By Joseph E. Seagle, Esq.

👋 Happy Friday! Today is National 🥒 Pickleball ☄️ Day. Break a leg!

❗️Situation Awareness: I will be speaking on Land Trusts & Asset Protection for Real Estate Investors on August 12 to the South Tampa Subgroup of Tampa Bay REIA. For more information and to register: [email protected] On August 14, I’ll be speaking on How to Protect Yourself and Save Tons of Money with Land Trusts from 6 to 9 pm at 1707 Orlando Central Parkway in Orlando.

1 big thing: 🏘️ Senate Banking Advances First Major Bipartisan Housing Package in a Decade

The Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee unanimously advanced (24–0) the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, a sweeping bipartisan housing reform bill led by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)—their first such bill in over a decade (justthenews.com, taxcreditcoalition.org).

🔍 Why it matters for Florida real estate pros

• Addressing a massive inventory shortage: Florida continues to face high demand with insufficient listing supply. The bill targets zoning reform, modular and prefab housing expansion, and streamlined environmental reviews to accelerate construction (therealdeal.com).

• More affordable rentals and FHA-like units: It permanently authorizes the HOME program, removes caps on the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), retools Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), and boosts banks’ ability to invest in affordable housing from 15 % to 20 % (taxcreditcoalition.org).

• Streamlining compliance and appraisals: The package includes measures to modernize appraiser workforce training, reduce delays, and simplify inspections (quiverquant.com).

• Innovation Fund to spur infrastructure: A $1 billion Innovation Fund would award up to $200 million annually to local jurisdictions that streamline zoning and build housing (washingtonpost.com).

⚡ What’s next

The bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote, and is expected to pass before Congress adjourns in August (therealdeal.com). Advocacy groups across real estate, lending, homelessness, and mortgage banking have let lawmakers know this is a welcome step (housingwire.com).

🔧 Actionable takeaways for Florida professionals

• Realtors & Investors: Monitor new zoning frameworks and modular housing funding tied to local incentive programs. Watch for Opportunity Zone updates.

• Mortgage Brokers & Lenders: Track increased LIHTC capacity and bank public welfare investment limits rising to boost affordable housing lending and partnerships.

• Inspectors: Stay aware of NEPA “right-sizing” and inspection reforms reducing delays on small and infill developments.

• Builders & Developers: Explore prefab and modular models. Pursue local infrastructure funding tied to streamlined permitting.

This MOVE signals strong federal momentum—especially critical as land constraints and population growth make every affordable unit in Florida harder to deliver.

2. US economy drifting toward stagflation

The big picture: Wall Street strategists are increasingly warning the U.S. is sliding toward stagflation—a combination of sluggish growth, stubborn inflation, and soft labor markets—following the implementation of sweeping new tariffs yesterday. For Florida’s real estate sector, this means navigating higher costs, uncertain interest rate policy, and shifting buyer sentiment.

Driving the news:

• New tariffs announced by President Donald Trump are expected to raise costs for imported goods, with the impact already starting to show in inflation data.

• CPI in June rose 2.7% year-over-year; July’s reading is projected at 2.8%, still well above the Fed’s 2% target.

• The July jobs report showed hiring cooling in recent months, prompting initial market bets on rate cuts—but strategists caution that inflationary pressure from tariffs could reverse those expectations.

• Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said tariffs could force the Fed to raise rates instead of cutting, calling them “such an unknown right now.”

Why it matters for Florida real estate pros:

• Construction and materials: Tariff-driven price increases on imports could push up building costs, squeezing developer margins on residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects.

• Financing volatility: The 10-year Treasury yield sits at 4.22% as markets weigh conflicting signals. Mortgage rates could swing sharply if the Fed pivots between cutting to stimulate growth and hiking to control inflation.

• Market confidence: Slower job creation and higher consumer costs could dampen demand, particularly among first-time buyers and price-sensitive segments.

By the numbers:

• CPI (June): +2.7% | Expected (July): +2.8%.

• U.S. dollar: down 8% vs. major peers in 2025.

• S&P 500: multiple record highs this year despite macro headwinds.

• 10-year Treasury yield: 4.22%.

Expert take:

What to watch:

• Tuesday’s CPI release for confirmation of persistent inflation.

• Fed statements for clues on whether rate cuts remain likely.

• Florida-specific construction and employment data to track local resilience.

Bottom line: Stagflation complicates decision-making. Florida real estate players should budget for higher costs, lock in financing early, and be prepared for slower absorption rates. Flexibility and cautious optimism will be essential to weathering this economic cycle.

Don’t put mortgaged property into a land trust without watching this short explanation first.

 Listen in or watch on your favorite streaming platform.

3. Catch up fast

1. Florida housing market cools Florida Real Estate WireTrump taps Miran for Fed seat, stirring interest in short-term policy shift and central bank reform MPAMag

2. Home prices fall in Florida Axios

3. Judge stops Citizens Insurance from forcing claim disputes into binding arbitration Orlando Sentinel

4. Jacksonville raises the fee to appeal property tax valuations from $15 to $50 News4Jax

5. Homeowners finally accepting the reality that 3% mortgage rates aren’t coming back Fast Company

6. Orlando's Housing Market Suffers Same Fate as Other Florida Cities Newsweek

7. Citizens Property Insurance defeats late hurricane claims in a decisive Florida court ruling Insurance Business Magazine

4. Closing Thought: Clean Driveways, Clean Strategy

A successful entrepreneurial pressure washer learned through trial and error that he got more business from clients whose driveways are already clean than their neighbors whose driveways were dirty. So he started leaving ads only at houses in nice neighborhoods with the cleanest driveways. He “cleaned up” so to speak.

🚿 One Big Thing:

Your best customers already value what you offer — your job is to remind them why they care and make it easy for them to say yes.

Why it matters:

The small pressure washing business nails a lesson too many entrepreneurs overlook: marketing to people who already care is 10x more effective than trying to convince someone who doesn’t. When he switched from targeting the dirtiest driveways to the cleanest ones, his business grew — because people who already invest in curb appeal are more likely to invest again.

💡 The takeaway for real estate pros:

Whether you’re wholesaling houses, flipping properties, or raising capital for a syndication, your ideal clients are already doing something that shows they care.

• Sellers who keep a property immaculate? They likely value high-quality transactions.

• Investors who ask about depreciation or 1031s? They value long-term planning.

• Buyers who ask about zoning and future land use? They care about upside.

🧭 What to do next:

1. Identify the behavior that signals someone already values what you offer.

2. Design your marketing to meet them where they’re already active — not where you wish they were.

3. Offer continuity, not conversion. You’re not changing minds; you’re reinforcing priorities.

Bottom line:

Stop throwing your card on messy driveways — or into the wrong inboxes. Start showing up for the people who already think like you do. That’s not just smart marketing. That’s how you build a business with clients who stay, refer, and pay.

We hope you found this helpful — any feedback is appreciated and can be shared by hitting reply or using the feedback feature below.

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