real estate

Cheaper borrowed money to buy a South Florida home and condo helped bring buyers into the market in October. The median Miami-Dade condo sold for the lowest price in more than two years.

Counties and cities borrow billions of dollars for all kinds of expensive projects. They pledge future property tax revenues to pay back their lenders. Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to reduce or eliminate some property taxes, leaving a lot of uncertainty of how the changes may impact local government bonds.

Young homebuyers have been priced out of the market even more than previously, according to a report released Nov. 4 by the National Association of Realtors.

Reducing or eliminating most local property taxes is a top priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis as he enters the final year of his last term. Florida Keys Rep. Jim Mooney, a Republican, thinks lawmakers should focus their efforts on bringing down the cost of property insurance instead. “We don't get a lot of complaints about property taxes,” he said.

Home and condo sales show very early signs of recovery in September helped by a drop in mortgage rates and lower or, at least stable, prices. It’s too early to “definitively declare a shift in the overall trend,” but confidence by the state’s realtor group is rebounding.

Despite a slowdown in sales and more homes on the market, UBS still ranks South Florida as the riskiest housing market in the world.

Florida’s new law is part of a growing movement known as YIGBY — Yes in God’s Backyard. Touted by many faith leaders, lawmakers and developers, the movement imagines a connection between a religious mission to serve and the very real hurdles of building affordable housing.

The regional commercial real estate industry is holding up so far this year despite persistent worries about the value of offices, new apartment buildings and uncertainties about the impact of tariffs on trade.

When the government shut down, so did the federal flood insurance program, forcing some buyers into the costly private market.

It has been very profitable to own a South Florida home over the past 15-plus years. Long-term homeowners here are sitting on a mountain of profits, but if they sell, they also likely face a hefty tax bill. And that could be making the housing market more unaffordable for younger buyers.

Gigi Coloma says she relied on Instagram to drum up most of her business. Then she was locked out of her account for almost three months for a "horrible accusation" — the platform said it was investigating her for “child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity" following a selfie posted by her young niece for her birthday. She's still waiting for an apology.

Median condo prices in Broward and Palm Beach counties fell to their lowest level in several years in August. Single family home median prices were stable as fewer homes were on the market.