let's do the numbers
30-year fixed-rate mortgage:
6.06%, up from 6.03% the previous week.
Florida consumer confidence index:
-4 points in April to 66.
U.S. consumer confidence index:
-3.6 points in April to 62.3.
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 2008 legislative scorecard
Bills passed during the 2008 legislative session, which ended last Friday, could impact property owners, real estate practitioners and others with real estate interests by:
- Making it harder to tax properties based on the potential value — a boon to commercial property owners currently being taxed based on “highest and best use.”
- Protecting homeowners facing foreclosure who hire so-called “foreclosure rescue” firms.
- Increasing the coverage cap for owners of single-family residential properties and condos with a replacement value of up to $2 million, beginning Jan. 1, 2009. Last year‚s sweeping property insurance bill capped replacement value at $1 million.
- Creating no-frills health insurance plans for individuals for as little as $150 a month. To be sure, the coverage could be minimal. But if you‚re one of the 4 million uninsured Floridians, even the most basic health plan is welcome.
These are just some of the highlights of the 2008 session. More real estate-related bills are detailed on the home page of floridarealtors.org.
 Realtors head to Capitol Hill
Next week, nearly 500 Florida Realtors and FAR lobbyists travel to Washington, D.C., to lobby federal legislators on making higher FHA loan limits permanent, enacting a homebuyer tax credit, and other issues important to property owners and Realtors. Realtors will also urge their congressmen to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program before it expires on Sept. 30, 2008, and enact legislation that enhances the availability and affordability of homeowner‚s insurance. Click here for more on the Hill visits.
Everyone loves a PARADE
As the mortgage crisis lingers, PARADE Magazine published a special section in its May 4 edition to help readers find out how to make the real estate market work to their advantage. PARADE is carried by nearly 400 U.S. Sunday newspapers and reaches 71 million Americans every week. As part of its “Where America Lives” feature, the magazine polled readers to “find the truth about how Americans feel about where we live.”
- 26% of those polled say their dream home would be on the beach (Florida Realtors can help with this one!)
- Americans are neighborly: Two-thirds know their neighbors or consider some good friends, and 72% say they‚ve never had a conflict with a neighbor.
- Having family nearby is the best neighborhood feature (26%), followed by an easy commute and convenient shopping (20% each).
- The most important factor about respondents‚ homes is the comfort (47%), followed by the fact that it is clean and safe (22%).
For more poll results and to read other articles in the series, click here.
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