The National Association of REALTORS® released its annual National Housing Forecast. It’s detailed, just as you would expect from a group of top economists, with a lot of valuable data within.

Here's a summary of a few valuable insights from the forecast:

• Mortgage Rates: Rates will remain low and affordable, anticipating a slight increase from 3.85% to 3.88%.
• House Prices: Prices will remain level, as they did in most markets during 2019.
• Housing Inventory (available properties): Inventory will continue to be limited, especially at the entry-level prices in most markets.
• Buyer Trends: Buyers will continue to see affordable options which benefits mid-sized markets and has people moving out of major metropolitan areas. 

Essentially the

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We just found out Echea Group reached Best of Zillow status for outstanding customer service based on customer feedback! So proud, had to share.
#BestofZillow @PremierAgent https://premieragent.zillow.com/pa/bestofzillow/

 

Economics

Florida Is the Big Winner as the Wealthy Move Out of Northern States

 

Roughly 5 million Americans move from one state to another annually and some states are clearly making out better than others.  Florida and South Carolina enjoyed the top economic gains, while Connecticut, New York and New Jersey faced some of the biggest financial drains, according to a Bloomberg analysis of state-to-state moves based on data from the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Census Bureau.  

Connecticut lost the equivalent of 1.6% of its annual adjusted gross income, as the people who moved out of the Constitution State had an average income of $122,000, which was 26% higher than those migrating in. M

Bloomberg’s analysis included all 50 states

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South Florida townhouse construction heats up

 

For 19 years, Susie Gugliotta lived in a five-bedroom home in Weston.  But she no longer needed anything that large and was ready for a change.  

Instead of a smaller house, last June she plunked down $481,000 for a waterfront townhouse in Artesia, a development still under construction in Sunrise.

Gugliotta isn’t alone.

New townhome construction is the rage, according to the National Association of Home Builders, a Washington, D.C.-based trade organization that predicts “future gains” for townhomes. Many townhouse buyers are going from being a renter to an owner, downsizing, or seeking to live in urban sprawl.

The peak

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These Are The 10 Best Neighborhoods In Fort Lauderdale For 2018

 

Do you like your neighborhood? Is it friendly, and where everyone knows their neighbors? No matter if you live in the sticks or in an apartment building in downtown Fort Lauderdale, you have a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood is different.

Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits — less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?

Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale are the best. If you’re in one of the places we’re

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    Broward and Miami-Dade counties both made huge gains over the past year in their attractiveness for real estate investment and development, according to a new study conducted for the Urban Land Institute by PwC.

The annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate study surveyed over 1,600 real estate experts about market trends. Respondents were asked their views on real estate in 78 U.S. markets.

 

Fort Lauderdale/Broward County jumped to No. 6 in the ranking of markets to watch, gaining 29 spots from last year’s survey. That means the respondents regarded the investment and development prospects in Broward higher than in most other markets. In fact, it was the biggest gain in the survey this year.

Miami-Dade

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Real Estate Agents, Thomas and Lisa Echea, Hit Amazon Best-Seller List With Real Estate GameChangers   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Real Estate Agents, Thomas and Lisa Echea, Hit Amazon Best-Seller List With Real Estate GameChangers Thomas and Lisa Echea, Owners of the Echea Realty Group, recently ranked on the Amazon.com best-seller list with the new book, Real Estate GameChangers, co-authored with Jay Kinder and Mike Reese. Ft. Lauderdale, FL – July 20, 2017 – Thomas and Lisa Echea are a sibling realty team specializing in residential real estate in southern Florida. The Echeas joined a select group of leading real estate professionals to co-write the best-selling book titled Real Estate

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According to the National Association of Realtors®, first time home homebuyers are about 31 years in age on average– so what does this mean for today’s real estate market? Just as every generation before them, millennial homebuyers come with their own set of needs and desires when it comes to shopping for property. As a seller, what can you do to give your home the extra value it needs to appeal to this growing demographic of first-time homebuyers? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Open floor plans for casual entertaining.

For many years, home-buyers have desired formal dining rooms and closed off family rooms, but this just isn’t the case anymore.  Younger homebuyers are looking for more open floor plans that make entertaining

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Travel The World With Your Taste Buds

 

Writer Victoria Fedden visits Brazil, Japan and even Africa without ever leaving South Florida at these authentic, mom-and-pop eateries.

I was born with wanderlust. Growing up, I pored over my family’s collection of World Book encyclopedias and maintained an impressive collection of small plastic dolls wearing traditional costumes. The problem was my family didn’t share my passion for global adventure, although we did visit EPCOT a few times. That’s where I first tried a Moroccan bastilla, and where I learned that by tasting new foods we can instantly be transported without having to deal with airport security lines or baggage claim mix-ups. As an adult, I’ve had opportunities to travel abroad, but

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