Siesta Beach in Sarasota County was named the top beach in the country by coastal expert Dr. Beach. Also known as Stephen P. Leatherman, Dr. Beach, a professor at Florida International University, released his 27th annual Top 10 Beach list on Thursday morning. VIEW SLIDESHOW 8 photos People entering Siesta Beach on Siesta Key through
WASHINGTON – May 22, 2017 – U.S. real estate markets are becoming increasingly international. Two trends – changing demographics from immigration and a growing interest from foreigners – are positioned to bolster home sales activity and prices, according to speakers at an international real estate forum organized by Realtor® University’s Richard J. Rosenthal Center for
The Tampa Bay region will host another Super Bowl, thanks to a construction delay in Los Angeles. NFL owners voted unanimously at a meeting Tuesday to move Super Bowl LV to Tampa due to a delay in building the LA Rams’ new stadium. In 2016, Tampa lostits bid to host a Super Bowl to Los
WASHINGTON – May 15, 2017 – When inventory is low, home prices tend to go up. Attempting to purchase a house in this type of market can make the already complex home-buying process even more overwhelming. To help buyers successfully get through the buying process in a tight inventory market, the National Association of Realtors®
For first- time homebuyers, you can’t beat the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas. Despite steadily rising prices, both are relatively affordable compared to the West Coast and Northeast at a time when nearly half of all buyers are first-timers, a new Zillow report says. As millennials — those in the 18-34 age group — “reach
NEW YORK –  At some point, mortgage rates will rise again. Americans have, so far, been resilient to rising mortgage rates, but a bigger impact could come soon, say Goldman Sachs economists. Housing’s share of the economy rose above normal levels from November to January, despite mortgage rates surging 60 basis points at the time.
WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates dropped below 4 percent last week for the first time since November, just as the crucial spring selling season gets under way. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 3.97 percent from 4.08 percent a week earlier; in mid-March, the FRM averaged 4.3 percent. The drop could encourage
CHICAGO – April 20, 2017 – Appraisal Institute research finds that homeowners who want a remodeling project to return as much money as possible at closing should opt for smaller projects. A limited kitchen redo, for example, returns a higher percentage of the cost. “The latest research shows that home improvements with a relatively low
   This home in Land O’ Lakes sold for $1.125 million in March, making it Pasco County’s top sale of the month. [Courtesy of Tom Carr/Christopher Williams] This gulf-front home in Belleair Shore sold for $4.809 million in March, making it Pinellas County’s top sale of the month. [Courtesy of Cary John]  This home in
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – April 12, 2017 – Millennials who bought a home are generally happy about it. Bank of America’s second annual Homebuyer Insights Report finds that millennials who have taken the plunge into homeownership buy the house they can afford now and plan to buy their ideal home later. A large majority (68 percent)