By: Barbara Eisner Bayer Published: February 24, 2011 Follow these seven tips to make sure your contractor agreement works in your favor—not your builder’s. Step 1: Hire a lawyer Contractors use their own forms, which are drafted for their benefit, not yours. You’ll benefit from hiring an attorney to review your contractor agreement or draft one that’s [...]

The Consumer Confidence Index rose to a three-year high this month as consumers felt more positive about their income prospects and the direction the economy was headed. The Conference Board said Tuesday its Consumer Confidence Index climbed to 70.4 this month, up from a revised 64.8 in January, hitting its highest level since February 2008. It [...]

PHOENIX – Nov. 15, 2010 – The pace of the national recovery is moderating and the lift spurred by nearly $800 billion in federal stimulus spending is fading, but there are several promising signs that growth will continue, including in Florida, a leading national fiscal analyst told reporters Friday morning. Moody’s Analytics economist Chris Lafakis [...]

General Growth Exits Bankruptcy emerged Tuesday from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, ending the largest real estate bankruptcy case in U.S. history. The restructuring included splitting General Growth in half, creating General Growth Properties, which continues to own and operate malls, and The Howard Hughes Corp., which took over the company’s planned communities and other non-mall opportunities. [...]