HURRICANE GRANTS

Even though the money hasn't been awarded yet, HUD plans to make
nearly $1 billion available to Florida and three other Gulf Coast states.
The grant money would help owners that wish to upgrade older homes
in the event of future hurricanes.


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CITIZENS PROPERTY INSURANCE

A federal judge Tuesday dismissed a Poe lawsuit that sought millions in
commission payments from Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida's
insurer of last resort.

Read the full story:

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HOMEBUILDERS

NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders painted a fairly bleak picture for
his industry in a speech before Orlando homebuilders. "I'm trimming
everything in our forecast," Seiders said, noting, however, that Florida
should fare a bit better than many areas of the country.

Read the full story:

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LOAN MARKET
The MBA reports that home-loan application activity fell to its lowest
level in four years last week. Mortgage lenders "are seeing their
volumes down, not just for purchases but also for refinancing," says
Jay Brinkmann, a financial economist with MBA.

Read the full story:

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FORECLOSURES

The Homeownership Preservation Foundation is collaborating with
NeighborWorks America to promote a foreclosure prevention hotline
for cash-strapped homeowners to call before it's too late.

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SELLING A HOME IN A COOLING MARKET

A drop-off in buyer demand and rising home inventories has made
marketing a home more difficult. RealEstateJournal.com, The Wall
Street Journal's guide to property, offers tips:
1. Size up the playing field. Study your local market and investigate
other homes' listing prices compared to what buyers are actually paying.
2. Price competitively. Price a residence just below what the market will
bear. If a home is overpriced, a buyer will dismiss it and move on to
the next one.
3. Do your legwork. Use aggressive marketing.
4. Don't delay. Point out to a seller that even if an offer isn't all he had
hoped, taking it instead of waiting for a better deal can save money in
the long run.
5. Negotiate. Recommend that sellers offer concessions to potential
buyers, such as making minor fixes. Small expenditures speed a sale
and, ultimately, preserve price gains.

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GET INVOLVED IN FAR LEADERSHIP

FAR members can now sign up online and request committee positions
for 2007. FAR's 2007 Committee Service Request/Recommendation
form can be accessed at
http://www.planetrealtor.com/Florida/AssociationBusiness/2007-Committee.cfm.
Once there, you can link to FAR's 2007 Statement of Purpose, and you
can also fill out and submit your committee service request online. The
form is easy to use and will be available to members online until
Sept. 30, 2006. Members will be notified of committee
appointments beginning in October.

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