2007 FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
An alternative House Republican plan to swap property taxes for sales taxes began to gather steam Friday. The idea is to eliminate the portion of property tax bills that go to school districts and pay for education through a higher sales tax.
Read the full story: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-031207.cfm __________________________
PROPERTY TAXES
A flock of Canadian snowbirds are banning together to call for property tax reform in Florida. Snowbird Phyllis Turek says she doesn’t expect the same concessions as full-time residents, but believes snowbirds should get some credit for paying taxes year-round and using services for only a few months.
Read the full story: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-031207.cfm __________________________
TAXES
It’s not just Florida: At least a dozen states have legislation in the hopper this year to provide property tax relief, on top of at least eight that acted last year, according to the online news service Stateline.org.
Read the full story:
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-031207.cfm
Fourth Quarter Commercial Real Estate Index Hovering at Record High
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE GROWTH HOLDS STEADY: WASHINGTON, February 22, 2007 A forward-looking index for the commercial real estate market, the Commercial Leading Indicator for Brokerage Activity, has increased for seven consecutive quarters and is holding at the highest level on record, NAR says. David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, says growth in the commercial real estate sectors appears to be reaching a plateau. “The rate of expansion has been fairly tame over the last three quarters, which means that growth in commercial real estate sectors is likely to be modest,” he says. The index rose 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter to a level of 120.1 from an index of 120.0 in the third quarter, and is 1.8 percent above the fourth quarter of 2005 when it stood at 118.1. Learn more.
Today’s Top Stories; 03/12/2007
Vertical Neighborhoods a Solution to Sprawl New high-rise developments feature residential units, retail space, and scores of amenities, aiming to ensure that occupants are in the middle of the action.Read more >
Buyers Splurge Where It Counts: Kitchen, Bath The housing market slowdown hasn’t curbed America’s appetite for upscale kitchen and bath amenities, says the American Institute of Architects.Read more >
Neighbors Seek Lower Prices for Solar Equipment Home owners in California communities are banding together to negotiate discounts on solar energy equipment, which can cost as much as $34,000.Read more >
Zero-Down Mortgages Get Harder to Find Countrywide joins companies such as General Electric’s WMC Mortgage and Washington Mutual in requiring that loan applicants have at least a 5-percent stake in their homes.Read more >
7 Ways to Get Rid of Pet OdorsNo one wants a smelly house, especially prospective buyers. To identify the source of an offensive odor, and then eliminate it, follow these helpful pointers.Read more >
Housing Market Indicators; Florida existing home sales:
Housing Market Indicators:
Florida existing home sales:
-27%
Florida existing condo sales:
-30%
Florida existing home median price:
$239,300
Florida existing condo median price:
$209,000
Florida consumer confidence:
91
National existing home sales:
+3.0%
National existing home median price
$210,600
National (Freddie Mac) mortgage rate
6.14%
Hopeful homebuyers in Florida should act now
REAL ESTATE FORECAST: GAINESVILLE, Fla.Saturday, March 09, 2007: UF study: The price is right, so buy now.– Hopeful homebuyers in Florida should act now: The price is right as the state’s single-family residential housing market bottoms out, according to a University of Florida study released today.“If you’re thinking of buying a house, there’s probably not much to be gained by holding out at this point,” says Wayne Archer, director of UF’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies. “It doesn’t look like prices are going to fall anymore.” Read Full Story
Sierra Club backs amendment to toughen zoning change decisions
Sierra Club backs amendment to toughen zoning change decisions
March 1st, 2007 8:33 PM
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – March 1, 2007 – Hometown Democracy – a nickname for a constitutional amendment proposal that would force all new subdivisions, shopping malls and other growth proposals to seek approval from voters rather than local leaders – received support yesterday from one of Florida’s largest environmental groups. The Sierra Club announced it would contribute $35,000 to the effort and enlist its 30,000 members in securing the signatures needed to get the proposal onto the Florida ballot. Full Story
Greenspan: U.S. recession not ‘probable’
TOKYO (AP) – March 1, 2007 – Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told a Tokyo seminar on Thursday that he does not think an economic slowdown in his country is “probable,” toning down his earlier warning over a recession later this year.
“It is possible we can get a U.S. recession toward the end of this year, but I don’t think it’s probable,” Dow Jones Newswires quoted Greenspan as saying in his speech at a Tokyo forum organized by international brokerage CLSA. Full Story
Condo market runs aground for investors, but core buyers remain
The frenzy fizzles
Condo market runs aground for investors, but core buyers remain
By Steve Kerch, MarketWatch Feb 8, 2007 Click on the above “Condo Market” for full story”
ORLANDO, Fla. (MarketWatch) — Condominium sales have stalled as investors flee the market and developers who jumped into the sector during the boom of the last three years are turning their attention back to rental apartments, where demand is expected to pick up, condo and apartment builders said Thursday at the International Builders show here.
$50K homestead exemption wouldn’t cover all property taxes
If you live in Florida…read on!
The Miami Herald © 2007, Gary Fineout. Posted February 07 2007
$50K homestead exemption wouldn’t cover all property taxes; ……Click above for full story
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Feb. 7, 2007 – Gov. Charlie Crist’s promise to slash property taxes for beleaguered homeowners would apply to only about two-thirds of the taxes most homeowners pay, top aides told legislators Tuesday, igniting criticism from Democrats that the tax-cut plan could be a “bait and switch.”
Please feel free to use this blog to voice your questions, thoughts or such
This is a good area to voice your thoughts, questions or such to myself or anyone that would care to respond. While this is a Real Estate BLog, let’s have a bit of fun and talk about things like good dining in South Florida, new attractions, etc. If you had a good or bad experience while dining, shopping, etc. this is a good place to speak up. Hope to hear from you soon. Eileen Kedersha