“We’ve an enormous affordability drawback in Florida — we’re being hit on all fronts,” Diaz stated. “Dwelling costs are via the roof proper now, insurance coverage is tough to get, curiosity charges are excessive, though they’re beginning to come down just a little bit, and property taxes are additionally very excessive.
“To be able to work on this affordability subject, we really feel that this one guideline change — as a result of it’s not even a invoice, it might be a suggestion change from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — would do rather a lot for affordability. Particularly for these people who’re residing in condos and need to promote their property now, however the condominium isn’t certified but for a full evaluate. They’re form of caught, as a result of anyone has to place 25% down to purchase their condominium.”
The GSEs imposed stricter down cost pointers on Florida condos after the 2008 monetary disaster. Financing a condominium requires qualifying the constructing, via both a full evaluate or a restricted evaluate, and in a lot of the nation, patrons can put as little as 3-5% down after a full evaluate or 10% down below a restricted evaluate. However in Florida, patrons of a condominium below a restricted evaluate must put 25% down.
Whereas the rules might have been warranted after 2008, Diaz stated, they don’t make sense after the condominium reform legal guidelines following the collapse of the Champlain South Tower in 2021. Within the aftermath of that tragedy, which killed 98 individuals and highlighted condominium issues of safety after a long time of deferred upkeep, Florida regulation now requires condos to have milestone inspections and preserve funding reserves for repairs.
Apartment homeowners are bearing the burden of those further prices, which may run into the a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars}. Whereas these legal guidelines had been being debated, FAMP labored with state legislators to offer dwelling homeowners associations (HOAs) extra time to fulfill these necessities and soften the blow to condominium homeowners, a lot of them aged.
These expensive new laws enhance condominium security — and may lower the chance confronted by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on condominium loans. With these new guardrails in place, the 25% downpayment requirement ought to be modified to match different states, Diaz stated.
“We don’t need to be handled any completely different than the remainder of the nation. We’re geo-targeted with this one guideline change that solely impacts Florida,” Diaz stated. “Sure, we now have hurricanes, however different locations have tornadoes, fires or earthquakes.”
FAMP has joined forces with Florida Realtors and Miami Realtors associations to foyer the FHFA and located a listening ear in Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Bonita Springs who has written to FHFA Director Invoice Pulte on the problem. Diaz famous the Trump administration has given Florida housing leaders a brand new to hope for progress.
“The local weather in D.C. at this time is just a little bit completely different, and we now have an FHFA director that’s that’s really making numerous daring strikes, together with recognizing a special credit score rating mannequin and including crypto to dwelling purchases. So we really feel that the atmosphere is there for one of these change, and keep in mind — all we actually need is simply to be handled like the remainder of the nation,” Diaz stated.
One other precedence for FAMP is ensuring first responders, well being care staff and academics can afford to purchase properties in Florida, Diaz stated. FAMP labored to get a downpayment help program known as Hometown Heroes handed once more for the second 12 months.
“It was $100 million, now it’s $50 million and that goes actually quick,” Diaz stated. “So we’re advocating to place that again to 100 and possibly even go as much as $200 million to assist first responders and academics have some down cost help when shopping for a house.”
Diaz stated enhancing affordability is what underpins all of FAMP’s advocacy. “We’re pushing for points which might be going to enhance the Florida housing market and provides shoppers higher choices.”
