REAL ESTATE HEADLINES
  • Is Manatee County affordable housing a one-size-fits-all?
    For years, Manatee County has explored accessory dwelling units as a means of expanding its affordable housing stock.At a work session on Tuesday, county commissioners revisited the topic and proposed tweaks to a land development code amendment regarding ADUs, including size limitations, prohibited areas and whether to regulate them as ... read more
    By Emily Wunderlich
  • Is affordable housing in Manatee one-size-fits-all?
    For years, Manatee County has explored accessory dwelling units as a means of expanding its affordable housing stock.At a work session on Tuesday, county commissioners revisited the topic and proposed tweaks to a land development code amendment regarding ADUs, including size limitations, prohibited areas and whether to regulate them as ... read more
    By Emily Wunderlich
  • CELEBRITY HOT PROPERTIES: Will Arnett lists award-winning home for $11 million
    There's always money in the banana stand, to borrow from the show "Arrested Development." But it might take a few more frozen banana sales to afford the Beverly Hills Post Office-area home of Will Arnett, who plays Gob Bluth on the show.Listed for $10.995 million, the actor's steel-framed house is ... read more
    By By Neal J. Leitereg and Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times
  • REAL ESTATE MATTERS: Buy home with cash or take advantage of low interest rates?
    Q: I know mortgage interest rates are hovering at an all-time low. But is there anything wrong with paying cash for a home?A: There's nothing wrong with buying a home with cash, but not everybody has the cash available to do that. Given your question, we're going to guess that ... read more
    By By Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin, Tribune Content Agency
  • DAVID W. MYERS: Best of About Real Estate: Tips for having a successful walk-through
    DEAR DAVE: We are about to close the purchase of our first home, and our final walk-through is scheduled for this week. Since we've obviously - never done a walk-through before, we don't really know what to look for. Can you help?ANSWER: Sure. All buyers should insist, as part of ... read more
    By David W. Myers
  • HAROLD BUBIL: Lessons from Florence
    Editor's note: While Harold Bubil takes some time off, we'll reprise some of his popular columns. This column originally ran on Sept. 23, 2018.Hurricane Florence in 2018 reminded the country, and not just the part that is susceptible to hurricanes, of the importance of following evacuation orders and having flood ... read more
    By Harold Bubil
  • Market snapshot: Forest Lakes South is centrally located
    First there was Old Forest Lakes in the 1950s and 1960s. Then, Forest Lakes, developed around an 18-hole golf course west of Beneva Road in the 1960s and 1970s.Finally, came the third subdivision, bearing the name Forest Lakes South, created from 1980 to 1988.Sandwiched between Bee Ridge Road and Wilkinson ... read more
    By By Chris Angermann, Correspondent
  • FLORIDA BUILDINGS I LOVE: No. 43: Theissen Residence, 1998, Sarasota
    Editor's note: While Harold Bubil takes some time off, we'll reprise some of his popular columns. This column originally ran on Oct. 7, 2017.It's not on the beach. It doesn't have what you would call great boating water. In fact, you have to walk across the street to get to ... read more
    By Harold Bubil
  • LEW SICHELMAN: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ‘fix' weakens redlining law
    If it ain't broke, why fix it?That's what some people in the housing business are thinking about a "fix" to the consumer-friendly Consumer Reinvestment Act. It's a change that was rushed out during the pandemic without buy-in from federal banking agencies, by a regulator who couldn't wait to get out ... read more
    By Lew Sichelman
  • REAL ESTATE MATTERS: Board member seeks approval for change in documentation
    Q: I am on the board of a condo association and it was brought to our attention by a past owner who was selling his unit that a potential buyer noticed that the par value noted in the governing documents of our association did not match that in the multiple ... read more
    By By Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin, Tribune Content Agency