Purchasing a home just became a lot cheaper, thanks mostly to the Federal Reserve’s decision last week to put its interest rate hikes on hold for now. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage plunged to 4.06 percent this week, down from 4.28 percent last week. That’s the steepest weekly drop in a decade. Last week, Fed chairman …

So much for those worries about rising interest rates. Just a few months ago, rising rates were bearing down on everyone from homebuyers to stock investors after the Federal Reserve put through seven quarter-point increases in 2017 and 2018. But some rates began easing early this year after the Fed opened the door to a “patient” approach to further rate increases. Last Wednesday, the …

Less than six months ago, mortgage rates marched above 5 percent – the first time in seven years – and for weeks showed no signs of abating. It was a tipping point for house hunters. Beaten down by rising prices, meager housing choices and bidding wars, they saw rates as one more obstacle and called it quits, causing sales to plummet, even in the …

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on the Real Estate Assessment Center’s policies and processes. The report (GAO-19-254) is titled “Real Estate Assessment Center: HUD Should Improve Physical Inspection Process and Oversight of Inspectors.“ The report was sent to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development …

 In an issue stemming from a legal dispute in South Florida, the state Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. Senators voted 35-5 to support the measure (SB 82), sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island. Bradley took up the issue after a dispute between homeowners Hermine Ricketts and Laurence Carroll and the village …

Existing-home sales rebounded strongly in February, with the largest month-over-month gain since December 2015, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Three of the four major U.S. regions saw sales gains, while the Northeast remained unchanged from last month. Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – shot up 11.8 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted …

Question: My association is refusing to make accommodations to help me with my disability. What should I do? – Ray Answer: Discrimination in all of its forms is wrong and should be addressed. This includes discrimination in housing against those who are disabled. Under the law, if you have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits at least one life activity, your housing …

Should local governments be able to tell homeowners they can’t grow arugula and tomatoes in their own garden? The Florida Senate could approve a measure next week aimed at preventing local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. Senators on Thursday took up the bill (SB 82), sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and positioned it for a vote. The issue stems from a …

 Bills were introduced into both the U.S. House and Senate last Wednesday extending Fair Housing Act protections to LGBT individuals – a move supported by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). “Realtors have worked for [nearly] a decade to ensure the American dream of homeownership is not unfairly denied to those in the LGBT community,” NAR President John Smaby said in a statement. NAR amended …

 Realtor.com analyzed listings on its website with an eye toward the best day of the year to put a home on the market. The ideal day? April 1. That’s close to ideal for Jacksonville – one of four Florida metro areas included in the analysis – but less so for other areas. According to Realtor.com, the best time to list a home in Jacksonville this year …