Tag Archives: crisis
Miami real estate market continues to be popular with US and overseas buyers
The Miami real estate market, one of the most popular in the nation with international and domestic buyers, continued to gain momentum in March with sales growing strongly. The latest data shows that single family home transactions registered double digit growth year on year and existing condominium sales rose despite an increase in new condo construction. The figures from the Miami Association of Realtors reveal that single family home sales are up 10% compared with a year ago. This comes on top of a record 2014. While condo sales were up 4.2% year on year. ‘Miami continues to attract international and domestic home buyers looking to live in a global city with world-class amenities and a diversified economy. Buyer demand in Miami properties is leading to more sales and higher sale prices,’ said Christopher Zoller, the association’s 2015 residential president. The report points out that single family home prices remain at affordable 2004 levels despite more than four years of consistent year on year increases. Condo prices has seen 45 months of growth in the last 46 months. Prices are also seeing growth. The median sale price for single family homes increased 10.6% to $260,000 in March 2015 from $235,000 in March 2014. The average sale price for single family homes increased 3.2% to $473,677 last month from $459,102 during the same time period last year. The median sale price for condominiums surged 7.5 percent in March to $215,000 from $200,000 a year ago. The average sale price for condos increased 5.8 percent to $398,994 from $377,290 in March 2014. Miami single family homes and condominiums continue to sell close to asking price, reflecting a strong consumer demand, the association says. The median number of days on the market for single family homes sold in March 2015 was 54 days, an increase of 14.9% compared to the same period in 2014. The average percent of original list price received was 94.6%, down a negligible 0.3% from a year earlier. The median number of days on the market for condominiums sold in March 2015 was 60 days, an increase of 1.7 percent compared to the same period in 2014. The average percent of original list price received was 93.5% a 0.7% decrease. In Florida as a whole sales of existing single family homes were up 24.6% over March 2014, according to Florida Realtors while condominium sales were up 13.7% compared to March 2014. The statewide median sale price for single family existing homes last month was $190,000, up 9.2% from the previous year, according to Florida Realtors. The statewide median price for townhouse condo properties in March was $152,000, up 8.6% over the year ago figure. Miami sees twice the national average of cash buyers, representing 54.2% of sales in March 2015, down from 60.5% in March 2014. Nationally, just 24% of all national housing transactions are made in cash. Since 82% of foreign buyers in Florida purchase properties all cash, Miami’s high percentage of cash… Continue reading
Most tenants fail to get all of their deposit back, new survey finds
The majority of people who’ve rented a property in the UK in the past five years have failed to get their full deposit back after vacating, new research has found. Some 52% of deposits were fully or partially withheld over the past five years, equivalent to more than 400,000 deposits per year and overall 80% of tenants had some degree of trouble getting their deposit back. The survey by London removals company Kiwi Movers also found that cleaning and minor repairs are the most common reasons for withheld deposits, however, 28% of respondents said their landlord delayed returning their deposit despite not making any deductions. Of those who said they experienced difficulties with their landlord when it came to the return of the deposit, 6% lost their entire deposit, the equivalent to 252,000 deposits being fully withheld over the past five years, and 46% lost part of their deposit. Some 20% said they got their full deposit back without any problems while 28% said they managed to get their deposit back in full only after a dispute with the landlord or letting agency. London is the deposit dispute hotspot, with residents in the capital almost twice as likely (11%) as the survey average (6%) to lose their whole deposit, while tenants aged between 18 and 24 living with friends, as opposed to living with a partner or spouse, living alone or with people they didn’t know prior to moving in, are most likely to lose their full deposit. ‘We've seen an increase in customers hiring professional cleaners before checking out of a rented property. It seems to be the only way to counter what they see as the inevitable attempts to withhold part of their deposit,’ said Kiwi Movers director Regan McMillan. ‘Our customers tell us they feel vulnerable unless they have paperwork to prove that they left the property in an acceptable state. Moving is stressful enough without having to worry about having your deposit unfairly withheld,’ he added. Amy Williams, a digital producer from Southampton took her London landlord to court and won after he withheld her deposit. ‘It was only a six month contract and the landlord tried to make us pay for problems that were in the flat when we moved in,’ she explained. ‘The court said it was wear and tear, ordered the landlord to return our deposit and told him that wear and tear was something he’d have to get used to. The landlord also choose to hold the court session not in London but on the south coast. But luckily because we won he had to pay for our train tickets too,’ she added. Daniel Zambas, a Manchester based musician, also took successful legal action against a former landlord. ‘The agent told us the landlord wasn’t going to return our deposit. We successfully challenged this and once we’d had our money… Continue reading
UK mortgage seekers set to change spending to deal with tougher lending rules
A fifth of mortgage borrowers in the UK will use cash more frequently to avoid lenders seeing exactly what items they are spending on due to tougher lending regulations brought in a year ago. Some 25% plan to rein in their spending by £159 a month in a bid to present themselves as sensible with money and a fifth plan to spend on credit cards to maintain a healthier balance in their current accounts and pay off the balance each month. The research by comparison site MoneySuperMarket shows that 20% of those looking to apply for a mortgage in the next three years are planning to use cash more frequently to hide exactly what they spend their money on from a prospective lender. Some 21% will pay for more items on their credit card and then clear the balance at the end of each month so they can maintain a healthier balance in their current account. Spend-conscious borrowers also plan to rein in their monthly spend by an average of £159 by cutting back on non-essential items so as not to appear frivolous with their money. And 29% intend to pay off all debts in the lead up to their mortgage application. However, some 8% had never even heard of the new mortgage market review rules. ‘Since the new mortgage lending rules came into play a year ago, those looking to remortgage, existing borrowers who are moving home and looking for a new deal and first time buyers will have been subject to their lender looking more closely, almost forensically, at their monthly outgoings,’ said Kevin Mountford, head of banking at the site. ‘While the rules were introduced for the right reasons, in some cases borrowers who can easily afford a mortgage are being turned down for arbitrary reasons, despite them being able to easily afford mortgage repayments,’ he pointed out. ‘We wouldn’t want to see the ease of approval going back to the pre-credit crunch levels, it is clear than some consumers have changed their spending habits in order to pass the tests, so may be trying to paint a picture that is far from the reality just to satisfy the requirements,’ he added. He explained that paying off debts is always a good way to start when it comes to applying for a mortgage as existing borrowing will be taken into account by a lender when it comes to your application. Reducing the amount you spend each month could also help when it comes to the amount a lender thinks you can afford to borrow. ‘But those trying to ‘play’ the system should exercise caution as lenders may still require you to prove where your cash goes. Using a credit card to hide your spending may also count against you as lenders have access to your credit report, so will be able to see a real-time snapshot of your credit card balance at any time within the month,’ Mountford added. ‘Research… Continue reading
