Buying can beat renting in less than a year

As rental rates and home values escalate, buying is becoming a better option sooner for many South Floridians, according to a first-quarter report from Zillow.com. In Palm Beach County, buying a home is cheaper than renting it after an average of 1.3 years, the website said. In Broward County, it’s 1.1 years. [Source: South Florida…

Mortgage Market News: Job Gains Surge

The major economic data released this week continued to show an even better than expected bounce back from a weather-related slowdown during the winter. Despite the economic strength, though, there were few signs of inflationary pressures, helping mortgage rates end the week lower, near the best levels of the year. The economy added 288K jobs…

Tallahassee Homebuyer Education Class Schedule

Attendance is REQUIRED in order to receive DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE from the City of Tallahassee. Refreshments will be provided. Classes are FREE however there is a minimal charge of $20 per household for the Home Buyer Education class training materials. You must be pre-qualified by a lender before taking this class. Registration will end at…

Fannie Mae Extending the 3.5% Closing Cost Assistance

Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) announced it is extending the 3.5 percent closing cost assistance incentive for HomePath® properties purchased during the FirstLookTM period in 27 eligible states. During the FirstLook period, owner-occupant or public entity buyers are able to submit offers on HomePath properties, giving them the opportunity to purchase a home without competition from investors. …

5 Critical Tips for Building a Custom Home

In today’s fast-paced real estate industry, many families are choosing to build a custom home. There are several options to consider when building your dream home. #1 Select a Neighborhood – First, decide on a neighborhood. Take into account schools, shopping, work, and convenience next step would be to enlist the services of a Real…

5 Ways to Avoid Home Insurance Heartache

Start looking for insurance immediately after you execute a contract. If you stop reading now, start the insurance early and you’ll likely avoid the vast majority of potential problems. Buying a home can be IS a stressful time. Between answering sensitive application questions, document hunting, packing, inspections, disclosures, appraisals and more, it can be overwhelming;…