The lowest rates since 2005 may be on tap in 2010 for the typical Florida Power & Light Co. customer. FPL announced Thursday that it expects the typical 1,000-kilowatt-hour residential-customer bill to drop next year by about $9 a month, from about $109 to $100. The decrease is subject to approval by Florida’s Public [...]

Courtesy of Herald Tribune
At least the market for new homes is not getting worse, and that is the first step to getting better.
In fact, the overall economy is actually getting a small boost as more buyers walk into model houses ready to sign contracts and builders hire workers to pour foundations.
Construction of single-family homes rose [...]

By Harold Bubil Herald Tribune
The dramatic decline in housing values, as well as the value of other investments, has made meeting household budgets particularly vexing for retiree homeowners.
For those who are cash-poor but still house rich — that is, they owe little or nothing on mortgages — reverse mortgages can be the answer. Instead of paying [...]

BY TINA GIUFRE  News Press
Realtors have been saying it for a long time: Now is the time to buy. Buyers looking for Gulf-access properties are finding them these days at bargain-basement prices.
Paula Kiker, broker of Lahaina Realty in Fort Myers Beach, recently sold a beachfront, two-bedroom, two-bath unit with under-building parking at Seaside condominium for [...]

Contributed by Angie’s List
Staging a home for sale used to be considered a luxury. Now, many real estate agents consider it a necessity. The continuing slump in housing has given buyers plenty of options — making it increasingly important to have your house looking its most dapper.
Follow these tips:
1. Screen appeal trumps curb appeal. Nearly [...]

The Aurora Awards are presented each year to builders, developers, architects, planners, interior merchandisers, landscape architects and other disciplines actively involved in projects in a 12-state southeastern region plus the Caribbean who have demonstrated building and design excellence.
This year’s winners were selected from among 80 categories by a panel of industry experts and were honored [...]

MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICES • AUGUST 9, 2009  News Press
Borrowers are waiting an unusually long time to close on mortgage refinance loans because thinly staffed banks can’t handle surges in volume when rates dip, mortgage experts say.
Also, lenders are giving applications closer scrutiny and requiring more documentation of income and assets to avoid repeating past mistakes. [...]

Florida’s existing home sales rose in June – the 10th consecutive month that sales activity showed gains in the year-to-year comparison, according to the latest housing data released by the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). Statewide sales in June also increased over the previous month’s sales level in both the existing home and existing condominium [...]

Downing-Frye Realty Inc. has been ranked 85th in the nation among all real estate companies based on closed sales volume, according to a report published in the July 2009 issue of Realtor Magazine.
This is the fifth consecutive year in which Downing-Frye has earned recognition on the “Top 100 Companies” list. The Naples-based firm reported total [...]

The National Association of Home Builders says its housing market index climbed in July to the highest level in nearly a year, as low interest rates and other incentives helped builders woo homebuyers.
The Washington-based trade association said Thursday the index rose two points to 17, its highest reading since it was 17 in September.
Bob Knight, [...]