91%) are willing to compromise to afford a home. Read More
WHY DO PEOPLE MOVE TO – AND LEAVE – FLORIDA?
What goes up must come down, but what goes in doesn’t always go out – or at least that’s true for Florida’s shipments, according to the United Van Lines 2022 National Mover Study. Read More
OUR LOCAL HOUSING MARKET TRACKER FOR OKALOOSA AND WALTON COUNTIES
Overall, the data from our local housing market tracker is encouraging. With more inventory available and interest rates potentially falling, it's a great time for both buyers and sellers to enter the market. As always, it's important to work with a knowledgeable and experienced real estate agent who can help you navigate the complex world of buying or selling a home. Read More
OUT-OF-TOWN MOVES DIDN’T END WITH PANDEMIC
In many cases, an uptick in international buyers has made up for some of the residents moving to less expensive destinations. The net inflow of immigrants more than doubled from 2021 to 2022 in the Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Boston. Read More
HOUSING MARKET TRACKER: INVENTORY FINALLY RISES
Can we now say that the housing market‘s spring selling season is finally underway? Since 2020, the seasonal bottom for housing inventory has arrived several months later than normal, making it more complicated to track housing inventory data. Still, we have some promising signs that we might have finally hit the inventory bottom for 2023. We didn’t see... Read More
MORTGAGE RATES FLUCTUATE, BUT MARKET IS STABILIZING
Though mortgage rates inched up this week, they remain below 6.5%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.43%, up from 6.39% last week. But “with the rate of inflation decelerating, rates should gently decline over the course of 2023,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Incoming data suggest the housing market... Read More
THE 20 BEST RESTAURANTS ON FLORIDA’S 30A
30A was once Florida’s best-kept secret, but now that the secret is undeniably out, families and friends come from all over to enjoy the white-sand beaches, bright blue waters, and idyllic walkable communities located along the scenic road. Perched on the northwest Gulf Coast of Florida, 30A (which refers to an actual local two-lane highway in... Read More
FALLING MORTGAGE RATES SET TO BOOST HOME SALES BY MORE THAN 200,000
The decline in mortgage rates over the last month likely will boost U.S. home sales by more than 200,000 as cheaper financing results in more people qualifying for loans, according to Lawerence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors. “Each half a percentage point drop in mortgage rates results is an additional 200,000... Read More
NEW HOMES NOW ONE-THIRD OF HOUSING INVENTORY
Builder optimism rose again in April thanks largely to a tight inventory of existing homes, and the index components that gauge future expectations rose the most. WASHINGTON – Builders remained cautiously optimistic in April as limited resale inventory helped increase demand for new homes. April builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes... Read More