S & J Journal

Homeowners are showing a bigger appetite for smart home technology. Nearly half of consumers – 46% – say it's important their current home or the next home they purchase have smart home technology, according to a survey of nearly 2,500 consumers, conducted by ERA Real Estate and HGTV . Survey respondents had recently participated in an HGTV national focus group on smart home technology. Homeowners and buyers say they see the value in smart home technology for comfort, safety, and cost savings, and 51% surveyed say they would consider installing smart home technology in their home to make their home more marketable to future home buyers. The younger segment of the millennial generation is the most likely age group to spend money on smart home technology – 10 times more likely than the percentage of generation X members who say they'd consider adding smart home technology to their homes, the survey reported. "While still a growing trend, smart home enhancements have...

Through September of 2014, Miami had the No. 8 new construction market in the country. According to fresh numbers from Dodge Data & Analytics , Miami’s construction starts for the first nine months of 2014 totaled $6 billion, an strong 19 percent increase over the same period in 2013. Indeed, such numbers are consistent with what we constantly hear from real estate professionals. As Claudio Stivelman , the CEO of S2 Development, explained to us, “Unlike 2007, this development cycle is being carefully guarded by the development industry. Builders and lenders alike have learned to avoid speculation by vetting projects and making sure they are financially sound and secure prior to breaking ground … the demand and strength of the domestic and foreign economies continue to allow Miami to become one of the most sought after markets in the country.” Read more at Miami Agent magazine .

 Join Us for a Discussion of Education Feform in Florida's Public Schools What is Common Core?  How about the Sunshine State Standards?  Join the Good Government Initiative as we discuss the pros and cons of the latest attempt at education reform in Florida's public schools - the benefits, the politics, and what the future holds. Featuring: Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher and Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard, Miami-Dade Public Schools Board Member Raquel Regalado, and University of Miami's School of Education and Human Development Senior Associate Dean Walter Secada. Moderated by President and CEO of the Good Government Initiative Katy Sorenson. 11:30 am registration, 12 noon lunch and 12:30 pm conversation Register Now! $35 Individual Ticket $50 GGI Contributor $20 ECOB (Engaged Citizen on a Budget) $10 Student (with valid I.D.) Monday November 24, 2014 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 ...

Florida had more cash sales in the third quarter of 2014 than any other U.S. state, and a closer look at metro areas finds five Florida cities in the top five – and eight in the top 10. The data includes both single-family homes and condos. According to RealtyTrac'sQ3 2014 U.S. Institutional Investor & Cash Sales Report, the state also has four of the top 10 cities for cash sales by institutional investors – buyers who purchase 10 or more homes per year. In the third quarter (July-September), over half of all Florida sales (53.5 percent) were all-cash. Only Maine came close with 50.0 percent, followed by Alabama with 42.2 percent. Still, the percentage of all-cash Florida sales has declined over time. In the second quarter it was 57.6 percent; a year earlier, it was 56.2 percent. Drilling down by metro area, Florida is also home to the U.S. leader: In Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, two out of three sales are all-cash (59.1 percent), though in both the quarter and a ...

People from other countries and other states are pouring into Florida again, a sign of the state's recovery from a long period of economic doldrums and slow growth. Recently released U.S. Census numbers show that Florida's foreign-born population increased by 140,000 from 2010 through last year. And movement within the United States left Florida with a net gain of 105,000 residents last year and 109,000 in 2012 — 84% more than in the previous two years. The population surge has accelerated this year, according to state estimates, growing at a rate of about 700 new residents a day. That's a healthy increase, though still less than the big migrations during the Sunbelt boom of past decades. For many job seekers, South Florida has become a hip beachside destination with a nexus of entrepreneurs, investors, a big consumer market and a gateway to Latin America. Read more at Sun-Sentinel.com

With 8,000 baby boomers expected to retire daily for the next several years in the U.S., Southwest Florida stands to benefit from a massive influx of home buyers, the chief economist of the National Association of Realtors believes. Lawrence Yun said the baby boom influx will not be just from the U.S. states, because the phenomenon was not limited to America. "After the war, servicemen came home and started having babies," Yun told an audience of 200 Wednesday at the annual Sarasota International Real Estate Conference. "The same thing happened all over the world." Already, half of all foreigners who buy real estate in Florida are retired. In all, foreign buyers make up about 10% of the state's buyers, Yun noted, though locally that figure may be higher. While German buyers tend to acquire property in Naples—partly because there's a direct flight from Dusseldorf to Southwest Florida International Airport outside Fort Myers—Sarasota attracts ...

Starting October 5th, the Coral Gables branch of Miami-Dade County Public Libraries will be open: Monday-Friday , and  Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday  and Wednesday 12:00 noon - 8 p.m. Closed on Thursdays 3443 Segovia Street Coral Gables, FL 305 442 8706