Tuesday's Daily Pulse
Mansions making a move in the market again
They are not moving like during the boom — and probably never will. But mansions — homes of 10,000 square feet or more — are seeing a resurgence, a rarified sign that the market might have found its footing. It has been a slow climb back for the mansion market, a return journey from a long fall. It's not that the people who buy these homes were laid low by the Great Recession. But they certainly felt less wealthy and out of the buying mood. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Lawsuits flying over Florida's redistricting
Florida's legislature has released its new legislative and congressional maps as part of the once-every-decade redistricting process, and the lawsuits are already flying. Democrats and watchdog groups say the new maps violate constitutional amendments that require districts to be drawn without regard to political parties or incumbents. The process is likely to be tied up in the courts for months, but the proposed maps are already having an impact. [Source: NPR]
» Immunity bill for lawmakers abruptly dropped
» Foreclosure fast track bill moves forward
» Miami-Dade’s wage-theft protection program survives in Legislature, for now
» Move to amend Constitution acts against public interest
» Senate Committee Denies In-State Tuition For Thousands of Youth
» Florida early learning bills on move, despite spar over standards
» University of Florida, Florida State could get power to charge higher tuition
For boomers, it's a new era of "work til you drop"
78 million U.S. Baby Boomers had the misfortune of approaching retirement age at a time when stock market crashes diminished their 401(k) nest eggs, companies began eliminating defined benefit pensions in record numbers and previously unimagined technical advances all but eliminated entire job descriptions from travel agent to telephone operator. At the same time, companies began moving other jobs overseas, to be filled by people willing to work for far less and still able to connect to the U.S. market in real time. [Source: AP]
Pet Shots Cheap has 'no time to paws'
Husband-and-wife business owners David and Patricia Watkins have a business model that plays into the recession: They offer deep discounts on a service people need but tend to cut back on in hard times — vaccines for pets. The Jacksonville couple launched their mobile service, Pet Shots Cheap, in 2009. More...
 David and Patricia Watkins' discount pet care business was profitable after one year. |
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› 10 tips to consider before selling your business [Miami Herald]
A common mistake is to wait until the day you decide to sell your business to begin preparing, and by then, you may have lost a great planning opportunity. So, if you plan on selling today or any time in the foreseeable future, here are a few tips.
› Concept home in Florida designed for a new generation of buyers [Tribune Newspapers]
Houses are getting smaller. No, houses are getting larger.
And "green" building is hot. Well, no, actually — green cooled off before it even got warm.
Such were the conflicting messages at the recent International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla., where the recession-bitten homebuilding industry engaged in its annual scramble to find something, anything, that will resuscitate it.
› Kennel club sets record: biggest poker tournament in the state [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
A dog track battling to remain competitive has set a record for the biggest poker tournament in the state.
The Palm Beach Kennel Club attracted 2,607 entrants to a tournament over the weekend, smashing the previous mark of 1,600 set in August at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.
› 16 finalists announced for Cade Museum Prize [Gainesville Sun]
Judges have selected the Sweet 16 finalists for the third annual Cade Museum Prize.
Different sets of judges will choose the Final Four to be announced April 23 and the winner of the $50,000 grand prize during a May 11 event.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Jacksonville business women's group wants to provide 'makeover' to local small business [Florida Times-Union]
The Jacksonville Women’s Business Center is hoping to find the right local business to give an $8,000 makeover.
It’s part of the Small Business Super Makeover video contest that started Feb. 13. Shops and companies from throughout the First Coast business community will contribute to help cover the $8,000 package that will help the winning business makeover their operations.
› No deal out of Genshaft-Alexander USF funding meeting [Tampa Bay Times]
University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft and Sen. JD Alexander met for about an hour Monday but failed to reach an agreement on the university's proposed budget for next year.
Genshaft and Alexander both described the conversation as fruitful but failed to reveal many details about the meeting.
› South Florida arts lovers can tweet from their seats [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Tara Gustman couldn't resist pecking away Twitter updates on her iPhone during a recent performance of "Madama Butterfly."
"Orchestra just made me jump out of my seat!" read one of her 35 tweets to her 460 virtual followers.
Gustman had a "tweet seat" for the Palm Beach Opera, one of several performing arts companies around the country providing in-house zones where patrons can use their cellphones to share thoughts during a show, using Twitter.
› Smaller companies seen as key to regaining high-paying manufacturing jobs in Orlando [Orlando Sentinel]
Although Orlando hasn't experienced the recent comeback in factory jobs that has occurred statewide and nationwide, newer manufacturers in the region have at least helped bring some stability during the past year to a sector battered by recession and the economy's slow recovery, industry officials say.
› Students build robots, race electric cars at UCF Engineers Week [Orlando Sentinel]
University of Central Florida engineering students are showcasing their technical prowess this week by building robots that march in line, racing homemade electric cars, and duct-taping their buddies to a wall to show the wonders of products designed by engineers.
?