Category: Live South Florida Realty, Inc

An appraisal is a professional report that helps gauge a home’s value. In fact, a homeowner can get a home appraisal completed at any time. The reports typically cost between $300 – $600 and most often are ordered by the lender and paid for by the buyer. The most common situation in which a home… Continue reading Are home appraisals creating an unfair advantage for cash buyers?

Recently, there has been a slight increase in 30-year fixed mortgage rates and a slight dip in mortgage applications. In fact, rates rose to over 3% in early March, breaking an almost year-long decline during the pandemic that resulted in record lows. Although this has been a cause for concern for many, industry experts believe… Continue reading Rising mortgage rates and the spring home buying season

The short answer to this question is probably so. A recent rule change for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) likely makes it more expensive to take out a second-home loan. Therefore, whether you are buying a vacation home or an investment property, you may see increased costs. The rule went into effect on April… Continue reading Is the cost of a second-home mortgage on the rise?

Summer is right around the corner and that means that South Floridians need to prepare for some extreme temperatures and the possibility of some strong storms. With this said, it may be a good time to confirm that your home is as prepared as possible for the upcoming months of extreme heat and possible strong… Continue reading Is your home ready for the summer?

The 2020 Florida Realtors Association Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers was recently published. While some things remain the same, there are some new trends being seen across the state. Perhaps the biggest shift in the market right now is the number working-aged Americans relocating to The Sunshine State. As mentioned in previous articles, many… Continue reading 2020 Florida real estate buyers & sellers report

The current real estate market is considered by some to be the most competitive in history. With far more buyers than sellers, this is leading to a frustrating experience for many. As an example, our brokerage just listed a nice lakefront home in Boca Raton, FL this week. In addition to getting under contract within… Continue reading How to compete in an ultra-competitive real estate market

As a homeowner, there are plenty of perks that you may benefit from including the ability to build wealth through equity while having a property of your own. However, one major advantage of home ownership is that it can offer a range of significant tax benefits. Up to certain limits, you’re able to receive tax… Continue reading Common tax deductions for homeowners

If you have read some of our previous articles on this blog, then you are well aware of some of the recent trends in real estate this past year. With Americans spending more time at home during the pandemic, perhaps the biggest trend has been the desire for more space. This has led many homeowners… Continue reading Tips for saving space in a small condo/apartment

As we have documented in many articles on this site before, the pandemic has brought upon several new trends in real estate. Perhaps the most popular trend has been the desire for more space in the home. With this said, another area that has gained in demand is outdoor living. With more Americans making efforts… Continue reading A pandemic push for outdoor living

Since the beginning of 2017, Redfin has tracked the number of home searches conducted on its website that are filtered exclusively by the $1 million and higher price point. In January of 2021, approximately 10.8% of all searches were for homes exceeding a $1 million list price. This equated to a 2.3% increase compared to… Continue reading Searches for $1 million-plus homes highest since 2017