FHA says it will now approve purchase and refinance mortgage applications in states that treat clean-energy program (PACE) funding as a special assessment that homeowners pay like property taxes. Source: Florida Realtors

CoreLogic: Fla. remains the state with the most homes (2.7M) at risk for hurricane storm surge and with the highest reconstruction cost ($535.6B) in the U.S. Source: Florida Realtors

Only one U.S. state charges a business-rent tax on rent and utility expenses: Florida. But momentum appears to be building to undo the long-time government fee. Source: Florida Realtors

Freddie Mac survey: There are a lot of baby boomers out there, and many plan to downsize or move soon – and that would add a lot of homes to the market. Source: Florida Realtors

High prices, a strong dollar and weaker economies made U.S. real estate investment challenging, but the Chinese spent more than the next four countries combined. Source: Florida Realtors

However, homes in gated communities may not command higher prices if related amenity costs, such as a clubhouse, make overall homeownership more expensive. Source: Florida Realtors

Quicken uses Freddie’s Home Possible mortgage program that requires 3% down, but it “grants” qualified buyers 2%, making the out-of-pocket downpayment only 1%. Source: Florida Realtors

It seems illogical: Lenders say they’ll now approve loans to buyers with lower credit scores, but the average score of people actually approved continues to rise. Source: Florida Realtors

Just-released FAA rules create a clearer way for real estate pros to use drones for commercial purposes – “a win for the industry,” says NAR Pres. Tom Salomone. Source: Florida Realtors

In the 10 years since the mortgage crisis, a growing number of U.S. renters are struggling to become owners, due to surging costs, rising home values and more. Source: Florida Realtors