About 40 million Americans move each year, and Florida is the No. 2 spot for relocation, second only to California, according to a survey conducted by Relocation.com. The survey finds that 19 percent of those relocating went from owning their own homes to renting, with only 15 percent shifting the other way. Only 14 percent of the 1,237 respondents owned their previous residence and moved to a newly purchased home, and the majority (52 percent) went from one rental situation to another. The survey shows that most people relocate for a new job, a transfer within their current job or to seek a new lifestyle, including retirement. About half the moves were from one state to another. Two-thirds moved more than 100 miles and 54 percent moved more than 500 miles away. California is the number one destination state with 6 percent of the total sample moving there from another state, while 5 percent of all relocations move to Florida, followed by Texas (4 percent), New York (3 percent) and Georgia (2 percent).

Source: Relocation.com (06/17/2008)

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The cost of gas is redefining the definition of "location, location, location." After potential buyers weigh commuting expenses, demand goes up for homes near jobs, bus terminals or train stations. If gas prices continue to rise, some neighborhoods could experience price gains at the expense of other neighborhoods that see a drop in demand.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-061908.cfm

President Bush has jumped into the election-year debate over high gas prices, outlining a plan for more domestic production that could include lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling near Florida's Gulf Coast. Opponents denounce the proposals, saying they're nothing more than a favor to oil companies.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-061908.cfm

Property managers for some of the toniest addresses in South Florida's luxury condo market are dealing with a slew of new troubles resulting from vacant foreclosures: Impostor landlords leasing units they do not own, a rash of vandalism and squatters taking up residence.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-061908.cfm

Commercial real estate vacancies are trending up modestly, while investment has dropped sharply in the wake of the credit crunch, according to preliminary information for NAR's latest Commercial Real Estate Outlook.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-061908.cfm

The recent Midwest flooding caught many property owners unprotected, and it could happen in Florida. People generally pass on federally-backed flood coverage because they don't realize it falls outside standard home insurance or they underestimate the risk. Yet a house has a 26 percent chance of flood damage during a 30-year mortgage, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n5-061908.cfm

Six trade groups on Tuesday told federal lawmakers that a comprehensive housing bill would impose too-strict standards on lenders. They say the bill, if passed, would expose lenders to potential lawsuits and force them "to reduce the number and type of products to consumers."

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-061808.cfm

As the federal government discusses ways to help struggling homeowners, a growing number of cities are taking matters into their own hands. "We can't wait on the federal government," says Douglas Palmer, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. "We're taking action."

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-061808.cfm

Major mortgage lenders have agreed to streamline and speed up the process for assisting distressed homeowners following criticism that they're too slow and sometimes unresponsive. Under new guidelines, homeowners seeking help can expect an answer within 45 days.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-061708.cfm

The Census Bureau reported this morning that May housing starts fell by 3.3 percent compared to April numbers.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-061708.cfm

A few buyers with good credit have discovered the "buy and bail" strategy: Buy a second home at a good price, tell the new lender that you plan to rent out the first home, and then walk away from the original home, leaving the first lender holding the bag.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n5-061708.cfm

Economist Dr. Sean Snaith delivered an economic report to members of Enterprise Florida's board of directors this week, saying that homebuyers and builders will "slowly tiptoe back to the housing market" for a solid turnaround in 2010. The head of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Economic Competitiveness, Snaith predicted that job growth in Tampa through 2010 would exceed everywhere else in Florida except Orlando. He also called the Interstate 4 corridor a major force for economic growth in the state.

Source: St. Petersburg Times

For one year, FHA will insure vacant foreclosed properties marketed and sold by property disposition firms on behalf of lenders. The properties, which must purchased by owner-occupants, will no longer be subject to the customary 90-day waiting period.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-061608.cfm

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, speaking to South Florida real estate professionals last week, called 2008 a "year of cleanup." Yun predicts that the second half of the year will be better than the first, due to improving mortgage markets, foreign investors and Baby Boomers.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-061608.cfm

Too many sellers in Florida and elsewhere aren't setting the right price for their home, asking for too much money and ignoring the list prices of nearby homes, not to mention their real estate agents' advice. "The worst thing to be in this market is one of those homes that's been listed for six, eight, 10 months with no consummated deals," says Beverly Rothstein, a Realtor in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-061608.cfm

Rates on 30-year mortgages jumped to their highest level in nearly eight months to 6.32 percent, reflecting increased concerns about what the Federal Reserve might do to battle inflation. Experts generally expect the trend to continue over the short term.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-061308.cfm

The number of U.S. homeowners swept up in the housing crisis rose further last month, with foreclosure filings up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier, according to numbers released today by RealtyTrac.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-061308.cfm

Florida Realtors reported an upswing in existing home and condo sales from March to April 2008, according to FAR's latest housing statistics. A total of 11,200 existing single-family homes sold statewide in April, a 20 percent increase over March sales activity, while statewide existing condo sales rose 21.6 percent over the same time period.

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http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-052308.cfm