Good News For Consumers and Florida REALTORS® Rich Barnhart – Broker, By The Sea Realty If you have been following the news lately then you have undoubtedly seen or heard about the proposed settlement by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). The settlement has been granted preliminary approval with a final approval hearing set for November 26th. In the meantime, NAR is actively moving forward by implementing the terms of the settlement agreement. While denying any wrongdoing, NAR has agreed to the settlement as a means to protect their membership, and to provide a path forward for REALT ..read more

Median Sale Prices at Record Highs for both Single Family and Condos March is always a busy month for our real estate market, and while closed sales were down from last year, sales activity has steadily increased over the past few months. This is normal for our winter season, but a positive trend nonetheless. However, inventory is a different story depending on which property type you are looking at. Single family home inventory has flattened out since last month, while condo inventory continues to grow. This is due in part to buyer’s hesitancy to buy older condos with ongoing construction, sp ..read more

Median Sale Prices at Record Highs for both Single Family and Condos February sales volume was up month over month and year over year to kick off the winter buying season in South Florida. Median sale prices and inventory followed suit with both key metrics up year over year. Interest rates are also up slightly from the beginning of the year with the 30 year fixed rate averaging just below 7%. Buyers are still getting used to higher interest rates and affordability will continue to be a problem as long as inventory remains low. Single family home sales were up 3.4% over last year, but still we ..read more

Featured Events for April 2024 Check out our featured local events from Fort Lauderdale to Key West to the Palm Beaches and beyond. Looking for more South Florida Events? Check out our Local South Florida Events Calendar. Tortuga Music Festival April 5th, 6th and 7th – Fort Lauderdale Beach Tickets are still available for Fort Lauderdale’s most popular music festival right on the sand! Check out “Rock the Ocean” at the festival – Catch some shade, go on a virtual shark dive and learn more about our their ocean conservation efforts around the globe. Tortuga Website Conch Republic Indep ..read more

Featured Events for March 2024 Duckfest Derby 2024 March 9th – Esplanade Park Fort Lauderdale Join us for the 2024 Duckfest Derby benefitting Kids in Distress (KID). Enjoy a free, family-friendly, Duck DMC-themed festival filled with “quacky” activities in the KID Fun Zone including the KID Olympics, face painting, petting zoo, live entertainment, delicious food trucks, and more. Duckfest Derby Website The Cognizant Classic (Previously Honda Classic) February 28th – March 3rd South Florida’s premier golf tournament returns to PGA National with a new name. The Cognizant Classic in The Pa ..read more

Inventory Levels Are the Highest in Years for Ocean Access Homes The winter season is upon us in South Florida and the demand for waterfront property is typically very strong this time of year. The good news for buyers is our supply of single family homes on the waterfront in Northeast Broward County has swelled to the largest levels in years. However, median sale prices and sale price per square foot are still up over the past 6 months. We can’t say for sure what will happen to prices over the next 6 months, but buyers certainly have more inventory to choose from. With mortgage interest rates ..read more

Oceanfront Condo Supply Increases Dramatically Just last summer our oceanfront condo market had less than 5 months of supply, making it a solid seller’s market. Things have changed dramatically since then. We now have 13 months of condo supply on the beach in Northeast Broward County. It is not unusual to get new listing inventory before the busy winter and spring seasons, but this is more than twice the inventory we had just one year ago. So why the sudden increase in condo supply? It could be due to the overall economy. Since many condos are second homes, these are the first properties that ..read more

I first made this with my grandchildren.  We came up with all kinds of fun designs.  Not only is it fun to make, it tastes delicious!  I used fresh pizza dough instead of making my own focaccia dough.  This is so much easier and quicker and you will still have great results. It also makes a beautiful presentation for a cocktail party or other get-together.  Enjoy! Ingredients 1 Premixed Pizza Dough from the bakery section of your grocery store 4 ounces olive oil for the pan and for drizzling on top of the focaccia after rising (½ cup) 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chop ..read more

February 1st, 2024 Mortgage rates dropped again this week reaching the lowest rate we’ve seen since May of 2023. The 15 year fixed rate mortgage dropped below 6% while the 30 year fixed rate settled in at an average of 6.63%. The fed is hinting at rate cuts this year, but whether they follow through with that remains to be seen. In the meantime, buyers are enjoying much needed relief with lower rates going into the busy buying season. Freddie Mac reports that mortgage rates are down to the lowest levels since last May The post Mortgage Rates Reach Lowest Levels in 8 Months appeared first on B ..read more

Featured Events for February 2024 Fort Lauderdale Home Design and Remodeling Show February 2nd – 4th at Broward County Convention Center Enjoy one-on-one product demonstrations, discussion panels, and a spectacular showcase of the most cutting-edge trends in the home design industry.  Fort Lauderdale Home Show website Delray Beach Open February 9th – 18th This tournament offers more than just tennis. Enjoy great food and drink, clinics, kid’s camp and player experiences. Delray Beach Open website Miami International Boat Show February 14th – 18th Discover everything from kayaks ..read more