01/08/2014 Florida Realtors News

Daily Briefing: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Will it be easier or harder to get a mortgage? The qualified mortgage ruled kicks in on Friday, but a handful of experts say many banks with tighter standards could ease up. NAR plans to monitor the changes. Read more. Fla.'s top 10 consumer complaints for 2013 Fla. hotline handled 47,226 complaints. At No. 1, do-not-call law violations made up almost 40%; landlord issues ranked fifth and real estate complaints sixth. Read more. Rental fraud scheme used quitclaim deeds In a new twist on an old scam, a Jupiter couple filed fraudulent quitclaim and warranty deeds on 35 foreclosure homes, and posted them for rent on Craigslist. Read more. Fla. will gain about 175,000 new jobs in 2014 Pew Charitable Trusts forecast: Fla. expected to be No. 5 state nationally in employment growth percentage, expanding jobs by 2.34% this year. Read more. FIU director talks about South Florida real estate William G. Hardin III, a former commercial banker who switched to academia, provided an overview of the South Fla. market in a Q&A interview. Read more. NOW YOU KNOW DBPR: A Certificate of Licensure is now free online A Certificate of Licensure or "Letter of Good Standing" may be requested, downloaded and printed for real estate licensees through the Fla. DBPR website. Read more. Make a note of it Florida Realtors Take 5: Out-of-town buyers Rick Fioretti: Maximize your time with out-of-town prospects. First-time visitors? Sell them on the area. Repeat visitors? Focus on the property search. Watch video. AROUND FLORIDA Hernando, Pasco counties: As buyers look to cities, suburbs try to adjust Clay County: The state of real estate Manatee County: Floodplain ordinance tweaked Fort Myers Beach: Council denies appeal for elevated pools Tampa: Financing, inspections among real estate market concerns Have a Look at Our Other Sites