We wrote a blog post a while back about how if you are purchasing a condo in Florida, mortgage financing is tougher than ever before. Well, it just got even harder to get condo financing, thanks to a new rule set to take effect on November 1, 2009.

The new rule will put an end to “spot approvals” for condo complexes and thus make it harder for buyers to qualify for these types of property loans. The rule disallows FHA underwriter’s ability to approve individual condo units rather than an entire condo complex. The reason spot approvals were originally granted was because of the costs and paperwork involved for a condominium association to get an entire complex approved by the FHA is outrageous, costing tens of thousands of dollars for things like appraisals, structural engineering reports, audited financial reports etc. Spot approvals only required a condo or HOA representative to spend about 15 minutes filling out a one page questionaire.

Tags: FHA, Florida, HUD, mortgages

According to the 2010 State Business Tax Climate report released this week by the Washington D.C. based Tax Foundation, Florida remains among the top 10 states in the nation when it comes to “business friendly” taxes. Florida ranked 5th in this year’s report and has had the best ranking among Southern states for several years in a row. A spokeswoman for the Tax Foundation stressed that the rankings don’t reflect how much money the taxes raise, but how broad and competitive the structure is compared to other states. Florida’s advantage comes mostly from having a state constitution that prohibits an income tax.

Tags: Florida, growth, taxes

It looks like the last real estate market segment in Florida that has held out for higher prices has finally burst its bubble too. Luxury Florida real estate sellers appear to have finally come to the realization that they too are going to have to give in on price in order to sell their properties.

While many folks may have thought such a move was a given under today’s housing market climate, the reality was another thing altogether. The reason for such an attitude was multi-faceted. Let’s just suffice it to say that most luxury real estate in Florida is located on some of the most prized property available. You don’t give away oceanfront estates, island getaways or high rise condominiums with views to die for just because the rest of the market hits hard times. In addition, folks who are wealthy enough to afford such properties in the first place are also wealthy enough to carry them as they weather the market downturn.

Tags: Florida, living, markets, real estate

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) launched a new website this week dealing with imported Chinese drywall. The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that Chinese drywall may be a potential hazard. Approximately 36,000 homes in Florida and many others states including Alabama, California, Mississippi, Virginia and Louisiana have been affected by the imported drywall.

Consumers with homes known to contain the defective wallboard complain of foul odors, metal corrosion and health problems from occupying their properties. The CPSC website will provide details of the ongoing investigations into the problem including air sample reports, import tracking and analysis of the health effects of the use of Chinese drywall in homes.

The CPSC drywall website can be found by visiting www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall

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Gulf Coast Associates, Realtors specializes in upscale Florida real estate in and around Ft. Myers and Naples. Our sister firm, Metro Mortgage Company, specializes in originating Florida home loans including Conventional, Jumbo and FHA/VA mortgages. Contact us today at 888-617-3674.

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Tags: Florida, living, Technology

I was reading about some interesting research recently conducted by a professor at the University of Central Florida. Seems his analysis shows that current home values are just about where they would have been had the real estate bubble of 2005-7 not occurred. According to Professor Stan Smith, “most homeowners are within 6% of where they would have been had there not been a housing bubble. The people who have been here since prior to 2005 should not have been hurt,” though he also added: “… a lot of people who did buy in 2005 and 2006 obviously were hurt significantly.” However, a long-term view of the Florida real estate market reveals that even though prices rose and fell dramatically in recent years, they appear to have settled back into more normal historic patterns.

Tags: Florida, markets, real estate

In a recent independent national poll conducted by IHS Global Insight Regional Estate Service, two destinations in Florida appeared in the top five most undervalued places to live in the United States.

The first Florida destination to appear in the poll is the cosmopolitan, quaint, and cultural city of Naples. Known as the “Crown Jewel” of the Southwest Florida gulf coast, Naples offers residents plenty of golf, beaches, and fishing in an enchanting and sun-drenched environment. And, after home prices plummeted by nearly 50% from the first quarter of 2006 to the first quarter of this year, real estate in this upscale community looks increasingly tempting to buyers. IHS Global Insight considers the median home price in Naples to be $200,000 or 33% undervalued.

Tags: Florida, living, markets

We often get asked a lot of questions about the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Program. Obviously, it is a little confusing to many folks. Upon reviewing our email and phone logs regarding the questions we have received, here are some explanations about the program requirements we hope you may find useful.

• For married couples, both have to qualify as first-time buyers to get the tax credit.
• For non-married couples, only one buyer has to qualify. So, in some cases it may be beneficial to buy a home before you get married.
• If both buyers qualify for the tax credit, only one of them can actually get it. There is one credit per household.

Tags: Florida, mortgages