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Let us be your go-to source for East Hill neighborhood events, history, real estate and more. We are here to share valuable, local information. We support local businesses and encourage you to explore the neighborhood with us!

 

Feb. 4, 2023

FLORIDA REALTORS® ECONOMISTS REPORT | January 2023

FLORIDA REALTORS®  ECONOMISTS REPORT | January 2023

Read the full report here.

Posted in Real Estate Tips
May 6, 2021

Court Strikes Down Eviction Ban

By NAR:

 

 U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the District of Columbia struck down a nationwide eviction moratorium Wednesday, calling it unlawful. Friedrich's ruling applies nationwide.


The eviction ban was put in place last year by the Trump administration using public health powers granted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during health emergencies.


The ban was most recently extended by President Biden through the end of June.


In her 20-page ruling, Friedrich said, “It is the role of the political branches, and not the courts, to assess the merits of policy measures designed to combat the spread of disease, even during a global pandemic. The question for the Court is a narrow one: Does the Public Health Service Act grant the CDC the legal authority to impose a nationwide eviction moratorium? It does not.”


The Georgia and Alabama Association of REALTORS®, two housing providers, and their property management companies, filed the suit in defense of mom-and-pop property owners around the country struggling to pay bills without rental income for more than a year.


NAR—which helped secure nearly $50 billion in rental assistance provided by Congress since December to help tenants pay their bills and provide relief to housing providers who have lost income—supported the lawsuit, saying the ban was no longer needed.


“NAR has always maintained that the best solution for all parties was rental assistance to cover the rent, taxes and utility bills for tenants struggling during the pandemic,” says NAR President Charlie Oppler. “This decision prevents two crises—one for tenants, and one for mom-and-pop housing providers who do not have a reprieve from their bills. With rental assistance secured, the economy growing, and unemployment rates falling, there is no need to continue a blanket, nationwide eviction ban. With this safety net firmly in place, the market needs a return to normalcy and stability.”


Oppler adds that “our attention now should turn to the swift and efficient implementation of rental assistance.”

Posted in Evication Bans
Dec. 8, 2020

‘Shady’ Insurance Lawyer Ripped Off Fla. Owners

‘Shady’ Insurance Lawyer Ripped Off Fla. Owners

Those door-to-door people offering free roofs and more, billable to your insurer? Owners who sign their iPads might be hiring a lawyer rather than a contractor.

 

Read more:

 

https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2020/12/shady-insurance-lawyer-ripped-fla-owners

July 25, 2020

Top U.S. Area to Buy a Vacation-Rental Home? The Panhandle

Top 20 U.S. vacation-rental investment spots

1. Florida Panhandle – 98.7 (index score)  
2. South Jersey Shore, N.J. – 93.4
3. The Poconos, Pa. – 93.0
4. Smoky Mountains, Tennessee – 77.8

Read more:

https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2020/07/top-us-area-buy-vacation-rental-home-panhandle?fbclid=IwAR0r-F-AIRu2ySvAL3WaqcENFkAW0PvVPC8xlOy8cNuJiZLJkQMYSsb4sOQ

 

Water Front Condos Search

https://www.easthillpensacola.com/search/results/?county=all&city=Navarre&city=Navarre+Beach&city=Pensacola&city=Pensacola+Beach&city=Perdido&city=Perdido+Key&city=Santa+Rosa+Beach&type=con&list_price_min=50000&list_price_max=all&short_sale=all&beds_min=all&baths_min=all&year_built_min=all&interior_features=all&exterior_features=all&waterfront_type=BAY&waterfront_type=BAYOU&waterfront_type=BEACH&waterfront_type=CANAL&waterfront_type=CREEK%2FSTREAM&waterfront_type=GULF&waterfront_type=INTERCOASTAL+WW&waterfront_type=INTRACOASTAL+WATERWAY&waterfront_type=LAGOON&waterfront_type=LAKE&waterfront_type=SOUND&waterfront_description=all&waterview_description=all

Posted in Real Estate Tips
July 19, 2020

Buyers should understand RESPA!

Real Estate Agents should adhere to RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Providers Act) rules. It is against federal law for a real estate professional to receive any type of compensation or reward (whether of monetary value or not) from a mortgage lender for referring clients to them. Any recommendations made must be based solely on the clients’ best interests.  I recommend my clients to certain loan processors based on relationship, ie: competitive rates, responsiveness, and straight forward communication.  If I seek after hour or weekend communication regarding lending or pre-qualifications regarding timely offers, I expect responses so deals can flow smoothly.  Use this HUD.GOV link below to search for an FHA approved lender of your choice.  By Kyle Kopytchak

 https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/lender/lenderlist    

Posted in Real Estate Tips
July 6, 2020

New Emotional Support Animal Law: What’s It All Mean?

By Meredith Caruso

This year, the Florida Legislature passed a bill affecting emotional-support animal guidance in Florida. The law creates new clarifications for emotional support animals. It’s important to understand exactly what it does – and does not – do.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Last month, Florida Realtors notified members of a new law, effective July 1, 2020, in relation to service animals. As mentioned in the article, the law was largely written to address the abuse of “online certificates,” which allege to be the gold standard in determining whether or not an animal is a “true” emotional support animal (ESA) or not.

This article breaks down the new law. More importantly, this hopefully helps Realtors understand what they can and cannot ask for if they’re handling rentals for landlords – and what a tenant stating the need for an ESA should be ready to provide.

A big takeaway? It can be found in this part of the law:

“An emotional support animal registration of any kind, including, but not limited to, an identification card, patch, certificate or similar registration obtained from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient information to reliably establish that a person has a disability or a disability-related need for an emotional support animal.”

Let’s break down the law:

Pursuant to Section 760.27 of the Florida Statutes, “it is unlawful to discriminate in the provision of housing to a person with a disability or disability-related need for, and who has at or at any time obtains, an emotional support animal.” Translation: If a prospective buyer or tenant has an ESA or, at any point time obtains an ESA, the housing provider may not discriminate on this basis.

A person, i.e. a buyer or tenant, with a disability or disability-related need must be allowed to keep the animal in his or her dwelling as a reasonable accommodation in housing. Additionally, they cannot be charged extra for the animal. In other words, you cannot charge a pet fee/deposit for an ESA. This part of the law effectively mirrors existing federal law. (Note: A person with a disability or a disability-related need is liable for any damage done to the premises or to another person on the premises by his or her ESA.)

So what can a housing provider ask of a person with an ESA? The statute breaks down what may be requested in relation to what the housing provider is trying to establish: One, that the person does, in fact, have a disability, and two, the disability-related need for an ESA. It’s important to note that this information could come from different sources.

First: Establishing the person has a disability

When not readily apparent, you are able to ask for “reliable information that reasonably supports that the person has a disability.” The statute goes on to list supporting information that may be provided, including:

  1. A determination of disability from any federal, state or local government agency
  2. Receipt of disability benefits or services from any federal, state or local government agency
  3. Proof of eligibility for housing assistance or a housing voucher received because of a disability
  4. Information from a qualified health care practitioner, telehealth provider or any other similarly licensed or certified practitioner or provider in good standing with his or her profession’s regulatory body in another state, but only if such out-of-state practitioner has provided in-person care or services to the tenant on at least one occasion. Such information is reliable if the practitioner or provider has personal knowledge of the person’s disability and is acting within the scope of his or her practice to provide the supporting information
  5. Information from any other source that the housing provider reasonably determines to be reliable in accordance with the federal Fair Housing Act and s. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

In other words, when a person’s disability isn’t readily apparent, a housing provider may request information to support the claim of a disability. This could come in various forms, i.e. receipt of disability benefits from the state or a letter from a treating health provider stating the person does in fact have a disability.

Second: establishing the need for an ESA

Again, when not readily apparent, you are able to ask for “reliable information that reasonably supports the person’s need for the particular emotional support animal being requested.” The statute clarifies that this information may include:

  1. Information identifying the particular assistance or therapeutic emotional support provided by the specific animal from a qualified health care practitioner, telehealth provider or any other similarly licensed or certified practitioner or provider in good standing with his or her profession’s regulatory body in another state. Such information is reliable if the practitioner or provider has personal knowledge of the person’s disability and is acting within the scope of his or her practice to provide the supporting information.
  2. Information from any other source that the housing provider reasonably determines to be reliable in accordance with the federal Fair Housing Act and s. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Namely, in establishing the need for a particular ESA, a housing provider may ask for evidence to show the need for the ESA itself. The law also states that if the person requests to keep more than one ESA, the housing provider can ask for information specific to each animal. This is in addition to being able to request proof of vaccinations.

The above paragraphs lay out what can be asked by a service provider. So now let’s look at what cannot be done with regards to requesting information on ESAs: Specifically, the new law states that a housing provider may not request information that may disclose or reveal the actual diagnosis or severity of a person’s disability. Nor can any medical records be requested relating to that disability. If the person, i.e. tenant or buyer, chooses to provide this information, that is at the discretion of that individual.

Additionally, while a housing provider may develop and make available to persons a “routine method” for receiving and processing reasonable accommodation requests for ESAs, a housing provider may not require the use of a specific form or notarized statement, or deny a request solely because a person did not follow the housing provider’s “routine method.”

As noted earlier, a major point under the new law: Some sort of certificate or other online registration obtained via the internet, by itself, is insufficient to establish that the person has a) a disability or b) a disability-related need for an ESA.

See also “Rules vs. Access When Screening for Assistance Animals” (Joel Maxson, March 2020 Florida Realtors Legal News).

Questions? Call Florida Realtors Legal Hotline, a free service included with membership.

© 2020 Florida Realtors®

June 20, 2020

Mortgage Rates Again Hit New Record Low – 3.13%

Last week, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 3.21%. The latest weekly FRM rate of 3.13% is the lowest recorded since Freddie Mac started tracking them in 1971.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week as the benchmark 30-year home loan reached a new all-time low.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average rate on the key 30-year loan declined to 3.13% from 3.21% last week. It was the lowest level since Freddie began tracking average rates in 1971. A year ago, the rate stood at 3.84%.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage eased to 2.58% from 2.62%.

In recent weeks, signs have pointed to the economy appearing to be slowly recovering from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, with more businesses partially reopening. The housing market has shown strength and robust homebuying demand, but it may be difficult to sustain because of the tight supply of homes available for sale, said Freddie Mac chief economist Sam Khater.

The outlook for the economy and housing will be affected by prospects for a vaccine for the virus and government relief measures and policies, Khater noted.

The government reported Thursday that about 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a historically high number, even as the economy increasingly reopens and employers bring some people back to work. The latest figure marked the 11th straight weekly decline in applications since they peaked at nearly 7 million in March.

Copyright © 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted in Real Estate Tips
Nov. 22, 2019

The Weekend List | November 22-24

Friday, 11/22

Friday Night Music & Dinner!
at Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop
Happy hour starts at 4pm through close! We'll be doing $3.00 wines, $2.00 & $3.00 select Craft Beers, & $2.00 Domestic Beers.
5:30-8:30pm

An Evening with Jordan Chase Torrez!
at The Vineyard
Pensacola’s Own THE VOICE & TEAM BLAKE MUSICAL TALENT will be LIVE ON STAGE at THE VINEYARD in EAST HILL. SEATING IS LIMITED!
Call for reservations at (850) 435-4567
Email for reservations: GlenHillFlorida@gmail.com
6-9pm

Saturday, 11/23

TRX 45
at Wild Lemon
8:30-9:15am

Donuts In The Park
at 12th and Gonzalez
9am 'til sold out

Contemporary Pilates
at Wild Lemon
9:30-10:30am

Holiday Bazaar
at The Garden Center - 1850 N 9th Ave
The Garden Center is the host for a Craft and Holiday Bazaar in support of the Garden Circles of the Pensacola Federation of Garden Clubs (PFGC). For sale expect to find handcrafted Items, plants, baked goods, jewelry, candles, cookbooks, garden art, floral arrangements, holiday decorations, and whatever else our talented men and women create. Proceeds support education and beautification projects in our area but also camperships at Camp Wekiva, local education, schools, and various other philanthropic causes.
More info here
8-2pm

Guided Meditation
at Wild Lemon
5-5:45pm

Sunday, 11/24

LIIT 45
at Wild Lemon
8:30-9:15am

Roll & Release
at Wild Lemon
9:30-10:30am

Bottomless Mimosa Brunch 
& Live Music

at Cafe Single Fin (Waterboyz)
Awesome food, acai bowls, smoothies, & coffee.
10am-2pm

Power Vinyasa Yoga
at Wild Lemon
11am-12pm

Game Day: Saints vs. Panthers
at The Vineyard
12pm

Wayward Sister: Live Music!
at Dolce & Gelato
Come have some gelato 🍧 and grab a drink while you listen to some great music. 
2-5pm

Puppy Yoga & Adoption Party
at Wild Lemon
Join us for a Puppy Yoga + Adoption Event to benefit Amazing Grace Bully Rescue! Amazing Grace currently has nearly 50 puppies available for adoption! Join us for a Puppy Yoga Class at 4 p.m., followed by a Puppy Adoption Party at 5 p.m. 100% of proceeds from class will be donated to Amazing Grace Bully Rescue.
Get Tickets Here!
4-5pm

Posted in Weekends
Nov. 15, 2019

The Weekend List | November 15-17

Friday, 11/15

Friday Night Music & Dinner!
at Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop
Happy hour starts at 4pm through close! We'll be doing $3.00 wines, $2.00 & $3.00 select Craft Beers, & $2.00 Domestic Beers.
5:30-8:30pm

Saturday, 11/16

TRX 45
at Wild Lemon
8-8:45am

Holiday Market
at St. Mark's Methodist Church
Come shop from local artists, crafters, and direct salespeople for the holidays. There will be free door prizes*! The church will also be selling bake sale treats.
9am-4pm

Pilates Mat
at Wild Lemon
9-9:45am

Pictures with Santa
at Dolce & Gelato
Bring your littles, bring your well-behaved pups, get your picture taken with our real live Santa... it’s a busy season, so we only get him briefly! Come let Santa know you’ve been good all year!
10-11:30am

Balanced Body Pilates Mat Module
at Wild Lemon
10am-6pm

Bike Pensacola's November Slow Ride
starts at Gulf Coast Kids House
-3401 N 12th Ave, Pensacola, FL 32503-
https://www.facebook.com/events/578420372899847/
For November our host is Gulf Coast Kid's House, and our sponsor is an anonymous slow rider who stepped-up to make sure we get to ride this month. This Ride is a great chance to learn more about the wonderful work that Gulf Coast Kid's House does for children in-need. We'll be riding through neighborhoods that include East Hill and Eastside.
2:30-4pm

Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre - "Caddy Shanked"
at The Vineyard
$45 - For reservations call: (850) 435-4567
6:30pm

Sunday, 11/17

LIIT 45
at Wild Lemon
8-8:45am

Roll & Release
at Wild Lemon
9-9:45am

Bottomless Mimosa Brunch 
& Live Music

at Cafe Single Fin (Waterboyz)
Awesome food, acai bowls, smoothies, & coffee.
10am-2pm

Balanced Body Pilates Mat Module
at Wild Lemon
10am-6pm

Game Day: Saints vs. Buccaneers
at The Vineyard
12pm

Holiday Trolley Tour
along 12th Avenue - East Hill
12:30-4:30pm
Come park along 12th Avenue and jump on the Free Holiday Trolley Tour! Just look for Trolley Stop signs, park, grab some food/drinks at your favorite place on the avenue. Many of your favorite 12th Avenue businesses will be open. There will be live music, specials, and so much more!
https://www.facebook.com/events/921675704900015/
12:30-4:30pm


Big Jim And The Speed Kings
at Dolce & Gelato
Come have some gelato 🍧 and grab a drink with one of Dolce’s Favorite Big Jim Brown and the speedkings!!!!
3-6pm

Posted in Weekends
Nov. 6, 2019

The Weekend List | November 8-10

Friday, 11/8

Jerry Dawson/P'cola Guitar Student Concert
at Dolce & Gelato
Local Guitarist Jerry Dawson of the White Tie Rock Ensemble presents a student music show! Come and enjoy the fantastic music by these talented students.
6-10pm

Friday Night Music & Dinner!
at Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop
Happy hour starts at 4pm through close! We'll be doing $3.00 wines, $2.00 & $3.00 select Craft Beers, & $2.00 Domestic Beers.
5:30-8:30pm

Saturday, 11/9

TRX 45
at Wild Lemon
8:30-9:15am

Contemporary Pilates
at Wild Lemon
9:30-10:30am

Joshua T. Merello + Sirocco in Pensacola
at Dolce & Gelato
Utilizing only his guitar and loop pedal, Joshua blends neo-classical, Latin, and blues stylings into one experience. Joshua is on tour promoting his debut release "Equilibrium."
12-2pm

College Football Saturday
at Wisteria Tavern
Beer specials:
$2.75 Natty Light, PBR & Narragansett
1:30-11:30pm

Classic June - Live Music
at The Vineyard
Classic June was formed in June of 2016 with Jesse Bumann on guitar, Chris Crowley on bass, and Nolan Costa on drums. We play a variety of genres, with a main focus on Classic Rock.
6:30-9:30pm

Sunday, 11/10

TRX 45
at Wild Lemon
8:30-9:15am

Roll & Release
at Wild Lemon
9:30-10:30am

Bottomless Mimosa Brunch 
& Live Music

at Cafe Single Fin (Waterboyz)
Awesome food, acai bowls, smoothies, & coffee.
10am-2pm

Game Day: Saints vs. Falcons
at The Vineyard
12pm

The Destiny Howard Duo
at Dolce & Gelato
Enjoy another musical Sunday at Dolce & Gelato. You’ve asked us to bring this duo back- so here they are. Join us for a great afternoon, wind down your week with a glass of wine or a Cappucino made with locally roasted coffee🍷🍺☕️
2-5pm

Restorative Yoga
at Wild Lemon
4-5pm

Posted in Weekends