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Citizens Property Insurance grilled about rate hike request
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 8, 2010 4:05 pm
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. officials were questioned Tuesday about the insurer's request for an average 8.4 percent statewide rate hike. That includes an average increase of as much as 11.3 percent in parts of South Florida and a 9.3 percent …
HUD sends $40 million in foreclosure aid to 16 communities across Palm, Broward
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 8, 2010 3:51 pm
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday awarded an additional $1 billion in funding to states and communities hit hard by the foreclosure debacle. Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach and Miramar are among 16 local governments in…
Killer whale dies unexpectedly at SeaWorld San Diego
Source: Sentinel
Sep 8, 2010 1:57 pm
Sad news out of SeaWorld San Diego, as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment announced last night that a 12-year-old killer whale named Sumar died unexpectedly. SeaWorld said trainers noticed that the male orca began “acting lethargic” Monday aftern…
Is latest government plan for underwater borrowers just more red tape?
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 8, 2010 12:00 pm
Arguably the most revealing part of the Obama administration's latest plan for underwater borrowers is contained deep in an Associated Press story. “Government officials acknowledge that getting the plan going will be complicated.” Let's just s…
FDLE review of FPL complaints finds no criminal misconduct but ethical questions remain
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 7, 2010 8:30 pm
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement ended a 7-month review of anonymous complaints about Florida Power & Light. An FDLE report the Sun Sentinel obtained Tuesday concludes state police found no evidence of criminal wrong-doing by FPL managers b…
Home loan defaults rock Broward County since 2007
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 7, 2010 5:25 pm
South Florida is hurtling toward $65 billion in residential loan defaults since 2007, CondoVultures.com says in a report Tuesday. Broward County leads the tri-county region with $26.5 billion in past-due loans on 110,571 foreclosure filings in the …
FPL gets green light on $31 million in nuclear costs
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 7, 2010 5:10 pm
The Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved allowing Florida Power & Light to charge customers $31 million next year for nuclear costs. The commission backpedaled on a recent decision to require FPL executives to answer regulators' questions o…
FIU study finds growing job gaps for blacks, low-wage workers
Source: Post
Sep 7, 2010 1:53 pm
Florida International University's annual Labor Day look at the state's job market finds growing gaps between the rich and the poor and between white workers and blacks and Hispanics. "The last several years have been extremely hard ones for Florida…
Falling home prices mean historically low mortgage rates don’t look so low
Source: Post
Sep 3, 2010 7:22 pm
When is a rock-bottom mortgage rate not a good deal? When the price of the house backing the mortgage goes down. Economist Tony Villamil, dean of St. Thomas University's business school, notes that historically cheap mortgages don't seem so cheap to…
Product Review: Wisair Wireless PC to HD TV converter
Source: Herald
Sep 3, 2010 6:33 pm
The Wisair Wireless PC to HD TV converter is a handy solution for watching Web videos on a TV -- if you have a computer that can handle video well.
AT&T U-Verse gains Spanish-language channels, loses Hallmark
Source: Herald
Sep 3, 2010 5:27 pm
AT&T's U-verse television service has added 19 Spanish-language channels to its offerings this week, with a total of 52 channels in Spanish. To access the added cable channels, customers need either the Paquete Español package of 46 channels, or the…
Ask a real estate pro: What's driving up closing costs?
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 3, 2010 12:00 pm
Louis Spagnuolo of WCS Lending in Boca Raton answers reader questions about the housing market. To ask a question that Louis may answer next week, click here. Q: I just bought a new home but did not see any difference in costs compared with my last …
‘One-man show’ at Immokalee bank costs FDIC $353 million
Source: Post
Sep 2, 2010 8:38 pm
Without naming names, the FDIC blames the failure of Florida Community Bank of Immokalee on the bank’s longtime CEO. “From the early 1990s through 2009, Florida Community was influenced by a dominant official who over time held the titles of Pre…
Sept. 3 deadline looms for filing Chinese drywall claims
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 2, 2010 8:20 pm
Homeowners with tainted Chinese drywall have until 5 p.m. Friday (Sept. 3) to be included in the lawsuit filed in federal court against foreign drywall manufacturers and other parties. Boca Raton attorney Allison Grant says this may be the last time…
Pending home sales rise in July
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 2, 2010 5:08 pm
Pending home sales increased 5 percent in July from June but remain 19 percent lower than a year ago, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Pending sales are written contracts that have yet to close. Writes housing analyst Mike Larso…
Here's an idea: Banks, borrowers help each other out of Housing Hell
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 2, 2010 3:27 pm
Yale economist Robert Shiller said this week the government needs to come up with more "inspirational" housing policies. Read the Wall Street Journal's account here. Shiller, who helped create the respected Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price …
Verizon and Florida Highway Patrol launch danger thumbs campaign
Source: Herald
Sep 2, 2010 3:26 pm
Verizon Wireless and the Florida Highway Patrol launched a "Danger Thumbs" campaign, traveling to high schools to talk about the dangers of texting while driving. The first stop for this is my old high school, Charles W. Flanagan High in...
After decline in 2009, population growth returns to Florida, but just barely
Source: Post
Sep 2, 2010 3:22 pm
In 2009, Florida’s population fell for the first time since the 1940s. In 2010, population growth returned, although at a modest pace, the University of Florida says today. The Sunshine State added an estimated 21,285 people from 2009 to 2010. Flo…
Deal-A-Day group coupons are growing fast in South Florida
Source: Herald
Sep 2, 2010 1:11 pm
Looking for a price break on services? The group coupon trend is growing fast, with more South Florida options than even a few months ago.
WTF is the name of the new tech coworking space in Fort Lauderdale
Source: Herald
Sep 1, 2010 6:53 pm
It's not a question. WTF (White Table Foundation) is a new co-working space for technology entrepreneurs and creative professionals in Fort Lauderdale. Located at 1109 Las Olas, the new space includes a common office area and two private offices. Cha…
Save the date: CFHLA’s 9/11 breakfast
Source: Sentinel
Sep 1, 2010 4:07 pm
The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association is hosting its annual Patriot Day Community Breakfast on Friday, September 10. The event remembers victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and recognizes regional “first responders.” …
HUD program gives governments, nonprofits chance to beat investors to punch on foreclosed homes
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 1, 2010 3:55 pm
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday announced an agreement with top mortgage lenders to offer local governments and nonprofits the chance to buy foreclosed homes before they’re made available to private investors. “…
AirTran Airways signs 7-year lease for Atlanta airport
Source: Sentinel
Sep 1, 2010 3:46 pm
Orlando-based AirTran Airways said it has reached a deal with the city of Atlanta on a 7-year lease at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. AirTran, which runs much of its operations from its primary hub in Atlanta, said the long-term le…
Palm Beach County apartment rents rise, vacancies fall
Source: Post
Sep 1, 2010 2:24 pm
Apartment rents rose slightly in the first half of 2010, real estate brokerage Marcus & Millichap says. The average asking rent for so-called Class A apartment complexes in Palm Beach County was $1,075 a month this year, up 1.3 percent from a year a…
What effect have foreclosures had on your neighborhood?
Source: Sun-Sentinel
Sep 1, 2010 12:00 pm
A two-day national summit on foreclosures begins Wednesday at the Federal Reserve in Washington. The Fed says the event will highlight strategies that nonprofit organizations, lenders, federal officials and local governments can employ to reduce the…