Real estate in Northeast Florida is as hot as a typical July afternoon -- with heated demand and sizzling prices in many cases and in most places. "It is a hot market," says John Holbrook, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway Chaplin Williams Realty on Amelia Island.
Local officials are seeing dollar signs -- as tax receipts erupt like an oil gusher from rising property values around Nassau County. And government types are inclined to find creative ways to spend these newfound dollars. Like on wasteful projects... Continue Reading →
If you wanted to play the Powerball or Mega Millions lottery games in Illinois last week, you were out of luck. The beleaguered state cancelled the high-stakes games. Even if you had played and won, you would have still been out of luck, however -- Illinois could not pay your winnings. The state is that... Continue Reading →
It took four years to build the Golden Gate Bridge, along with 1.2 million steel rivets and 80,000 miles of wire inside the suspension cables. The famous bridge was completed in 1937, strung together by enough wire to stretch across the U.S. nearly 30 times. But how long would it take to complete a similar... Continue Reading →
Three loud pops, in succession like gunshots, riddled the muggy air in downtown Orlando Tuesday night. People walking on South Orange Street scurried for cover. Workers in a pizza shop raced for the kitchen or ducked behind the counter. There was brief chaos, confusion. I saw it personally. Fortunately, it was false alarm. The pops... Continue Reading →
Harvard University is hardly considered a bastion of conservatism. So when a Harvard study finds that 80 percent of the national media coverage of President Donald Trump has been negative, it resonates like a trending tweet. The study looked into political coverage in major newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post, and... Continue Reading →
The long metal legs appear out of place next to the wooden pilings of the landmark pier at Amelia By the Sea condominiums. The metal legs, three of them, are temporary, serving as a crutch to help rebuild 90 feet of the pier -- ravaged by Hurricane Matthew. These legs will then walk, and ultimately... Continue Reading →
Most Americans cannot name a former FBI director -- except possibly J. Edgar Hoover. And then there's James Comey. Comey has emerged a household name synonymous with political controversy. And he is now the former FBI director, after being dismissed from his lofty position by President Donald Trump this week. Comey captivated the country when... Continue Reading →
Here is a timely riddle: What do Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and the U.S. real estate market have in common? The answer is that no one can explain their longevity and extraordinary performance, as compared with normal standards. However, the careers of Bonds and Rodriguez were dismissed and tarnished because of alleged use of steroids.... Continue Reading →
Arthur Laffer is laughing, with giddiness. He is truly tickled. You see, the economic advisor to former President Ronald Reagan is ecstatic over progress he sees in technology, in medicine, in the overall standard of living in America. "It's just astounding what has happened," Laffer says. "I'm just awfully impressed and pleased by the progress."... Continue Reading →
Steve's Marketplace 