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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida foreclosure backlog hits a low
Courts throughout Florida are moving foreclosures through the system at a faster clip, with the current backlog of cases now the smallest since the housing crisis began. But more than 250,000 pending defaults continue to clog financially strained judicial systems from Miami to Pensacola. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Fed head: South Florida economy to improve in 2014
With the U.S. economy expected to grow at its best clip since the recovery from the Great Recession began four years ago, South Florida's prospects are at least as good — if not brighter, said Dennis Lockhart, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve in Atlanta. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Will More Corporations Follow Hertz To Florida's Low Taxes?
Earlier this year, the Hertz Corporation – a Fortune 300 company and the world’s largest airport rental car business – announced that it would move its corporate headquarters from its 25-year home in Bergen County, New Jersey to the Southwest Florida city of Estero. While critics will say this is just another run of the mill business migration, it actually holds greater significance than reported. [Source: Forbes]
Related:
» Hertz groundbreaking drives positive national press for Florida business climate
Analyzing Florida's teacher evaluation results
Why are we doing this again? That’s a question people are asking around the state after seeing the second statewide batch of teacher evaluation data this week. Nearly 98 percent of teachers earned ratings of “highly effective” or “effective.” And the percentage of teachers earning the top rating increased to one in three statewide from one in five teachers the prior year. [Source: StateImpact Florida]
See also:
» Both sides in teacher evaluation debate need dose of reality
Eco-friendly construction giant faces attacks
Legislation and executive orders in several states have all but banned Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) from public contracts, and a new system known as Green Globes has emerged and marketed itself as a simpler, less expensive alternative. [Source: AP]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Orlando Predators leaving downtown to play at UCF
The team's relocation from the city-owned Amway Center to the CFE Arena follows quarrels with Orlando officials over advertising revenue and management of the facility. In September, the city declared the team in default on its lease at the Amway Center.
› Citizens continues to shed policies
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has approved up to 151,249 more homeowner policies to be taken out of Citizens in February in a process known as “depopulation.” Meanwhile, officials at Citizens wait to find out how many of the 160,683 policyholders who were shifted to private carriers last month remain with their new coverage providers.
› Funds cut Florida disability service wait list in half
Earlier this year, the Legislature approved $36 million to move approximately 750 individuals off the waiting list and start receiving services. But Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he now expects those funds to reach approximately 1,600 people.
› Related Group hosts Art Basel event involving pianos
The Related Group is hosting Pop-Up Piano Miami’s free "Hyde & Seek" Pop-Up Concert Series at three of their pre-construction locations including the site of the recently launched Paraiso Bay, the upcoming Hyde Midtown and the SLS Brickell hotel/condo project.
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