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Homebuyers flock to Florida real estate The net inflow of Redfin users packing their bags and moving to Miami rose to 7,610 in July, up from 2,216 homebuyers last year

Didier Malagies • August 31, 2021


The Sunshine State seems to be getting a lot more foot traffic these days, with the number of homebuyers moving to Miami tripling year-over-year, a new analysis found.


According to Redfin’s monthly migration report, July saw the net inflow of Redfin users packing their bags and moving to Miami rise to 7,610, up from 2,216 last year.


Milagros Alvarez, a Miami real estate agent at Redfin, said that the pandemic “has brought even more out-of-towners to the area” because so many people can now work wherever they want.


“Homebuyers are moving here from all over the map—Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, Columbia, Mexico City, Pittsburgh and Philly, to name a few,” said Alvarez. “The beaches, warm weather and low taxes are the major draws. Florida has also been much less shut down than other states during the pandemic, which some house hunters see as a positive.”


Tampa and Cape Coral were also hot areas for migration, with net inflows rising to 4,315 (2,778 in July 2020) and 3,109 (1,790 in July 2020), respectively, Redfin’s analysis concluded.


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However, the pull of warmer weather in Florida has some downsides, mainly that there is risk posed by coastal flooding and storms.

The report noted that Miami is “one of the most vulnerable in the world” when it comes to damages caused by weather-related events, with 59% of Miami’s properties facing some level of flood risk.

Sea levels are also projected to rise by two feet or more by 2060 in the Miami-Dade County, threatening to displace many residents, the report said. Additionally, the region faces extreme heat risk.

Despite a mounting list of reasons why one shouldn’t move to Florida, buyers seem to be unperturbed.

“The homebuyers I talk to rarely mention climate change. Most of them aren’t concerned,” Alvarez said. “A lot of people seem to have this idea that it won’t impact them in their lifetime, so it doesn’t need to be a consideration when buying a home.”


Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, warned that “the recent UN climate report that places like Miami will see the impacts of climate change within the next thirty years.”

“Miami homebuyers should think about how they can make their homes more resilient to climate change and how their finances would be impacted if their homes lost value,” he said.

Other metro areas that topped Redfin’s migration report in July included Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, and Atlanta.


Meanwhile, Redfin’s report found that biggest net outflows were from New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. last month.


The report remarked that big, expensive cities normally lose the most residents and that “the trend accelerated during the pandemic as remote work gave people the flexibility to leave expensive job centers for relatively affordable places.



“Yet, a handful of the metros that experienced the largest outflows in July saw fewer people leaving than a year earlier—likely because many of the pandemic restrictions that made those places unattractive places to live have now been lifted,” the report said.




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By Didier Malagies December 20, 2024
Older homeowners have an overwhelming preference to age in place , but these circumstances can also come with unique challenges. Feelings of isolation and loneliness rank highly among these issues, but a recent study suggests that aging in place with a pet can make a big difference. The study, highlighted in Psychology Today , also noted that having pets in later life can come with its own set of unique challenges , according to Ann Toohey, one of the authors of the study who is based at the University of Calgary. The study followed initial interviews conducted in 2015 by examining how owning a pet impacted the lives of older people aging in place in their homes. According to the study, several takeaways emerged, including that the companionship of a pet makes a difference in their owners’ lives. While the companionship provided is understandably different from what is offered by another person, it also came with other potential social benefits for the seniors who owned pets. “As it happened, most of the people in this study were single,” the report in Psychology Today noted. “Having a dog, in particular, was a good way to get to know other people, so pets could also increase the size of participants’ social networks.” Finding pet-friendly housing can be an issue, according to the respondents. While the subjects were committed to keeping their pets, the housing challenges that pets can present made for a unique challenge. “Because people did not want to give up their pets, they sometimes had to accept housing that was less than ideal or even not safe due to other people in the home,” the report explained. Pets can also have other impacts on an older person’s mental well being, the study found, particularly if an older pet owner endured certain health-related challenges. “As people got older, they sometimes had difficult circumstances to deal with, such as serious issues with their own health,” the report said. “Caring for their pet provided meaning through these hard times, and a sense of things continuing to be the same, at least in some regards. In this way, the pet helped them to cope with the challenges.” Toohey added that while the seniors profiled in the study were generally committed to keeping their pets, the potential housing challenges that pet ownership can present for some older people seeking housing need to be addressed. There is a lot of potential for what she calls “companion animal relationships” to promote health in “many ways that are salient to aging.” These include spurring physical activity by walking a pet, companionship and potential involvement in pet-centric social activities with other pet owners. But certain challenges are also a factor, including the cost of pet supplies, a lack of affordable support if a pet owner becomes ill, and the need for veterinary care. There are also housing-related challenges, which could include “the prevalence of no pet rules to size restrictions to extra fees,” she said. In terms of housing policies tied to aging in place, these barriers could have the most impact, according to the report. “Greater availability of seniors’ housing that allows pets would be very beneficial and would make it easier for people to age in place with their pet,” the report said. “This would benefit those who aren’t seniors too, as more pet-friendly housing would help a wide range of people.”  This is on top of other well-documented challenges older people can face when trying to age in place. These include the high cost of long-term care , a need to create more walkable communities and housing supply illus trates that impact prospective homebuyers of all ages.
By Didier Malagies December 17, 2024
Older homeowners have an overwhelming preference to age in place , but these circumstances can also come with unique challenges. Feelings of isolation and loneliness rank highly among these issues, but a recent study suggests that aging in place with a pet can make a big difference. The study, highlighted in Psychology Today , also noted that having pets in later life can come with its own set of unique challenges , according to Ann Toohey, one of the authors of the study who is based at the University of Calgary. The study followed initial interviews conducted in 2015 by examining how owning a pet impacted the lives of older people aging in place in their homes. According to the study, several takeaways emerged, including that the companionship of a pet makes a difference in their owners’ lives. While the companionship provided is understandably different from what is offered by another person, it also came with other potential social benefits for the seniors who owned pets. “As it happened, most of the people in this study were single,” the report in Psychology Today noted. “Having a dog, in particular, was a good way to get to know other people, so pets could also increase the size of participants’ social networks.” Finding pet-friendly housing can be an issue, according to the respondents. While the subjects were committed to keeping their pets, the housing challenges that pets can present made for a unique challenge. “Because people did not want to give up their pets, they sometimes had to accept housing that was less than ideal or even not safe due to other people in the home,” the report explained. Pets can also have other impacts on an older person’s mental well being, the study found, particularly if an older pet owner endured certain health-related challenges. “As people got older, they sometimes had difficult circumstances to deal with, such as serious issues with their own health,” the report said. “Caring for their pet provided meaning through these hard times, and a sense of things continuing to be the same, at least in some regards. In this way, the pet helped them to cope with the challenges.” Toohey added that while the seniors profiled in the study were generally committed to keeping their pets, the potential housing challenges that pet ownership can present for some older people seeking housing need to be addressed. There is a lot of potential for what she calls “companion animal relationships” to promote health in “many ways that are salient to aging.” These include spurring physical activity by walking a pet, companionship and potential involvement in pet-centric social activities with other pet owners. But certain challenges are also a factor, including the cost of pet supplies, a lack of affordable support if a pet owner becomes ill, and the need for veterinary care. There are also housing-related challenges, which could include “the prevalence of no pet rules to size restrictions to extra fees,” she said. In terms of housing policies tied to aging in place, these barriers could have the most impact, according to the report. “Greater availability of seniors’ housing that allows pets would be very beneficial and would make it easier for people to age in place with their pet,” the report said. “This would benefit those who aren’t seniors too, as more pet-friendly housing would help a wide range of people.”  This is on top of other well-documented challenges older people can face when trying to age in place. These include the high cost of long-term care , a need to create more walkable communities and housing supply illus trates that impact prospective homebuyers of all ages.
By Didier Malagies December 16, 2024
A condo questionnaire is a critical document that lenders use during the mortgage approval process for condominium purchases. It provides detailed information about the condo complex's financial health, rules, regulations, and overall condition. Problems with the condo questionnaire can create delays or complications during the closing process. Here are some common issues that might cause problems: 1. Financial Health Concerns High percentage of owner-occupancy: Many lenders require that at least 50% (or more) of the units in the complex be owner-occupied rather than rented. If a condo complex has too many renters, it could impact the lender’s willingness to approve a loan. Reserve fund issues: Lenders typically want to see that the condo association has sufficient funds in its reserve account for future maintenance and emergencies. If the reserve fund is too low or non-existent, it raises concerns about the financial stability of the association, leading to potential loan rejection. Delinquencies in condo fees: A high rate of delinquencies in the condo association fees can signal financial instability, which lenders may view as a risk. This can delay or halt the approval process. 2. Insurance Coverage Problems Lack of adequate insurance: Lenders require that the condo association carries specific types of insurance, including property insurance and liability coverage. If the condo association's insurance policy doesn’t meet the lender's criteria, the loan may be delayed or denied. Insufficient flood insurance: If the condo is in a flood zone, the association is required to have flood insurance. A deficiency in this area can cause significant issues with closing. 3. Pending or Recent Litigation Ongoing lawsuits: If the condo association is involved in a lawsuit (e.g., against contractors, residents, or local authorities), it can be a red flag for lenders. Lawsuits can create financial and legal uncertainty, so lenders may hesitate to approve a loan until the matter is resolved. History of litigation: Even if the condo association is not currently involved in litigation, a history of legal problems could still concern lenders and complicate the approval process. 4. Non-Compliance with Condominium Guidelines Failure to meet FHA/VA guidelines: Some buyers are using FHA or VA loans, which have specific guidelines regarding condo developments. If the condo does not meet these criteria (for example, not having enough unit owners, or a commercial component taking up too much space), it can prevent the buyer from securing the loan. Non-compliant rules or by-laws: If the condo association's rules or by-laws are outdated or do not comply with lender requirements (such as restrictions on renting out units), it can create issues. 5. Discrepancies or Incomplete Information Incomplete or missing information: If the condo questionnaire is not fully completed or there is missing information about the financials or maintenance issues, lenders may hold up the approval process. Incorrect or inconsistent data: Discrepancies between the information provided in the questionnaire and the condo association’s financial statements can raise red flags, requiring additional clarification or investigation. 6. Excessive Commercial Units or Mixed-Use Properties High commercial occupancy: If a condo development has a high percentage of commercial space or mixed-use properties (residential and commercial), lenders might view this as risky. Lenders prefer predominantly residential complexes since they have a lower risk profile. 7. Special Assessments Upcoming or recent special assessments: If the condo association has recently passed a special assessment (a fee charged to condo owners for unexpected repairs or improvements) or plans to do so in the near future, it can lead to concerns about the financial health of the complex and may affect the lender's decision to approve the loan. 8. Age of the Building Older buildings with deferred maintenance: Lenders might be cautious about approving loans for condos in older buildings that have not been well-maintained. They may require detailed maintenance records or a building inspection to ensure that the property is in good condition. Conclusion Issues with the condo questionnaire that could cause problems during closing typically revolve around the financial stability, legal status, and physical condition of the condo association and its property. It's important for both the buyer and the seller to address these issues early in the process by working with the condo association to provide accurate, complete, and compliant documentation to the lender. By messaging ChatGPT, you agree to our Terms and have read our Privacy Policy. Don't share sensitive info. Chats may be reviewed and used to train our models. Learn more tune in and learn at https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329
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