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Castles in the Sand

Business, Castles in the Sand

Will declining mortgage rates fix the market?

Sep 3, 2024 – Louise Bolger
July 29, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Hot temps, cool market

For some reason, I’m finding this summer more uncomfortable than in past years. I considered that I’m just getting older, but I can’t believe that, or maybe reading the sales statistics every month i…
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July 22, 2024
By Louise Bolger

House swap to escape the heat

Are you hot yet? Are you always saying, “Next summer I’m going to a cooler climate?” Are you starting to feel like you’ll never see 60 degrees again? Well, maybe it’s time to log on to a house-swappi…
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July 17, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Appraisals an art form

The last time I did a column about property appraisals was almost four years ago in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when the real estate market was all over the place and a fair appraisal was dif…
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July 9, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Bargains on the beach

Realtor.com is part of my everyday life. I check it for new listings, sold listings, open houses and sometimes just to look at the pictures on what may be an otherwise slow day. Sometimes I even lea…
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July 1, 2024
By Louise Bolger

The three-month sofa

Tomorrow is July 4, a festive day for the country and Anna Maria Island, where small-town vibes and celebrations still happen. Flags flying, parades, fireworks and barbecues will be on full display…
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June 25, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Home sales and hurricanes

This is one of those times when I just want to put my head in the sand or at least lay on top of it and totally zone out. The weather is hot, hot, hot, the real estate market is cold, cold, cold and…
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June 19, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Roofs: Need I say more?

It’s Florida, it’s hurricane season and your insurer is taking a good look at the most important thing over your head, and it’s not your favorite baseball cap. It used to be that a roof needed to be…
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June 11, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Reinsurance causing rate hikes

I know, not more talk about insurance, especially a week after the beginning of hurricane season. But if the Wall Street Journal can put it on their front page, I can report it. Reinsurance is appar…
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June 3, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Reverse mortgage loans explained

Anyone who considers themselves a senior, which I certainly do, at some point will probably have considered a reverse mortgage. It’s not a conventional mortgage designed for the majority of home purc…
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May 28, 2024
By Louise Bolger

Everyone’s talking about home prices

I challenge you to enter a room with at least four adult homeowners and not hear the conversation eventually gravitating to the price of homes. Some of the conversation centers on fear that what the…
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Upcoming Events

April 9, 2025
11:45 am

The Off-Stage Ladies of the Island Players, April luncheon meeting