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PROPERTY TAXES
Gov. Jeb Bush appointed a 15-member committee Wednesday to make
recommendations on how to curtail increases and remove inequities in
Florida's property taxes. Realtors are represented as well as
homebuilders, appraisers, business leaders and legislators.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n1-07202006
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DEVELOPMENT
Citizens Property Insurance, the state-run insurer of last resort,
scheduled a special board meeting for Friday to discuss whether
it should resume writing insurance to cover construction projects.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n2-07202006
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INTEREST RATES
Appearing before Congress yesterday, Federal Reserve Board Chairman
Ben Bernanke said that a slowing economy would reduce inflation
without a recession even in the face of record oil prices. He also implied
that the central bank's tightening of monetary policy is either at or near
an end after 17 straight interest-rate increases.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n3-07202006
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HOMEBUYERS
Too often, renters look at their current monthly rent payment, compare
it to the cost of owning a home, and decide the latter is "something
I can't afford." But the financial advantage of homeownership, from
property appreciation to income tax deductions, makes renting more
expensive, and a new brochure published by NAR explains that fact
to renters.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n4-07202006
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FORECLOSURES
The number of homes entering some stage of foreclosure declined in
June both nationwide and across Florida, dropping to their lowest levels
of the year, according to a national survey released Tuesday. Florida's
rate of foreclosure in June -- one new filing for every 849 households --
was the eighth-worst rate in the nation, but an improvement from one
year earlier.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n5-07202006
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ZILLOW PARTNERS WITH YAHOO!
Zillow.com has reached an agreement to supply Yahoo! with a tool that
lets users estimate a home's worth. Yahoo!, based in Sunnyvale, Calif.,
consistently ranks as the nation's most visited Web site, slipping in a
handful of polls to second-place Google. Yahoo! previously partnered
with HomeGain to provide home valuations. Jordan Cobert of
HomeGain said the company would continue to provide Yahoo with
technology to help people connect with Realty agents but confirmed
that it would no longer provide the home value information. Zillow's
site on Yahoo! looks pretty similar to Zillow.com, except that Yahoo
opted to have the home valuation information plotted on its own maps.
Zillow.com uses mapping technology from Yahoo!, rival Microsoft and
others.
Source: Associated Press (7/18/2006)
© Copyright 2006 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD
(301) 215-4688
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AROUND FLORIDA
For complete news coverage (password required):
http://planetrealtor.com/Florida/News
Poinciana: Commercial, residential construction continue
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060720/REPORTER/607200351/1177
Polk County: Building permits tumble in June
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060720/NEWS/607200430/1053/YOURTOWN06
Sarasota: Developers plan 26-home luxury project
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060720/BUSINESS/607200773/1060
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