Realtor News

The state-owned “insurer of last resort” will pay FSU to conduct a study. The goal: To determine how the steady rise in Fla.’s property insurance rates can be slowed.

The mortgage giants that back over half of all U.S. mortgages will allow owners to skip two mortgage payments for any reason and add them to the end-date of their loan.

The grants support fair housing enforcement, education and outreach activities, including funds for testing rental and sales markets, and filing fair housing complaints.

As governments mandate closures to lower COVID-19 cases, they must identify “essential services.” Real estate is not only a “roof over your head,” it’s the economy’s best bet for staving off recession; each Fla. sale adds an estimated $78K to the state’s economy.

Businesses that have been paying for business interruption policies that don’t exclude pandemics should be covered, says an insurance lawyer based in New Orleans.

From marketing to organization to contracts, tech does it all, but the sheer number of products is confusing. To get started, check T3 Sixty’s list organized by function.

It’s not a done-deal quite yet – the House is expected to vote Friday and the president must sign it – but NAR announced a major win. The bill includes unemployment insurance (up to 39 weeks) for independent contractors and $350B toward small business loans from the SBA.

Should tech platforms such as Airbnb collect tourism bed taxes? Palm Beach County’s appraiser said yes, but an appeals court calling them “conduits” ruled against her.

A new bill introduced in the Senate would pave the way for remote notarizations across state borders and make it easier to complete transactions.

In a digital-meets-real-world problem, computers with less security in homes are being targeted, and the entrance method is often an email link related to COVID-19.

Regulators want policies cancelled only if “all possible efforts to work with consumers … have been exhausted.” They also eased insurance inspection requirements.

Federal Reserve “swift and significant efforts to stabilize the market” led to the drop from last week’s 3.65%, says Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Facebook retargeting ads are a digital land grab right now. Retargeting places ads in front of people based on some action they took, such as clicking on a listing.

Lenders were villains in 2008’s recession, but they’re stronger this time and don’t want a large roster of foreclosures on their books. As a result, they have a vested interest in helping people keep their homes this time and are rolling out a number of forgiveness and relief programs.

It might – or not. Each policy is unique, but commercial property, pollution liability, general liability, workers’ comp and employment liability may offer something.

Some lawmakers are pushing Gov. DeSantis to extend Fla.’s property tax deadline, but that has not happened yet. If unpaid, fees go up starting April 1.

A landlord may win an eviction case, but an order that suspends many court operations until April 17 means the necessary confirmation documents won’t be issued.

The agency directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to OK appraisals and employment verifications in a way that minimizes human contact to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

A myriad of economic aid packages has been suggested, formed, changed, rejected and even passed, and Realtor associations keep pushing lawmakers to include Realtors and their unique type of employment in aid packages that offer to help small businesses.

The median price for a home rose 6.3% to $345,900, but economists forecast bigger future declines due to COVID-19 layoffs and economic disruption.