Blog - Deborah Bethune

Articles, Buyer, Buyer Broker Agreements, Finance, First Time Home Buyer, Home Financing, Mortgages, National Association of Realtors, Residential, Working with Buyers

A Big Mistake Home Buyers Are Making With Their Mortgages

They could save “hundreds of dollars a month” by doing this one simple task, a housing expert says. © South_agency – E+/Getty Images As mortgage rates once again move above 7% this week, more home buyers may be desperate for savings to better afford homeownership. But housing experts say a common mistake could be costing […]
Flood Disclosures, Florida Legislature, Florida Realtors, HOA, Homeowners Associations, Homeownership, Hurricane Protections

HOA, Flooding Disclosure Bills Signed Into Law

HB 1049 and HB 59, Florida Realtors’ 2024 legislative priorities, address flooding disclosures and HOA regulations. HB 293 addresses HOA hurricane protections. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law this week two bills that put new regulations on homeowners’ associations and one that requires residential property sellers to disclose flooding. HB 1049 — […]
Buyer, Finance, First Time Home Buyer, Home Buyer Programs, Home Financing, Homeownership, Hometown Heroes

$100 Million Approved HHHP

The bill, which was a 2024 Florida Realtors legislative priority, also includes changes to the Live Local Act. Hometown Heroes Housing Program funding begins July 1. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill revising 2023’s Live Local Act, providing an additional $100 million to the Hometown Heroes Housing Program (HHHP) for zero-interest downpayment […]
Buyer, Homeowner, Hurricane Protections, Insurance, Residential, Sellers

Prepare Now As Hurricane Season Nears

The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1, and state officials want residents to be prepared. Forecasters predict a busy season. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State officials are urging Floridians to prepare for hurricane season, which starts June 1, and use the next weeks to restock disaster supply kits, update disaster plans and stay informed […]

Articles A Big Mistake Home Buyers Are Making With Their Mortgages They could save “hundreds of dollars a month” by doing this one simple task, a housing expert says. © South_agency – E+/Getty Images As mortgage rates once again move above 7% this week, more home buyers may be desperate for savings to better afford homeownership. But housing experts say a common mistake could be costing […]

Flood Disclosures HOA, Flooding Disclosure Bills Signed Into Law HB 1049 and HB 59, Florida Realtors’ 2024 legislative priorities, address flooding disclosures and HOA regulations. HB 293 addresses HOA hurricane protections. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law this week two bills that put new regulations on homeowners’ associations and one that requires residential property sellers to disclose flooding. HB 1049 — […]

Buyer $100 Million Approved HHHP The bill, which was a 2024 Florida Realtors legislative priority, also includes changes to the Live Local Act. Hometown Heroes Housing Program funding begins July 1. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill revising 2023’s Live Local Act, providing an additional $100 million to the Hometown Heroes Housing Program (HHHP) for zero-interest downpayment […]

Buyer Prepare Now As Hurricane Season Nears The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1, and state officials want residents to be prepared. Forecasters predict a busy season. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State officials are urging Floridians to prepare for hurricane season, which starts June 1, and use the next weeks to restock disaster supply kits, update disaster plans and stay informed […]

Insurance Home insurance mistakes to avoid as we enter into hurricane season Photo: Douglas R Clifford/AP | Hurricane Ian was a nightmare for thousands of homeowners in 2022 and forecasts are calling for another active hurricane season in 2024. (Douglas R. Clifford/AP) Nobody likes paying for homeowner insurance. That’s been especially true in Florida, where over the past few years, as more frequent storms and high litigation […]

Uncategorized Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance You’ve Got Options When It Comes to Home Financing Helping borrowers overcome down payment and closing cost barriers Low down payment mortgages are a great solution for helping borrowers achieve homeownership, but for some borrowers, finding even a 3% down payment can be a challenge. Fortunately, in many cases, Fannie Mae allows funds for part […]

Buyer Say No to Wire Fraud: Call Before You Send According to the FBI, real estate wire fraud is one of the nation’s fastest-growing and financially damaging internet-enabled crimes, with claimed losses in 2022 exceeding $2.7 billion. The average wire fraud for consumer recovery cases last year was $106,557, reports the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the totals may be even higher as […]

Buyers Sellers Investors 8 Reasons Sellers Aren’t Selling Current owners fear the dearth of for-sale homes and high-interest rates, but many still desire a move. These are the top issues holding them back. NEW YORK – Homeowners aren’t listing their homes, which is keeping prices up along with buyer frustration. A fear of many current homeowners who want to upsize or downsize is […]

Uncategorized Elevated Home Prices and Mortgage Rates, Limited Inventory are Home Buying Barriers, According to Realtors® and Prospective Home Buyers Across Races and Ethnicities Key Highlights Asian (27%), Hispanic (24%), Black (20%), and White (15%) prospective home buyers say they have not yet bought a home mainly because they are waiting for prices to decline. White respondents (15%) are just as likely to say the primary reason is because they are waiting for mortgage rates to drop. Additional reasons […]

Reports Monthly Data | August 2023 | Coral Springs Parkland

HUD HUD Updates Fair Market Rents; Makes $113 Million Available in Affordable Housing Vouchers HUD No. 23-186 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685 FOR RELEASE Thursday August 31, 2023 HUD Updates Fair Market Rents; Makes $113 Million Available in Affordable Housing Vouchers Department increases Fair Market Rents by 12 percent on average across the U.S., releases vouchers to 36 states to help more families afford housing WASHINGTON – Today, the […]

Articles How much income & down payment is needed for a $400k home? Have you been looking at homes, but are concerned with affording a home priced at $400,000 or more? Just because home prices are elevated doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goal of home ownership. Believe it or not, but the median home price in the U.S. in Q1 2023 was $429,000. That means that most folks […]

Buyer Encroachments and Easements: What You Need to Know Whenever a home is about to change ownership, a thorough title search will include a property survey to determine the property lines, including the presence of any encroachments or easements. While both terms refer to the use of the property by someone other than the owner, they are different in meaning and scope. Encroachments are unpermitted […]

Uncategorized Questions About Your 2023 Property Assessment or Exemptions? The Broward County Property Appraiser mailed over 776,000 TRIM (proposed tax) Notices to Broward County property owners last month. The 2023 Just/Market Values are based on the market data from 2022 as Florida Statutes require the office to use January 1 as the date of assessment each year. The TRIM Notice shows the 2023 Just/Market […]

Buyer Babcock Ranch | Solar Power, Sustainable, New Construction Schedule a Tour 50% of Babcock Ranch’s footprint is set aside for green spaces, and we’ve intentionally developed our town to include stewardship, sustainability, preservation, and restoration as key design features. More than 90% of Babcock Ranch is built upon already impacted pasture, farm, and rock-mined land, and developments are surrounded by areas that will […]

Articles Information to Help You in the Aftermath of Hurricane Idalia Resources to help you recover and rebuild. A message from the Florida Realtors® president: Click to watch the video. Federal disaster declaration: President Joe Biden approved a federal disaster declaration to help state and local recovery efforts after Category 3 Hurricane Idalia slammed into North Florida’s Big Bend region and caused widespread damage. The disaster declaration […]

Buyer Cash Rules Since October 2022, the share of buyers purchasing their home without a mortgage has been more than one-quarter of the market and includes buyers who purchased primary homes, investors, and vacation buyers. These all-cash home buyers are happily avoiding the higher mortgage interest rates, which touched 7% in the Fall of 2022 before trending […]

Buyer Law Will Impact Some Foreign-Buyer Purchases Image Source: Mediaonela/ Getty Images Two Florida Realtors® lawyers – Vice President of Law and Policy and General Counsel Juana Watkins, and Deputy General Counsel Marcia Tabak – hosted a webinar on July 29 to give members an overview of upcoming changes when a bill passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. […]

Buyers Sellers Investors Scam Alert: Title Fraud is on the Rise A new scam – the latest embodiment of identity theft – has surfaced recently. Real estate title fraud, also known as title theft, occurs when someone changes the ownership of your property to themselves without your knowledge, forging your signature on a deed and recording it. The scammer is then free to sell the property right out […]

Uncategorized How to Buy a House in 2023 Navigate the real estate market with confidence! Buying a house is an exhilarating journey, regardless of the economic state. Before diving in, equip yourself with the knowledge of home buying. Understanding the intricacies empowers you to make informed decisions for your family and finances. When you are buying a home, here’s how I can help. […]