WEATHER ALERT
Water main break slows recovery efforts along heavily-saturated Ken Knight Drive
Read full article: Water main break slows recovery efforts along heavily-saturated Ken Knight DriveA water main leak Friday was slowing down progress for residents along Ken Knight Drive on Jacksonville’s Northside whose homes were flooded during Nicole.
Historic homes may prove to be more resilient against floods
Read full article: Historic homes may prove to be more resilient against floodsWhenever historic homes get flooded, building contractors often feel compelled by government regulations to rip out the water-logged wood flooring, tear down the old plaster walls and install new, flood-resistant materials.
An old high school gym turned into a home? You’ll have to see listing to believe it
Read full article: An old high school gym turned into a home? You’ll have to see listing to believe itOne portion of the house has the original basketball court and bleachers, while another portion was renovated into elements of what typical homes have, such as a kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.
Inflation could keep many Floridians from evacuating this hurricane season, AAA survey finds
Read full article: Inflation could keep many Floridians from evacuating this hurricane season, AAA survey findsOn the eve of the Atlantic hurricane season, a new survey shows a growing number of Floridians are choosing not to leave their homes if there’s a hurricane.
St. Johns 1 of 26 counties in nation deemed unaffordable for single-family home: Report
Read full article: St. Johns 1 of 26 counties in nation deemed unaffordable for single-family home: ReportSt. Johns County is one of 26 across the nation to make a personal finance website’s report of single-family homes that have been deemed unaffordable to those making the area’s median income.
Out of all states, Florida has the most homes for sale, study finds
Read full article: Out of all states, Florida has the most homes for sale, study findsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – 2020 was a year like no other for the residential real estate market, and the market is still feeling the effects. Florida is the clear leader in the number of homes for sale, with 248 active listings per 10,000 homes, and Hawaii (229) and Georgia (210) are not far behind, a new study by Inspection Support Network shows. “In these locations, supply and demand are keeping pace with one another more than they are elsewhere,” the study said. Altogether, there were 248 active listings per 10,000 owner-occupied homes, compared to the national average of 124. Out of all states, Florida has the most homes for sale.
Red-hot US housing market: January new home sales jump 4.3%
Read full article: Red-hot US housing market: January new home sales jump 4.3%Sales of new homes fell by 3.5% in September to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 959,000 million units. The Commerce Department said Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, that despite the modest decrease, sales of new homes are up 32.1% from a year earlier, as the housing market remains strong despite the pandemic. – Demand for new homes in the U.S. surged 4.3% in January with the housing market still one of the strongest segments of the economy. Last month's increase pushed sales of new homes to an adjusted annual rate of 923,000, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The housing market has remained remarkably resilient in the face of the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds of thousands at Honduras' shelters after hurricanes
Read full article: Hundreds of thousands at Honduras' shelters after hurricanesHurricane victims take refuge under a bridge in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. Shelters for people whose homes were flooded or damaged by hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras are now so crowded that thousands of victims have taken refuge under highway overpasses or bridges. The Red Cross estimates that about 4.2 million people were affected by the back-to-back hurricanes in November in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. (AP Photo/Delmer Martinez)SAN PEDRO SULA – Shelters for people whose homes were flooded or damaged by hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras are now so crowded that thousands of victims have taken refuge under highway overpasses or bridges. Orlando Antonio Linares oversees a municipal shelter at a school in San Pedro Sula, where almost 500 hurricane victims have taken refuge.
September existing home sales climb 9.4%, highest since '06
Read full article: September existing home sales climb 9.4%, highest since '06CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sales of existing homes climbed 9.4% in September, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday, the latest sign that the housing market remains red hot despite the coronavirus pandemic. On a seasonally-adjusted rate, the selling pace of existing homes climbed to 6.54 million annualized units. That is the highest level for that metric since February 2006, at the peak of the previous housing bubble. Housing inventory remains low as well, with only 2.7 months of home inventory on the market. But because of the pandemic, the spring home buying season was delayed a few months and pushed the bulk of the home buying season into the mid-to-late summer.
July sales of new homes surge 13.9%, far more than thought
Read full article: July sales of new homes surge 13.9%, far more than thought– Sales of new homes jumped again in July, rising 13.9% as the housing market continues to gain traction following a spring downturn caused by pandemic-related lockdowns. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that July's gain propelled sales of new homes to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 901,000, the most since 2006. Low inventory of existing homes is pushing buyers into the new homes market, but inventory there is also shrinking. Sales are being fueled by ultra-low mortgage rates, which earlier this month dropped below 3% for a 30-year-fixed rate mortgage for the first time in nearly 50 years. The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is now 2.99%, the mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.
Over 1 million marooned in Bangladesh as floods worsen
Read full article: Over 1 million marooned in Bangladesh as floods worsenHeavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh, with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings, officials and volunteers said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Bayezid Ahmed)DHAKA Heavy flooding is worsening in parts of Bangladesh, with over 1 million villagers marooned or leaving their homes for higher ground along with their cattle and other belongings, officials and volunteers said Tuesday. The floods started late last month, and after briefly easing continued to worsen, affecting many new areas, destroying crops and driving people from their homes in several impoverished regions. Soikat said that over the last few weeks, the charity has distributed food to some 135,000 people in Kurigram, while the governments relief office was also providing food, cash and cattle food. We are trying to do our best to stand by the people, as we have already provided more than 300 tons of rice, cattle food, baby food and a good amount of cash.