What’s New in South Florida and the Treasure Coast Markets
Luxury Homes and Lifestyles – September 2020
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Highlights:
- HomeBuyer Demand and Traffic is Far Above 2019 Pace
- Freddie Mac PMMS Weekly Survey Mortgage Rates as of September 10th, 2020 – Mortgage Rates Drop to 2.88% Fixed Rate, Hitting a Record Low for the Eighth Time this Year
- Updated Post: Tips and Insights on Buying a Vacation Home in South Florida
- Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast COVID-19 Status and Restrictions – Quick Highlights
- Home Buying Process page is being updated and expanded
- What House Can I Afford plus new real estate calculators added in the Mortgage Finance Center
- South Florida Area Market Reports Available for August 2020 / September Available by October 6th
- Here are some charts from John Hopkins University on Tracking Florida COVID -19 Cases and Deaths by Overall Totals and By Daily Totals – UPDATED DAILY
This post will be updated throughout the month, so come back and check for more info, and view other months’ posts in the What’s New in South Florida Waterfront Homes and Condos Blog category.
Homebuyer Demand and Traffic is Far Above 2019 Pace – both National and South Florida
According to the Pending Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR):
“Pending home sales in July achieved another month of positive contract activity, marking three consecutive months of growth.
The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings, rose 5.9% to 122.1 in July. Year-over-year, contract signings rose 15.5%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.”
Read more details here on this Demand and Traffic Trends for Pending Home sales for 2020
Tips and Insights in Buying a Vacation home in South Florida
Updated Post: Are you looking to buy a vacation home in South Florida? This post has been updated with more information and links.
Mortgage Rates Generally Hold Steady
September 17, 2020
Despite the recession, the very low mortgage environment has spurred many first-time homebuyers to jump into the real estate market. In August, first-time homebuyer activity rose 19 percent from July to the highest monthly level ever for Freddie Mac. The first-time homebuyer driven rebound in the housing market has come at a critical time for the economy.
Freddie Mac PMMS Weekly Survey of Mortgage Rates as of September 17, 2020:
* 30 Year Fixed Rate – 2.87 with .8 fees / points
* 15 Year Fixed Rate – 2.35% with .8 fees / points
* 5/1 ARM (Adjustable) – 2.96% with .3 fees / points
Tracking The COVID-19 Curve in Florida by Totals and Also Daily Totals
Here are some charts from John Hopkins University on Tracking the COVID -19 Cases and Deaths by Overall Totals and By Daily Totals. The Charts update daily about 9:00 PM
Tracking the COVID-19 CURVE in Florida by Cases and Deaths – Totals and By Day
The Home Buying Process
This page is being updated and expanded with more local information and tips on property taxes, insurance and mortgage information.
How Much House Can You Afford?
Also visit the Mortgage Finance Center; main page for Mortgage programs, Affordability Worksheets and Calculators.
Market Trends Updates for August, 2020 / September Available October 6, 2020
View the updated Market Trends and Reports for September for various cities in Palm Beach County, St Lucie and Martin Counties. These reports automatically update around the 5th of the month so check back and keep up to date!