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Louise Bolger

Louise Bolger

August 17, 2017
Louise Bolger is The Sun’s Real Estate columnist.
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April 18, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The end of an era

It’s so sad when eras end. We had the end of the hard-wired phone and even though you can still have one, no one will admit it. We had the end of the standard-shift car. The end of the manual typewri…
April 10, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Addictive real estate

Of all the things we can become addicted to in our difficult world, real estate is probably one of the safer vices. Or is it? Wanting to see how other people live has been around forever. Certainl…
April 3, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Florida insurance reform – not

At the end of March, the Florida Legislature ended its session with an April Fools’ to every homeowner in the state. The legislators could not come to an agreement on passing insurance reform in t…
March 27, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

What do Las Vegas and real estate have in common?

Who knew that even people who don’t like Las Vegas or gambling in general would be faced with the prospect of making some really heavy bets just to buy a home? Nevertheless, that is the world we’re l…
March 20, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Legislators toss condo rules out

For a while there I thought we would have one more headache to worry about in addition to insurance rates and hurricanes. On March 11, Florida legislators failed to reach an agreement on a bill to im…
March 12, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Surfside: More collateral damage

It’s not surprising that as time goes on, more and more of what I’ll call “collateral damage” surfaces related to the Surfside building collapse on the east coast. This time, it’s related to mortgage…
March 6, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

When will the real estate market return to normal?

The definition of “normal” is conforming to a standard; usual, typical or expected. This statement in no way resembles the real estate market we find ourselves in, and even economists whose job it is…
February 26, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Feng shui your entry

Eight thousand years ago, the Chinese philosophy of feng shui became part of everyday Chinese living. Their belief that everything in the environment is connected extends to your home and even the co…
February 20, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Florida’s west coast market continues to emerge

So, what exactly is an emerging housing market index and why is it so important? An emerging housing market index measures the top metro areas for homebuyers seeking an appreciating housing market…
February 13, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Florida legislators work on condo inspections

At the risk of stating the obvious, we’re living in a very polarized political environment. Everyone in government, national and local, is going to their corner and waiting to make their next move; t…
February 7, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Sense of urgency, you think?

One of the biggest understatements I’ve heard recently is that buyers are starting to feel a sense of urgency. If they’re just starting to feel a sense of urgency, where have they been for the last y…
January 29, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Interest rates suddenly the enemy

So, we’ve had a good run – actually, a spectacular run – especially for those of us who already own homes. Lowest mortgage interest rates in history, soaring housing prices, quick sales – what could…
January 23, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Let the sunshine shine in

We have officially gone from a hot housing market to the hottest housing market in the country according to Zillow. Where do we go from here? Zillow has named Tampa Bay the top housing market in t…
January 15, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Changing real estate times

There is a Chinese curse that declares, “May you live in interesting times.” What we’re living through may be a curse or a blessing as it relates to real estate, and I predict we won’t know for quite…
January 9, 2022
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Price, commissions and marketing

What’s the common denominator in the real estate market? The sale price, the commission you pay to brokers and the marketing techniques. All three of these topics are creating headlines in the new ye…