Joshua Bahoff bought a three- bedroom luxury condominium in Naples, Florida, in December for $235,000, about one-third of the price that the seller paid near the height of the U.S. housing boom. “It was a great deal,” said Bahoff, 59, a Philadelphia dentist who plans to spend one week a month every winter in the 2,700-square-foot [...]

Washington, DC, February 23, 2011 The uptrend in existing-home sales continues, with January sales rising for the third consecutive month with a pace that is now above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.7 percent to a seasonally [...]

every day 1,000 People move to Florida Florida has 19 Major commercial Airports (12 International) Florida has 1,800 Miles of Coastline 1,200 Miles of sand beaches are in Florida More than 370,000 Hotel rooms are in FL Florida has more 1,250 Golf courses. More than any other state 14 Deep water ports are in Florida

By: Barbara Eisner Bayer Published: February 24, 2011 Follow these seven tips to make sure your contractor agreement works in your favor—not your builder’s. Step 1: Hire a lawyer Contractors use their own forms, which are drafted for their benefit, not yours. You’ll benefit from hiring an attorney to review your contractor agreement or draft one that’s [...]

The Consumer Confidence Index rose to a three-year high this month as consumers felt more positive about their income prospects and the direction the economy was headed. The Conference Board said Tuesday its Consumer Confidence Index climbed to 70.4 this month, up from a revised 64.8 in January, hitting its highest level since February 2008. It [...]

Monday, January 24th, 2011, 11:02 am It is cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than rent one in 72% of major metropolitan areas around the U.S., according to the Trulia rent vs. buy index released Monday. The real estate data firm said increased demand for rental properties is driving the cost of homeownership down nationwide. “Since the [...]

Washington, DC, December 30, 2010 Pending home sales rose again in November, with the broad trend over the past five months indicating a gradual recovery into 2011, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator, rose 3.5 percent to 92.2 based on contracts signed in November from a downwardly [...]

MIAMI – Dec. 16, 2010 – Foreign tourists are snapping up bargain-priced apartments and houses in Florida, taking advantage of such deals as $70,000 to $100,000 apartments in popular South Beach. Most buyers hail from Latin America, Europe and Canada. “The buying opportunities are maybe the best ever. Who knows if we’ll see prices again [...]

CQ Press’ annual city crime rankings, released on Monday, ranked St. Louis the most dangerous city in the U.S. The rankings compare cities using six categories: murder, rape, burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, and motor vehicle theft. The results are used to compile this list of the five most-dangerous cities with populations exceeding 75,000. St. Louis. [...]

PHOENIX – Nov. 15, 2010 – The pace of the national recovery is moderating and the lift spurred by nearly $800 billion in federal stimulus spending is fading, but there are several promising signs that growth will continue, including in Florida, a leading national fiscal analyst told reporters Friday morning. Moody’s Analytics economist Chris Lafakis [...]