The Right Day but the Wrong Month
The day before my return flight to Florida, I tried to check in on a computer provided by the hotel. I accessed the Delta Airlines’ website and found my itinerary but when I went to check in, I was blocked from doing so. Realizing that part of my trip was on Northwest, who recently merged with Delta, I went to the Northwest website. Again, I found my itinerary but this time, the site redirected me to Delta. I believed that I was trapped between the two computer systems; however, since I had seat assignments, I wasn’t worried.

BSO undercover sting targets unlicensed contractors
By: Diane C. Lade, Sun Sentinel

A man in a tropical print shirt is buying a foreclosed Cooper City home for his daughter. She stands nearby, in the gutted kitchen, as her dad discusses renovations with a contractor he's contacted through online classifieds.

The father writes down the jobs they've negotiated on a sheet of notebook paper. They have just agreed on a price -- when a bedroom door bangs open and two men in black bulletproof vests storm shouting into the kitchen.

"Broward Sheriff's Office!"

The contractor – who, it turns out, is unlicensed -- is handcuffed and hauled away.

Click on Full Story for links to this week's breaking news.

Political Races
On November 3, Florida Senator Paula Dockery (R-Lakeland) announced she was running to be Florida’s next Governor, taking on Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican Primary. Dockery , 48, claims she is giving voters a “fresh face to consider” and indicated that it was not her intention to create havoc for the Republican Party, but rather to reclaim the party because people are frustrated with the party establishment. Perceived as a maverick and a GOP moderate, Dockery was recently hailed by some for fighting against creating the Central Florida Sunrail commuter train. To date, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink remains the sole democratic contender for the Governor’s mansion.

FBMA's annual PAC Golf Tournament will be held Thursday, December 3, 2009 at Mystic Dunes Golf Club in Celebration, Florida. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 12:00 p.m., followed by a 5:00 p.m. cocktail reception, golf tournament awards ceremony and annual meeting of the association with dinner.

Registration costs are $65.00 per golfer, $95.00 for individuals wishing to attend all events and $30.00 for individuals attending the cocktail reception and dinner.

Could it be that Orlando area new housing has turned the proverbial corner? Based on third quarter stats just released for RESIDENTIAL MARKET REPORTS for Orlando, there is a glimmer of hope that the up-tick in construction starts during the past three months is the first step in the right direction. Third quarter new home research found production single-family starts up by just over 40% from the second quarter of 2009 (see attached graphic). Before we all celebrate, keep in mind that a 40% increase from a very small number to begin with, is … well, still a small number. But we’ll take what we can get, and hope that it’s the start of something bigger.