Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Thursday's Daily Pulse

Florida a housing market to watch in 2014

Home price spikes in Las Vegas, Phoenix and other parts out west got most of the publicity this year, but Florida’s housing market will jump back into the national eye in 2014, according to the Home Buying Institute. Read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and see the report from the Home Buying Institute.

See also:
» Deep-Pocketed Institutions And All-Cash Buyers Are Driving The Housing Market
» Flood premiums threaten Florida's housing market


Radiation from Fukushima Daiichi disaster not an issue for Florida

At least for now, Florida diners can eat their tuna carpaccio and spicy tuna rolls without undue concerns despite reports that Japanese tuna has tested positive for radioactivity. More than two years after the tsunami that caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, heavy rains have brought on soaring radiation levels in groundwater under the nuclear plant. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]


Halloween spending expected to decline slightly this year

As temperatures drop and the economy sputters along, many Americans aren’t exactly in the mood to get their ghoul on this Halloween. For retailers, Halloween is an important revenue bridge between the crucial back-to-school and Christmas buying seasons. [Source: Miami Herald]


Remembering U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young and his legacy

The plans for the visitation and memorial service for Rep. C.W. Bill Young have become more detailed. Members of Congress will fly Thursday into the Tampa Bay area on U.S. Air Force aircraft, said Department of Defense spokesman Mark Wright. Read more details about the service here and read a remembrance of Rep. Young.


SEC releases long-awaited 'crowdfunding' rule

Entrepreneurs and start-up companies looking for backing will be able to solicit small investments over the Internet from the general public under a new proposal unveiled by U.S. regulators on Wednesday. [Source: Reuters]


ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Judge overturns ban on cast net fishing
A circuit court judge's ruling this week to halt enforcement of the state's constitutional amendment limiting net fishing in Florida's coastal waters felt like vindication for some commercial fishermen who have fought the ban for decades.

› Gov. Scott wants injury declaration for oyster industry
In a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Scott explained that the Florida Panhandle county is suffering a significant injury because of a failure of its commercial oyster fishery.

› Miami Jai-Alai heading for bankruptcy auction
The planned buyer of Casino Miami Jai-Alai will have a chance to purchase the facility in a bankruptcy auction, as the owner negotiates the terms of a deal that would let the buyer have first dibs on the property.

› Scott praises Gainesville’s job-creating success
After shoveling dirt at a groundbreaking in Alachua and attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony in downtown Gainesville on Wednesday morning, Gov. Rick Scott spoke at a luncheon where he told local business leaders that the Gainesville community is “doing very, very well” in its focus on creating jobs.


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› Miami-Dade malls at capacity, seek to add on
Occupancy in Miami-Dade’s larger malls is at full capacity and some have undergone or are planning for expansions, supported by improving economic trends. “We’re fully leased,” said Maria Prado, general manager at Dadeland Mall, which has torn down a structure and built a new 102,000-square-foot wing.

› Appeals court upholds PIP reforms
A state appeals court Wednesday upheld major changes to the state's personal injury protection law passed by lawmakers in 2012 designed to lower the cost of no-fault auto insurance.

› Bill would require Florida to buy, fly U.S.-made flags
U.S. and Florida flags purchased for public use by the state and local governments would have to be American-made, under a proposal by Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne.

› Cuba will phase out troublesome two-currency system
Cuba’s announcement that it will phase out a convoluted two-currency system that angered housewives and befuddled accountants for decades has given hope to consumers and economists.