Florida Realtors PAC Endorses Ashley Moody for U.S. Senate
Florida Realtors® made a splash at the recent Florida Realtors Annual Convention by formally endorsing U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody in her campaign to retain the Senate seat she currently holds. Moody, formerly Florida’s Attorney General, was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January to fill the vacancy left when Marco Rubio became U.S. Secretary of State [1][2]. Now she faces a special election in November 2026 to keep that seat. The endorsement from Florida Realtors PAC came with high praise. PAC Chair Marilyn Pearson-Adams noted that in her short time in the Senate, Moody “has shown a willingness to listen, to acknowledge, and address the needs of the communities she has served” and proven to be “a strong advocate for small businesses and working families”, championing policies for economic opportunity and tackling housing affordability [1][3]. Pearson-Adams highlighted Moody’s “critical support of recent tax legislation” that secured permanent tax breaks for homeowners and small businesses, eased burdensome regulations, and incentivized new development in Florida [3]. “We look forward to working with her in Congress,” she added [3]. This Florida Realtors PAC endorsement adds to a growing list of supporters for Moody (including an earlier nod from former President Donald Trump) and reflects confidence in her ability to advocate for Realtor® priorities in Washington [4].
Florida Realtors PAC Backs Lauren Melo for State Senate
In state politics, Florida Realtors PAC also threw its support behind Lauren Melo, a current State Representative, for the Florida Senate District 28 race in 2026. Melo, a Realtor® herself and small business owner from Naples, has been one of the real estate industry’s strongest champions in the Florida Legislature. With Senate President Kathleen Passidomo term-limited, Melo so far faces no opposition in the race to succeed Passidomo in this heavily Republican district [5][6]. The Florida Realtors PAC emphasized Melo’s deep industry knowledge and commitment in a statement: “As a Realtor and small business owner, Lauren Melo has built a successful career by helping Florida families find their piece of the American Dream… She shares our values of protecting private property rights, reducing burdensome regulations and expanding opportunities for home ownership… and she is the right choice for Senate District 28” [7]. During her three terms in the state House, Melo has focused on workforce programs, economic development, and affordable housing challenges [8]. She is also a past President of the Naples Area Board of Realtors, and Florida Realtors PAC had endorsed her in that initial House run [9]. With this new endorsement, Florida’s real estate community is signaling strong confidence in Melo’s ability to advocate for property owners and industry issues in the state Senate.
NAR Unveils New Consumer Guides on VA Loans and Moving
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has released two new consumer guidebooks aimed at helping homebuyers and sellers – particularly focused on military buyers and the moving process. The first guide, “What is the VA Home Loan Guaranty?”, breaks down the benefits of the VA home loan program for eligible veterans and service members [10]. It explains how VA-backed loans differ from conventional loans (for example, often requiring no down payment and offering lower interest rates) and outlines eligibility guidelines [10]. Notably, the guide addresses “Why should I use a real estate agent to help me with the purchase?” – highlighting that Realtors® understand the unique needs of veterans and can expertly guide them through one of life’s most significant financial transactions [11]. According to the guide, many Realtors have earned NAR’s Military Relocation Professional (MRP) certification to better serve veteran buyers, and recent legislation (the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act signed into law this year) has removed the old VA rule preventing veterans from paying real estate agent commissions [12]. This reform means VA buyers can now compete on a more level playing field in today’s housing market [12].
The second guide, “10 Tips for Packing Smartly for a Move,” offers practical advice to make the moving process less stressful [13]. Among its suggestions: give yourself plenty of time (at least a week to pack up a typical three-bedroom house) and tackle packing room-by-room from least-used to most-used [14]. “Pack up the least-used rooms first and pat yourself on the back. Leave the kitchen, bedding and main bathroom for last,” the guide advises [15]. By breaking the task into stages and starting with areas like spare bedrooms or storage spaces, movers can maintain access to daily essentials until the final days before the move. As with all of NAR’s consumer guides, these resources aim to empower consumers with information and underscore the value of working with a Realtor® throughout the home buying or selling journey [16]. All the consumer guides are available here on NAR’s website [17], and most can be downloaded in English or Spanish for use as handy reference handouts.
New Home Insurer Approved in Florida Market
Florida’s property insurance market – which has been rebuilding after recent reforms – just gained another player. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) announced approval of Viceroy Preferred Insurance Company as a new insurer to operate in the state [18]. This marks the 15th new property insurance carrier to enter Florida since lawmakers enacted sweeping insurance reforms in 2022 and 2023 aimed at curbing frivolous claims and lawsuits [18]. Viceroy Preferred Insurance has close ties to an existing Florida insurer: it shares its board of directors with Monarch National Insurance Co., and both companies are managed by HP Managing Agency – part of North Carolina-based Hale Partnership Capital Management [19]. In fact, Hale Partnership invested $15 million in 2022 to help Monarch assume 78,000 policies from the failed FedNat Insurance, a move that helped stabilize Monarch and avoid a wider insolvency crisis [20].
With OIR’s green light, Viceroy is set to offer homeowners and dwelling fire insurance coverage, and it promises to provide “broad coverage while maintaining competitive pricing,” according to Kerrie A. Ruland, senior vice president of HP Managing Agency [21]. Ruland expressed enthusiasm about adding “another option and additional capacity” for Florida consumers, noting that Monarch’s successful relaunch under new leadership paved the way for this affiliated new carrier [21]. Interestingly, unlike many new Florida startups, Viceroy will not be participating in Citizens Property Insurance depopulation programs – i.e. it won’t be taking over policies from the state-run insurer Citizens [22]. Instead, Ruland said Viceroy plans to grow organically by focusing on writing new policies in Florida’s east coast and inland counties where capacity is needed, working through its existing network of agents [22]. This strategy contrasts with Monarch and others, which have assumed tens of thousands of policies from Citizens in the effort to shrink that state insurer. Viceroy’s entry is seen as another positive sign of confidence in Florida’s insurance market post-reforms, increasing competition for homeowners coverage.
More Insurers Set to Assume Citizens Policies
Florida regulators continue efforts to depopulate Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state’s insurer of last resort. In late August, Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky approved proposals from five private insurance companies to assume up to 87,925 additional policies from Citizens in November and December 2025 [23]. This approval comes on the heels of an even larger depopulation wave authorized a month earlier, when nine insurers were cleared to take up to 428,947 Citizens policies between October and December [23]. These are maximum numbers; the actual number of policies that transfer will depend on policyholder acceptance and other factors. The “takeout” program is part of a strategy to reduce Citizens’ size and exposure, after the company’s policy count ballooned in recent years due to upheaval in Florida’s private insurance market [24]. (Citizens was created as a last-resort insurer, but as multiple private insurers failed or pulled back, Citizens became Florida’s largest property insurer by 2023 [24].)
Thanks to aggressive depopulation, Citizens’ total policy count has been dropping. It peaked at over 1.4 million policies in 2023, and as of the latest report is down to around 770,000 policies [25]. Each policy assumed by a private carrier potentially lessens the financial risk that all Floridians could face if a major hurricane hits. (If Citizens runs out of funds to pay claims after a disaster, it can levy assessments on insurance customers statewide, even those not insured by Citizens, to cover the shortfall [26].) Under state law, Citizens policyholders generally must accept a private insurer’s offer if the premium is no more than 20% higher than their Citizens renewal, which means many homeowners will see policies moved (often at higher cost) as depopulation continues [27]. The latest round of takeouts in November–December will be carried out by insurers including Manatee Insurance, Monarch National, Universal North America, Slide Insurance, and Trident (each approved for a certain number of policies) [28]. State leaders and regulators are pushing these transfers to mitigate the systemic risk of an overextended Citizens, though they acknowledge it’s a balancing act to ensure homeowners can still find affordable coverage in the private market [26].
Florida Ranked No. 2 “Most Fun State” in America
If you’re looking for fun and recreation, Florida is second to none – well, second to California, according to a new WalletHub study. In WalletHub’s “2025’s Most Fun States in America” rankings, Florida earned the No. 2 spot nationwide (with California at No. 1) [29][30]. WalletHub’s analysis compared all 50 states on 26 metrics of entertainment, nightlife, and recreation, ranging from the number of attractions and restaurants to movie costs and accessibility of parks [31]. Florida scored exceptionally well in many categories. In fact, the Sunshine State leads the country in the number of restaurants, amusement parks, arcades, and music festivals per capita [32]. It also boasts the fourth-most overall attractions (from beaches to theme parks and beyond) of any state, and the seventh-best variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments per capita [33].
WalletHub analyst Chip Lup noted that living in a “fun” state can have real benefits. “Living in one of the most fun states can boost your mental, physical, and emotional health by giving you a wide range of activities to choose from, both indoor and outdoor,” Lup explained, adding that such states “help residents stay active and socialize, and they’re also ideal for travelers who want to make the most out of the limited time they have to explore.” [34] Florida certainly offers that active, social lifestyle: beyond the theme parks and nightlife, the state has some natural advantages. It ranks 12th in the nation for overall weather quality (think year-round sunshine), and it has more coastline and boating opportunities than almost anywhere – in fact, Florida has the most marinas per capita of any state and the second-most miles of shoreline (only Alaska has more) [35]. Floridians also invest in their fun, spending nearly $2,300 per year on recreation expenses on average, according to WalletHub’s data [36]. All told, Florida’s mix of climate, attractions, and activities solidify it as one of America’s top playgrounds for both residents and visitors. (For the curious, West Virginia ended up 50th in WalletHub’s rankings, making it the “least fun” state, while our neighbor Georgia came in 21st and Alabama 40th.) [37]
Sources:
- Realtors back Ashley Moody for U.S. Senate…
- Realtors back Ashley Moody for U.S. Senate…
- Realtors back Ashley Moody for U.S. Senate…
- Realtors back Ashley Moody for U.S. Senate…
- ‘The right choice’: Florida Realtors PAC backs Lauren Melo
- ‘The right choice’: Florida Realtors PAC backs Lauren Melo
- ‘The right choice’: Florida Realtors PAC backs Lauren Melo
- ‘The right choice’: Florida Realtors PAC backs Lauren Melo
- ‘The right choice’: Florida Realtors PAC backs Lauren Melo
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Launches Guides for Moving, VA Home Loans
- NAR Consumer Guides – The Facts
- Another Home Insurer Cleared for Florida
- Another Home Insurer Cleared for Florida
- Another Home Insurer Cleared for Florida
- Another Home Insurer Cleared for Florida
- Another Home Insurer Cleared for Florida
- More Insurers Approved to Take Citizens Policies
- More Insurers Approved to Take Citizens Policies
- More Insurers Approved to Take Citizens Policies
- More Insurers Approved to Take Citizens Policies
- More Insurers Approved to Take Citizens Policies
- More Insurers Approved to Take Citizens Policies
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
- Florida Stands Out For Fun, Recreation
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