Central Florida Real Estate Radio

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and takes an in-depth look at major changes coming to residential appraisals—and why buyers and sellers need to understand what an appraisal actually tells them.

Beginning this fall, the appraisal report used for many conventional mortgages is undergoing its biggest overhaul in decades. The new Uniform Residential Appraisal Report provides significantly more detail about a home's condition, improvements and individual features.

But there's an important distinction: the new report changes how information is collected and reported. It does not change how an appraiser ultimately determines value.

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Laura also looks at a situation many buyers face: What happens when a home receives multiple offers above asking price, but the comparable sales haven't caught up with today's market?

An appraisal is important because the lender needs to evaluate the property securing its loan. But buyers still have two separate decisions to make: What is this particular home worth to me, and how much appraisal risk am I financially comfortable taking?

Understanding that difference can be especially important in a competitive market—and equally important when a market is moving up or down faster than closed sales can reflect.

Want the complete Central Florida market stats Laura discusses on the show? Email [email protected] and ask for the latest stats.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing data, experience and practical insights to help Central Florida buyers, sellers and homeowners make informed real estate decisions.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555 or email [email protected].

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and four practical ways buyers, sellers and homeowners can make their next real estate move easier.

Fall can create opportunities that aren't always available during the busier spring market. Laura explains how buyers can look beyond price to find motivated sellers—including properties that have been on the market longer, returned after a failed contract, or where timing may be more important to the seller than squeezing out every last dollar.

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The best opportunity isn't necessarily the cheapest house. Sometimes it's the property where your timing solves the seller's problem.

And whether you're buying or selling, many real estate problems aren't impossible to solve—they simply become much harder when they're discovered too late. Preparation gives everyone more options.

Want the complete Central Florida market stats Laura discusses on the show? Email [email protected]and ask for the latest stats.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing data, experience and practical insights to help Central Florida buyers, sellers and homeowners make informed real estate decisions.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555 or email [email protected].

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and tackles a statement she recently heard on television: Now that mortgage rates are at 7%, home prices are going to fall substantially.

But does history support that conclusion?

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.03% this week, crossing 7% for the first time since January 2025. Laura puts today's rates into historical perspective and explains why mortgage rates are only one part of what determines home prices.

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A 7% mortgage rate certainly affects affordability, but it doesn't tell us by itself where home prices are headed. Freddie Mac's current survey puts the 30-year rate at 7.03%; its historical data also shows how unusual the ultra-low-rate period was, including the record low of 2.65% in January 2021 and a record high of 18.63% in 1981.

Rather than simply waiting for rates to change, Laura discusses ways buyers and sellers can structure a transaction differently to make the numbers work in today's market.

Want the complete Central Florida market stats Laura discusses on the show? Email [email protected] and ask for the latest stats.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing data, experience and practical insights to help Central Florida buyers, sellers and homeowners make informed real estate decisions.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555 or email [email protected].

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and continues her examination of Florida property taxes—this time looking beyond Orange County to Orange, Osceola, Polk, Lake and Seminole Counties.

Florida's proposed Amendment 3 would substantially increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes if approved by at least 60% of voters. The increased exemption would begin in 2027, with another increase in 2028.

But what could that actually mean for local government revenue?

Laura compares property-tax revenue and population growth using two different scenarios: one in which taxable property values remain static, and another in which the tax roll continues growing at 6% annually.

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The scenarios aren't predictions. They're a way to demonstrate how dramatically assumptions about future property values can change the story.

Florida's official legislative analysis likewise anticipates a significant reduction in non-school property-tax revenue compared with what local governments otherwise would collect if the amendment passes. That distinction is important: a revenue loss relative to a future baseline does not necessarily mean a county will collect fewer dollars than it did several years earlier.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing data and practical insights to help Central Florida buyers, sellers and homeowners make informed real estate decisions.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555 or email [email protected]. 

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and then takes a deeper look at one of the biggest issues facing Florida homeowners this election: Amendment 3 and property tax reform.

Rather than simply asking whether Amendment 3 is good or bad, Laura looks at what has actually happened in Orange County over the past decade.

Orange County's population grew approximately 19%, while countywide property tax revenue grew approximately 118% over roughly the same period. During that time, the countywide millage rate remained essentially unchanged. So how did tax collections more than double?

The answer is largely in rising property values and taxable assessments—and it raises a bigger question: Are we taxing property the right way in the first place?

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Property taxes affect homeowners, renters, investors, businesses and the communities that depend on that revenue. Laura explains why she believes reform is needed, while examining both sides of Amendment 3 so listeners can understand the issue and make their own decision at the ballot box.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing data, experience and practical insights to help Central Florida buyers, sellers and homeowners make informed real estate decisions.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555.

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and explains what today's numbers mean for buyers and sellers across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk, and Seminole Counties.

Many would-be buyers are sitting on the sidelines waiting for mortgage rates to come down. But is waiting really the best strategy?

Laura discusses why the best thing buyers can do today is get completely prepared before they find the house they want. Today's market generally offers buyers more choices and negotiating opportunities—but the best homes can still attract serious buyers.

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The lowest purchase price isn't always the best deal, and the biggest seller concession isn't necessarily the most valuable one. The important question is: How can the dollars available in the transaction be structured to help you the most?

Instead of simply waiting and hoping rates come down, understand the options available today. The right combination of price, financing, seller concessions and preparation could make the home you want more affordable than you think.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing insights to help buyers and sellers make smarter real estate decisions in Central Florida.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555.

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and takes an in-depth look at how artificial intelligence is changing real estate for buyers, sellers, and agents.

AI isn't something that's coming someday — it's already becoming part of the home-buying process. More than half of buyers now report using AI to help search for homes, while others are using it to estimate mortgage payments, research property values, and make sense of an increasingly complicated housing market.

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AI can analyze enormous amounts of information and help buyers find possibilities faster than ever before. But buying or selling a home involves much more than data.

Laura explains how she combines new AI technology with real-world experience to help clients take advantage of these tools while still having a knowledgeable person there when judgment, negotiation, and experience matter most.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing insights to help buyers and sellers make smarter real estate decisions in Central Florida.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555.

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats and takes a deeper look at the monthly numbers, comparing what's happening across the different counties in Central Florida.

There are still buys out there—but sometimes buyers have to be willing to look beyond a home's current condition. Laura shares a real Central Florida example: a 4-bedroom, 3-bath, approximately 1,900-square-foot single-family home with a pool priced at $329,000 that needs some work. It's a reminder that opportunity may be hiding in the homes other buyers overlook.

Laura also explains why sellers need to think about more than simply finding a buyer willing to pay their asking price. The appraisal still matters, especially when financing is involved, and it's another important reason not to overprice your home.

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Whether you're looking for an opportunity to buy, trying to determine the right price for your home, or simply watching where Central Florida and the state are headed, this episode provides local data and real-world examples to help you make informed real estate decisions.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing insights to help buyers and sellers make smarter real estate decisions in Central Florida.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555.

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats, compiled directly from MLS data across Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk, and Seminole Counties, and explains what the latest numbers mean for buyers and sellers.

Florida continues to attract new residents across generations. New migration data shows Florida ranking among the top destinations for Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, with Orlando especially attractive to Millennials. Laura discusses what this continued migration means for Central Florida housing and why people aren't just waiting until retirement to make the move.

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Whether you're thinking about moving to Florida, buying or selling in Central Florida, or simply trying to understand what's happening in today's market, this episode provides local data and practical information to help you make informed real estate decisions.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing insights to help buyers and sellers make smarter real estate decisions in Central Florida.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555.

This week on Central Florida Real Estate Radio, Laura shares her Exclusive Central Florida Market Stats, providing the latest insights into what's happening across the Central Florida housing market.

Have you ever wondered what it really costs to buy a vacant lot and build your dream home? Laura explains one of the biggest surprises for many buyers—impact fees—what they are, why they exist, and why they can vary dramatically from one Florida county to another. Impact fees are local charges on new development that help pay for roads, schools, parks, public safety, and other infrastructure needed to support growth, and each county sets its own fee schedule.

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Whether you're buying an existing home or considering building from the ground up, this episode will help you better understand the true costs of new construction and avoid expensive surprises.

Hosted by Laura Petersen, Broker/Owner of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, sharing insights to help buyers and sellers make smarter real estate decisions in Central Florida.

To get in touch with Laura, call 407-566-2555.