BY TIM HUR April 3, 2024, 7:42 AM EDT Last month, the National Association of Realtors announced a settlement that would resolve nationwide litigation over claims from home sellers related to broker commissions. The $418 million settlement, and the practice changes it will usher in, have led some to speculate that real estate agents are at risk of becoming obsolete. As someone who has Continue Reading

In order to understand how real estate compensation is paid, it’s necessary to first understand the tool used in the vast majority of all home purchases: a Multiple Listing Service. Multiple Listing Services, or local broker marketplaces, are essentially databases of all the homes for sale in a given market, maintained in most cases by local REALTOR® associations. Local REALTOR® associations also Continue Reading

Florida’s Collapsing Insurance Markets Posted: 9-7-2023 by Brent Leathwood, MBA, Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker, Cross Border Realty LLC This blog post uses direct quotes from an article published in the Washington Post last week. Text highlighted in quotes are taken directly from the article and full credit is given to WAPO reporter Jacob Bogage. The 800-pound gorilla in the room, that no Continue Reading

$1,000,000 purchase price 20% cash down payment $800,000 conventional 30 year fixed mortgage 2021 rate 3% = $3,373 monthly payment 2024 rate 7% = $5,322 monthly payment Net monthly payment difference $1,949 or 58% higher Fannie Mae typically looks for a 36% debt to income ratio (DTI ratio) 2021 rate of 3% required $9,370 monthly income = $112,433 annual income 2024 rate of Continue Reading

Lakewood Ranch continues to be the best-selling community for all ages in the U.S., according to national real estate consulting firm RCLCO’s 2023 mid-year survey. The Ranch secured 1,227 new home sales through the end of June of 2023, beating last year’s numbers by 20% percent, and keeping it in the No. 1 position for more than five consecutive years. Lakewood Ranch also distanced itself from Continue Reading