With the recent news about mortgage rates, many people have asked me about buying down their mortgage rate. For example, if you prequalify with a lender, you can buy down your interest rate from 8% to 7%. Making your monthly payment cheaper and more affordable. If you're purchasing a home and you're asking yourself "Should I buy down my mortgage rate?" the answer is most likely no if you believe:...

With interest rates at their highest levels since 2000 and affordability lowest since 1984, it's a fair question to ask whether it's a good time to buy a house. To answer this question, it's important to consider both the past and the future. Looking back: Compared to last year, it is not a good time to buy a house. Interest rates and home prices are both higher today. Looking ahead: However, interest...

Yesterday, the yield on the 10 year Treasury bond hit a high of 4.8% which lead to the average 30 year fixed mortgage rate hitting a 23 year high. It toped at 7.7%. A year ago from today they were 6.6%. What about mortgage applications? According to Mortgage Bankers Association's Survey, applications decreased another 6% from last week. Which is 22% lower than this time last year, hitting a 27 year low...

Transform386 passes the Volusia County Council. This spending plan for $329 million in federal hurricane relief dollars, with $200 million going to housing programs. The plan still requires federal approval. The Transform386 project includes $145 million for single-family home repairs and replacement, $50 million for new multi-family construction and $5 million for rental repairs. The plan also includes...

I first heard about the diverging diamond traffic pattern from a friend a year ago. We then watched this YouTube video on it and ever since I thought these should be everywhere! A number of studies have shown that Diverging Diamond Interchange or DDIs are very effective at improving safety and traffic flow. For example, a study by the Federal Highway Administration found that DDIs reduced total crashes...

Yesterday Mortgage Rates hit new highs with the 30 year fixed rate sitting at 7.51% for a 30 year fixed rate. These are the highest rates we've seen since 2002. I was hopeful by the fall of this year we'd be back into the 6's but unfortunately that projection is being pushed to 2024. All if this is because the bond market has been struggling and has rebounded like analysis projected. If you want to...

Trains are so back! Florida's Brightline, the first privately owned high-speed passenger train service in the United States, will launch today, with trains running between Miami and Orlando at speeds of up to 125 mph. It's not London to Paris but hey, it's still pretty neat! The trip will take 3.5-hours, which is about 30 minutes less than the average drive time. One-way tickets will start at $79 for...

There's a lot of rumors about what could be coming to Venetian Bay. Developers are planning a commercial project in New Smyrna Beach's Venetian Bay community toward the State Road 44 entrance. The exact purpose of the project is still being decided, but one possibility is a 36-hole miniature golf course with a restaurant/sports bar. The goal is to make something similar to the popular attraction in...

School districts in Central Florida are struggling to find enough teachers, especially as the population grows. Some districts are trying to stand out because they are competing for the same small pool of candidates. For example, in Volusia County, they are considering offering affordable housing as an incentive. The shortage is even more serious in low-income areas like the 32114 zip code in Daytona...

I took my kids to St. Augustine Florida this past weekend. I trip I remember taking when I was in Elementary School. There are some field trips I will never forget and this one of those. Maybe it's my love of history or the fascination with forts and castles. I was hoping my kids would share the same excitement I did when I walked the steps toward the Castillo de San Marcos Fort. While they didn't...