The city put a QR Code on the front of every vacant house. Realtors, neighbors and curious onlookers can quickly find out who owns the property via their cellphone.

BALTIMORE, Maryland – Hundreds of QR codes have appeared on boarded-up homes throughout Baltimore over the past month, as part of a city effort to help residents seeking information on vacant properties.

Last year, the Baltimore City Council moved to require housing officials to place signs on the city’s roughly 15,600 vacant properties, about 1,350 of which are city-owned, advertising how neighbors can access information about each one.

When scanned, a QR code on the signs directs residents to a preexisting Department of Housing and Community Development page, where they can search for ownership information and other records. The signs also direct residents to call 410-396-0896 to access the information, or dial 311 if the property needs to be cleaned or boarded.

The signs could be a boon for activists eager to inform communities about vacant properties, and for neighbors seeking contact information for owners when problems arise. But reaching owners can prove challenging, and that’s just the first step in a long process aimed at reducing blighted property.

As of June 29, city officials had placed the signs on 655 vacant properties, said Tammy Hawley, spokeswoman for the city’s housing department. Code enforcers have been placing signs on the relevant properties while making their rounds, Hawley said. Originally, the bill called for property owners to place the signs themselves or face daily fines. But officials cited logistical problems with that requirement.

The department is hopeful the signs will raise awareness among city residents about the challenges of tackling vacancies and blight.

“We think that this helps everyone understand what we’re up against with these absent owners,” Hawley said.

“It’s not about shaming,” Hawley said. “It’s about pride in our city.”

© 2021 Baltimore Sun. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The line between “a condo owner’s obligation to fix” and “the association must fix” isn’t always clear, especially if a number of people contributed to the problem.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Question: A few weeks ago, another apartment in our condo was having their hot water heater replaced. The management company only placed signs in one section notifying that the water would be shut off. We lost water in my unit, so I went outside to investigate. Seeing no one around, I noticed that the main water valve was shut off. When I opened the valve, it apparently caused an overflow where they were working, damaging the unit where the heater was being replaced.

Who is responsible for the damage? – Jerry

Answer: There are two questions to be asked: Who is responsible for the damage, and who is liable for it.

There is a lot of blame to go around. The management company should have properly notified the residents it was shutting off the water. The contractor should have physically tagged the valve so that no one accidentally turned it on. And you should not have messed with the valve.

Condo residents are not empowered to fix or work on the common elements of their community – that is the association’s role.

Responsibility differs from liability. Determining liability is different in each state. In Florida, we follow the “comparative negligence doctrine,” while in some other states, each negligent party is equally and fully liable for the damage they helped cause.

Comparative negligence means that a court will split up the damage to each responsible party in proportion to their share of the fault.

For example, in your case, the management company and contractor were only slightly to blame for not putting up adequate notice of the work, so they may be responsible for a smaller portion of the costs.

Because you took it on yourself to turn the valve back on rather than calling the management company to report the water issue and letting them handle it, you may be responsible for the more significant part of the damage.

You never know how a judge or jury will see things until after a trial. Litigation is time-consuming and expensive for all involved, so it would be best to work things out without going to court to begin with.

© 2021 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Gary M. Singer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

When the Fed moves to slow inflation and moderate the economy, Boston Fed Pres. Eric Rosengren thinks housing should be targeted first to avoid any “boom and bust.”

BOSTON – In a recent interview, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren warned that the United States cannot afford a “boom and bust cycle” in the housing market that would threaten financial stability.

“It’s very important for us to get back to our 2% inflation target, but the goal is for that to be sustainable. And for that to be sustainable, we can’t have a boom and bust cycle in something like real estate,” he says.

“I’m not predicting that we’ll necessarily have a bust. But I do think it’s worth paying close attention to what’s happening in the housing market,” he adds. “You don’t want too much exuberance in the housing market. I would just highlight that boom and bust cycles in the real estate market have occurred in the United States multiple times, and around the world, and frequently as a source of financial stability concerns.”

Rosengren says the housing market should be a factor as the central bank considers slowing or removing some of the hefty monetary support for the economy introduced during the coronavirus pandemic.

To keep the economy moving during the pandemic slowdown, the Fed has been purchasing $40 billion in agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) per month, along with $80 billion in monthly Treasury debt as part of its asset purchase program.

“When it is appropriate” to trim that bond buying, Rosengren said MBS purchases should be reduced at the same rate as Treasury purchases. “That would imply that we would stop purchasing MBS well before we stopped purchasing Treasury securities,” he said.

Source: Financial Times (06/28/21) Politi, James; Smith, Colby

© Copyright 2021 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Also: Can a treasurer, on her own, give cash gifts to outgoing board members? And does a law require owner notification before sending assessment issues to an attorney?

NAPLES – Question: Can a domestic partner of an owner run for the homeowners’ association (HOA) board of directors? The partner is not listed on the property title itself, nor named in a trust, so would not be covered by those co-ownership statutes. – W.M., Naples

Answer: Chapters 718 for condominium, 719 for cooperatives, 720 for HOAs and 617 for not-for-profit corporations do not require a person to own a lot or unit in the community to serve on the board of directors.

However, most governing documents do. So, you need to check the governing documents to determine the eligibility requirements to serve as a director. If the documents are silent, then the domestic partner could serve on the board as long as he or she is 18 years old, not a convicted felon without his or her civil rights restored for at least five years, and is not indebted to the association for any monetary amount.

However, if the governing documents require directors to be owners or the spouse of an owner, and if the domestic partner is not named on the deed and is not legally married to the owner, then he or she would not be eligible.

Question: I live in a condominium community. At a board meeting, the treasurer, on her own and with no record in the board of directors’ meeting minutes, gave a cash gift to outgoing board members who served eight years. Even her husband, who served for seven years but left the board a year ago, received the same amount. Is this a violation of a trustee’s fiduciary responsibility? What can we do to have our money restored to our treasury? Can penalties be imposed? We owners want to do something to protect our assets. By the way, not one member of the board objected. – D.K., Bonita Springs

Answer: Yes, this is improper for several reasons. First, the Condominium Act prohibits directors or officers from being paid for their service unless the members have voted to approve the payment. Second, the treasurer would not typically have the authority to make a unilateral decision like this without a vote of the board. Third, the treasurer has a conflict of interest by giving association funds to her spouse and finally, this is an improper use of association funds because making cash gifts to others is not a common expense. The money should be returned by those who received it.

Question: Our HOA has five board directors. Routinely two of the board directors meet privately to discuss HOA business in preparation for the formal board meeting. Is this meeting of the two members legal and/or proper? – M.K., Naples

Answer: The law provides that when a quorum of the board meets and discusses association business it constitutes a board meeting and must be properly noticed. The owners also have the right to attend all board meetings, except board meetings with legal counsel to discuss proposed or pending litigation or personnel matters. In this case, you indicate the board has five directors. Two directors do not constitute a quorum; therefore, the meetings are not considered board meetings and notice would be required.

Question: Our HOA board directors voted via email not to publish HOA monthly financials on our website. Is it legal that they made this decision via email? – M.M., Marco Island

Answer: The Condominium Act and HOA Act both prohibit board members from voting by email, so the vote was not legal. The board should ratify and affirm this decision at a properly noticed board meeting.

Question: I live in a small condominium community that has always had a no smoking policy at the pool, however, it was never put in writing and the new board has decided that smoking is allowed. Are there any laws that would reinstate the nonsmoking policy? – A.C., Naples

Answer: First, you need to check the governing documents and determine if the board has rule-making authority at all. Most documents do provide for it, but some do not. Others provide for it, but still require the members to approve the rule. If the board does have such authority, then it could impose a no smoking rule at the pool and later another board could rescind the rule. There are no laws that prohibit smoking at a pool, as long as it is outdoors. If the pool was an indoor pool, then the Clean Indoor Air Act would prevent smoking.

Question: I recently attended your 2021 legal update webinar. You mentioned a new law about a courtesy reminder letter before an assessment account can be sent to the attorney for collections. Can you explain that law? – C.D., Naples

Answer: As of July 1, per the new law for Condominiums, Cooperatives and Homeowner Associations, the manager or association needs to send a letter to all persons who are late in paying their assessments before sending any person to collections with the attorney. If the letter is not sent, then no attorney fees can be incurred later.

The notice must be sent by first class mail (but does not have to be sent certified). It must be sent to the owner’s chosen mailing address as listed in the file, and if the mailing address is not the unit, then the letter must also be sent to the unit address. The sender may complete an affidavit attesting to the fact that they sent the letter. If they do, the affidavit creates a rebuttable legal presumption that the sender did everything right, which would be important later if the collection matter is contested in court.

This should not be too difficult since most associations already send a friendly reminder late notice before a file is sent to collections. But now they get 30 days to pay which may be longer than some associations presently allow. The Statutes contain a form letter for this purpose, and you should use that letter.

The question of whether the community association manager or association may add a fee for sending this letter to the debtor is an area of uncertainty. Many already do, but the issue is that since this statutory form does not list such a charge, does that mean they cannot add it on? The Statute only says attorney fees cannot be incurred if the letter is not sent. It does not say costs cannot be incurred so, thus the debate.

Attorney Richard D. DeBoest is a shareholder at the law firm of Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross. The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

The publication of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross or any of our attorneys. Readers should not act or refrain from acting based upon the information contained in this article without first contacting an attorney, if you have questions about any of the issues raised herein. The hiring of an attorney is a decision that should not be based solely on advertisements or this column.

© 2021 Journal Media Group

3 Fed banks looked at home refis in the first 9 months of 2020. They found that 6% of Black borrowers switched to a lower rate compared to 12% of white borrowers.

ATLANTA – The Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Philadelphia and Boston estimated that only 6% of Black borrowers refinanced their mortgages from January to October 2020, compared to 12% of white borrowers, 14% of Asian borrowers and 9% of Latino borrowers.

Just 3.7% ($198 million) of an estimated $5.3 billion of savings for all households that refinanced in that period went to Black households.

Data from Freddie Mac indicate that historically low rates plus people staying at home longer led millions to renegotiate the terms of their mortgages, with 8 million refinances transpiring throughout last year.

The mortgage giant estimates that refinancing could save nearly half of Black and Latino households around $1,200 annually. Although borrowers with variable mortgages could do well when central banks lower interest rates, America’s most popular home loan is the 30-year fixed mortgage, which requires refinancing to take advantage of reduced rates.

“The Fed is in this era of monetary policy accommodation, but I would argue it benefits people who are already more well-off,” says Freddie Mac’s Sam Khater.

Fed researchers also cite practical and historical variables hindering Black and Latino mortgage refinancing, such as average closing costs of about $5,000, the pandemic’s disproportionate economic impact on Black and Latino households, and a legacy of discrimination.

“For a lot of people, they may have struggled to qualify for their first mortgage and they may be able to make those payments, and so they think well, I don’t want to go through the ordeal of qualifying for a mortgage again,” adds University of Pennsylvania Professor Benjamin Keys.

Source: Wall Street Journal (06/23/21) McCorvey, J.J.; Carpenter, Julia

© Copyright 2021 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Few online advertisers provide access to more people than Facebook, and they offer a range of ad types. The simplest: Post something on your page and pay to “boost” it.

NEW YORK – In January, Facebook ranked as the leading social media platform after surpassing 1 billion signed-in accounts. The online communication platform has more than 2.6 billion active monthly users.

Facebook also owns WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, which similarly have more than 1 billion users.

Compared with other types of online advertising, Facebook can be more cost-effective – and it allows users to measure ad statistics to ensure better targeting.

Video ads allow real estate professionals to highlight their services and hold viewers’ attention if they keep them short, about 15 seconds or less. Even when short, videos should include a call to action, such as visiting a webpage.

According to one study, image-only ads outperformed others in generating unique leads. Agents can post the image-only ads on their page and then “boost” their post.

Poll ads are a mobile-only Facebook ad format. They can be effective for running several items or components at once and in comparison.

Meanwhile, carousel ads allow agents to add a maximum of 10 videos or photos in a collective panoramic format. These ads can be used as tutorials and for highlighting multiple products and services that lead to different websites.

In addition, slideshows are a simple method to create video ads from still photos, write-ups or other short video clips. They typically consume less data and can be enhanced with music from the ads manager.

Source: Realty Biz News (06/01/2021) Shepardson, Ben

© Copyright 2021 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Borrow money to fix up a home prior to sale? Sellers planning to buy again could hurt their credit score – but the impact isn’t huge and it takes a few months to show up.

NEW YORK – Credit scores are important to qualify for a mortgage and snag the best rates. And what consumers do with their finances leading up to the application process can have a big impact on how high – or low – their credit score gets.

With home prices rapidly rising over the past year, homeowners are sitting on a lot of equity, and some are being tempted to take a portion of it out to use for other purposes, like paying for remodeling projects, medical expenses or for other reasons.

Americans often look at potential financing through a home equity loan and wonder how much it will hurt their credit score, especially if they’re saving to buy another home.

LendingTree researchers analyzed more than 500 home equity loans requests in 40 of the largest metros to find out the type of impact that can have on credit scores. On the one hand, they may sell their current home for more money if they use its equity to make improvements. On the other hand, their next home could cost them more per month if their lower credit score forces them to secure a higher interest rate.

Many borrowers do see a credit-score decrease after taking out a home equity loan. But the decline tends to be fairly small – and their credit score usually recovers in less than a year, the LendingTree analysis finds. It also usually takes a few months before their credit score hits bottom and begins to turn around. That recovery takes an average of about 96 days to recover from their pre-loan levels after taking out a home equity loan.

Certain areas of the country may see less of an impact after a home equity loan than others. In LendingTree’s study, it included three Florida markets:

• Miami: An average initial credit score of 730 goes to 16.23 points after taking out a home equity line of credit. It takes 122.68 days to bottom out, and another 102.8 days to return to its pre-loan level. Total time of a home equity loan impact: 225.65 days
• Orlando: An average credit score of 710 goes down 25.74 points to 108.3. It takes 87.35 days for the full downgrade to occur, and another 87.35 days to bounce back. Total loan impact: 195.65 days
• Tampa: An average credit score of 727 drops 21.61 points after taking out a home equity line of credit. It takes 88.89 days to bottom out and another 81.29 days to bounce back. Total loan impact: 170.18 days

Source: “LendingTree Study: New Home Equity Loans Don’t Have a Notable Impact on Credit Scores,” LendingTree (June 29, 2021)

© Copyright 2021 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

It rose 21% quarter-to-quarter nationally, though down 6.1% year-to-year. In three Fla. cities noted in the study, about 1 out of 100 sales go to iBuyers.

SAN FRANCISCO – After pausing business during early in the pandemic, iBuyer activity is starting to catch up with levels they enjoyed prior to the pandemic, a new report finds – though not in significant enough numbers to greatly impact local markets.

In the first quarter of this year, the nation’s leading iBuying firms purchased 4,383 homes, nearly 21% higher than in the previous quarter. The 1Q numbers are still down 6.1% year-to-year, however, according to a new report released from Redfin measuring iBuying business.

In three Florida cities cited in the study, however, the iBuying numbers are a bit higher:

• Jacksonville: Down 1% year to year, 1.3% of all home sales
• Lakeland: Up 290.0% year to year, 1% of all home sales
• Orlando: Down 15% year to year, 1.3% of all home sales

iBuyers are usually real estate companies that purchase houses from homeowners in quick cash transactions. In exchange for a quick close, cash sale, flexible move-out dates and no seller obligation to make repairs, an iBuyer generally charges a higher fee than a traditional real estate agent. Large iBuying firms include Opendoor, Redfin, Zillow and Offerpad, among others.

iBuyers comprise a small part of the overall housing market. Nationally, it’s just 0.5% of home sales, according to Redfin’s report.

“Business really started ramping up in January and February,” says Allister Booth, an acquisitions specialist at RedfinNow in Los Angeles. “Since then, we’ve just had a constant barrage of deals. We’re back to full speed and are buying more homes than we were last year. After we buy and renovate those homes, we know we’ll be able to sell them because there are so many more buyers in the market right now than there are homes available.”

iBuyers tend to purchase homes for less than the metro area’s median price – a median of $302,050 in the first quarter.

The top markets for iBuying activity lately, according to Redfin’s report, are Raleigh, N.C. (iBuyers purchased 2.9% of homes that sold during the first quarter); Charlotte, N.C. (2.7%); Durham, N.C. (2.6%); San Antonio, Texas (2.6%); Tucson, Ariz. (2.3%); and Phoenix (2.2%).

Source: “iBuyer Home Purchases Inch Back Toward Pre-Pandemic Levels,” Redfin (June 25, 2021)

© Copyright 2021 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Transaction reminder: If a hurricane threatens Fla., property insurers won’t issue new policies, so lenders won’t issue new loans. But the rules vary by insurer.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Elsa is the first 2021 storm to possibly hit Florida, but it doesn’t have to make landfall to impact real estate transactions scheduled to close soon. For most property insurance companies, new policy issuance shuts down after the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issues a hurricane warning or watch.

If a storm is imminent, all property insurers shut down. However, each one has internal rules on when they will/will not issue a policy. And the triggers for coverage suspensions differ for private insurance companies and state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Most private insurance companies rely on the NHC’s issuance of tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings, and they suspend writing new policies or allowing people to purchase additional coverage only in those areas of the state impacted by the watch or warning. This means restrictions only in certain geographical areas of the state.

Citizens Property Insurance, however, suspends writing coverage throughout the state when a storm threatens any part of Florida. A transaction closing in Miami, for example, could be impacted by a hurricane threatening Pensacola.

Insurance companies have stopped issuing policies during hurricane threats for a long time in order to keep skittish homeowners from adding coverage a few hours before a storm makes landfall near their home.

The rule only impacts new polices, though. Homeowners who already have coverage don’t need to worry. However, that’s also the reason hurricane preparation guides advise reviewing insurance policies at the beginning of the hurricane season. Homeowners might not obtain necessary coverage if they wait.

Hurricane watch versus a hurricane warning:

• A hurricane watch means conditions are right for dangerous weather. It means “watch out” for events that could come and go quickly, such as a tornado or thunderstorm, and for tropical weather that is not yet a threat. It means be ready to act.
• A hurricane warning means dangerous weather is on the doorstep. A warning means it’s time to evacuate or move to shelter.

© 2021 Florida Realtors®

Ginnie Mae – the funding arm behind FHA and VA loans – created a new “pool type” to secure “modified loans with terms up to 40 years.” It’s essentially the funding groundwork to release a new type of 40-year loan that Ginnie Mae expects to start offering in October.

WASHINGTON, DC – Ginnie Mae announced the creation of a new pool type to support the securitization of modified loans with terms up to 40 years – essentially the groundwork that must be done before offering 40-year home loans to the public, though these are earmarked for homeowners at risk of losing their home.

The current max for pool types is 30-year loans. This new product – to be known as Pool Type C-ET – will allow lenders who service Ginnie Mae programs to offer a loan modification with a lower payment, albeit one that takes longer for the homeowner to pay off.

Once the pool has been established, a 40-year home loan’s use and terms would be set by the groups that rely on Ginnie Mae for funding. Those include:

• The Federal Housing Administration (FHA, which is under the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD)
• Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH, which is also under HUD)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development

“It’s important that Ginnie Mae issuers have secondary market liquidity for options that our agency partners determine are appropriate for supporting homeowners in distress,” says Michael Drayne, Ginnie Mae’s Acting Executive Vice President. “Because an extended term up to 40 years can be a powerful tool in reducing monthly payment obligations with the goal of home retention, we have begun work to make this security product available.”

Highlights of the new C-ET pool type

• It would be a “Custom” pool, having a single loan and $25,000 minimum pool size
• Eligible collateral will consist of p modified loans whose original terms are greater than 361 months and less than or equal to 480 months
• All modifications after a mortgage’s origination must be occasioned by default or reasonably foreseeable default
• There won’t be restrictions on loan amounts, as long as the eligible collateral otherwise meets the requirements set forth by the participating agency.

“The challenges of the last year require meaningful solutions to help keep people in their homes,” says Alanna McCargo, HUD senior advisor to Secretary Marcia Fudge. “As interest rates rise, this 40-year feature will enable more payment reduction options to help homeowners.”

Ginnie Mae expects that the new pool type to be ready by October, although actual use depends on authorization of extended term modifications by FHA, VA, USDA and PIH.

Ginnie Mae is a wholly-owned government corporation that attracts global capital in support of homeownership for veterans and millions of homeowners. It’s the only mortgage-backed security to carry the explicit full faith and credit of the United States government.

© 2021 Florida Realtors®

Certain apps may be draining the battery. And if your phone seems sluggish, check available memory. Some apps take a lot, which can slow down operations.

SAN FRANCISCO – Some smartphone apps may be slowly draining your phone, according to new research from pCloud, which offers cloud storage services. Certain apps not only zap the battery power from your phone, they also hog memory and can make cellphones slower.

pCloud conducted a study to find which mobile applications are most demanding on smartphones. The study evaluated the 100 most popular apps to pinpoint how pressing they are on phones. They factored in features that the app uses, such as location, camera, battery consumption and whether a dark mode is available.

Among the biggest violators? Fitness tracking and social network apps – and travel and transportation apps may take up the most memory. Video conferencing apps can also drain your phone, the study finds.

20 apps that can wear out your phone the most

• Fitbit
• Verizon
• Uber
• Skype
• Facebook
• Airbnb
• BIGO Live
• Instagram
• Tinder
• Bumble
• Snapchat
• WhatsApp
• Zoom
• YouTube
• Booking
• Amazon
• Telegram
• Grindr
• Likee
• LinkedIn

Source: “Secret Phone Killers: Which Apps Are the Most Demanding on Your Phone?” pCloud (2021)

© Copyright 2021 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

A scam reported out of Pa. specifically targets real estate licensees. The caller says the agent missed jury duty and, unless they pay a fine, may lose their license.

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A license scam isn’t new, but its appearance in the real estate industry may be. In general, the scams tell callers to “pay a fee or you’ll lose your license.”

In an article from the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, a county sheriff has reported on a new scam that directly targets the real estate industry. According to an article in “Just Listed,” the association’s email newsletter, “The scammers claim to be calling from a specific judge or sheriff’s office and say that the person has failed to show up for jury duty, and now they must pay a fine or risk the loss of their real estate license.”

Sheriff Nicholas Chimienti Jr., the sheriff of Dauphin County, Pa., says the scam has been reported in at least several counties. “I’ve spoken with several real estate professionals over the past week who have reported being victims of this type of scam. Real estate professionals are being targeted … Unfortunately, many people never report these types of cases.”

Source: Pennsylvania Association of Realtors

© 2021 Florida Realtors®

More at-risk homeowners with a loan-to-value ratio less than 80% can now qualify for a lower-interest-rate refinance if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac own their loan.

WASHINGTON – In an effort to help more homeowners hurt by the pandemic, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced changes to loan modification terms. Homeowners once turned down for a lower-interest-rate refinance (refi) may now qualify.

The new option applies to loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac – more than half of all U.S. conventional mortgages. The updated terms are specifically for borrowers with permanent COVID-19 hardships.

Until now, only borrowers with mark-to-market loan-to-value (MTMLTV) ratios greater than or equal to 80% were eligible for a possible interest rate reduction. MTMLTV is a ratio that compares the balance remaining on the mortgage to the current market value of a home. Homeowners with less than 20% home equity could not do a refi.

Now, FHFA says its Flex Modification terms will be adjusted for COVID-19 hardships and make it possible for eligible borrowers – regardless of the borrower’s loan-to-value ratio – to refinance their mortgage.

“Allowing more families to qualify for an interest rate reduction will prevent unnecessary foreclosures, help strengthen (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s) books of business, and make sustainable homeownership a reality for more families currently living with the uncertainty of forbearance,” FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson said when announcing the change.

© 2021 Florida Realtors®

Many people look forward to traveling, beaches and fireworks this July 4th – but remind Fla. homeowners to take steps to help make their homes safer over the holiday.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Have big plans for this July 4th? With the pandemic easing, many families across Florida and the nation will spend the Fourth of July holiday away from home, traveling to see relatives and a fireworks display, or maybe basking in the sunshine on the state’s beautiful beaches.

To fully enjoy those activities and other summertime pursuits spent away from home, Florida Realtors®  suggests that homeowners take precautions to protect their residences when they’re not around. Crime rates across the country often start to peak as temperatures rise during the warm weather months – the same time that many families leave their homes unoccupied and unprotected.

Homeowners can take these simple precautions to make their homes less of a target for criminals:

No “Home Alone”: Before leaving your home during the day, make it look as if someone is still at home by using timers on lights in various rooms. Even though daylight hours are longer during the summer, it may still get dark faster than you expect or you may return home later than anticipated, and taking this step ensures that your home appears occupied at all times.

No Sharing on Social Media: Sharing your vacation plans on social media sites isn’t wise. That’s the same as announcing to the world you’ll be gone and the house will be empty – a perfect target for burglars or vandals. The same goes for phone messages.

No Open-Door Policy: Ensure that all doors leading to the home and garage are locked, even when leaving for short periods of time. The typical burglary takes less than five minutes and unlocked doors, combined with an empty home, put out the “welcome mat” for crime. Make sure windows are locked, too.

Someone to Watch Over Me: Be landscape smart. Shrubbery and other plants can grow very rapidly during the warm, wet summer months. Keep them trimmed so neighbors can easily see your home. Also, a burglar could see an unkempt yard as a sign of an empty home.

A Key Reminder: When leaving home, take your house keys along or leave a spare set with a trusted neighbor. Never leave a key under a welcome mat, in a mailbox or other hiding spots – most burglars know where to look.

Crime Doesn’t Take a Vacation: If you’re planning to be away from home for more than a day or two, ask a neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers – or arrange to cancel the paper and hold the mail. Disable your garage door opener and manually lock it from the inside, and don’t forget to check that the door leading from the garage to the home is locked, too.

© 2021 Florida Realtors®

The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage has jumped over and under the 3% mark for months. This week it slid just below again, averaging 2.98%.

MCLEAN, Va. – For weeks, the average 30-year mortgage rate has been hovering around 3% without much indication on when it might significantly change. This month’s mortgage report from Freddie Mac found that last week’s average, which was over 3% (3.07%), again dipped low enough to average 2.98%.

“Economic growth remains steady and is bolstering more segments of the economy,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Although low and stable mortgage rates have kept the housing market booming over recent months, a deterioration in affordability and for-sale inventory has led to a market slowdown.”

Average mortgage rates for the week of July 1, 2021

• The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.98% with an average 0.6 point, down from last week’s 3.02%. A year ago, it averaged 3.07%.
• The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.26% with an average 0.7 point, down from last week’s 2.34%. A year ago, it averaged 2.56%.
• The 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 2.54% with an average 0.3 point, up slightly from last week’s 2.53%. A year ago, it averaged 3.00%.

© 2021 Florida Realtors®