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| Pending home sales up for June
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| Pending U.S. home sales rose in June for the fifth straight month, another encouraging sign of life for the embattled U.S. housing market
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| @ Sarasota Herald Tribune | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0201 EDST
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| Pending home sales: Upward trend continues
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| Pending home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month, the first time in six years for such a streak.
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| @ Florida Association of Realtors | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0315 EDST
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| Florida Economic Forecast 2009 - 2012
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Florida’s massive job losses will continue to accumulate through the end of 2009. • After nearly three straight years of job losses, meager employment growth returns in 2010. Unemployment rates hit double digits in Q2 of 2009 and continue to slowly climb into Q2 2010 with average unemployment peaking in that quarter at 10.7%. Unemployment will stay above 10% through 2011 Q1 and continue a painfully slow decline from its peak. Unemployment will only fall to 8.7 % by the end of 2012
Editor's Comment: This is an excellent read
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| @ Univerity of Central Florida's Institute for Economic Competitiveness | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0320 EDST
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| State Representative Fitzgerald: Florida must do 360
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| The Florida of 1946, known for its pristine beaches, East Coast tourist traps, cheap, plentiful real estate and magic carpet-like roads, is a model that won’t work in the future. The Florida of 2046, if it is to rank among the nation’s successful states, must “become that cool place” where major cities are interconnected by rail and autos are no longer king, where “the Silicon Valley of the 2000s” is the unofficial state motto and “living green with renewable energy” is the official one.
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| @ | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0330 EDST
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| Lenders slow to offer mortgage modifications, Treasury Department says
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| Loan servicers covering 85 percent of U.S. mortgages have signed up to offer the government's modification program, but their use of it has been spotty and many of the largest servicers are falling short in their efforts to help fix the housing crisis.
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| @ Chicago Tribune | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0345 EDST
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| Analysts impressed with Cat's strategy to get past recession
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| One example it that (Caterpillar Chairman) Jim Owens is sticking to his belief they'll reach $8 to $10 a share, only later than he first thought. But they may need to build some more confidence among investors."
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| @ Peoria Journal Star | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0400 EDST
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| Who Is Killing America's Millionaires?
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| As if market forces and malevolent actors weren't enough, the rich are now finding themselves targeted by politicians. Strapped for cash, states, cities, and the federal government are seeking to soak the rich—or at least to make them pay taxes at the same marginal rates as they did in the Reagan years, which many on the right regard as an act equivalent to executing landed gentry. Some politicians have even suggested that we fund health care by slapping a surtax on people with annual incomes of more than $1 million.
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| @ Slate | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0415 EDST
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| TARP bailout money we can kiss goodbye
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| The government made money on American Express and Goldman Sachs, but 628 banks with outstanding debts are in considerably weaker condition.
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| @ Fortune Magazine | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0419 EDST
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| Autumn casts shadow over 1.1% house price rise in the UK
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| House prices rose for the second time in three months in July, almost wiping out losses at the beginning of 2009, according to the latest figures. Prices rose by 1.1 per cent last month. The average house price is now £159,623, according to the lender's measure — 12.1 per cent lower than a year ago, but just 0.8 per cent lower than at the start of 2009.
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| @ London Times | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0646 EDST
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| Concern for UK firms as lending slumps
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| Lending to UK businesses plummeted in the second quarter and the drop was widespread, according to figures yesterday from the Bank of England which are likely to disappoint policymakers.
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| @ Glasgow Herald | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0652 EDST
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| UK output unexpectedly rises
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| British industrial output rose unexpectedly in June and at its fastest pace since October 2007, helped by a surge in car production, official data showed on Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said industrial production rose 0.5 per cent on the month in June after a 0.7 percent drop in May and well above analysts' forecasts for no growth.
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| @ Irish Times | Posted: 08/05/09 at 0655 EDST
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