No More Excuses

By Andy Reid | South Florida Sun-Sentinel


After South Florida's driest back-to-back years on record, a new Web site aims to teach residents and businesses how to save water beyond just turning down sprinklers.

At www.savewaterfl.com, the lessons and tools include adding food coloring to toilet tanks to check for leaks, a "water audit" for users to gauge their water use and tips for planting landscaping less dependent on water.

"What we are trying to do is promote a culture of conservation. This is one of the tools we are going to use," district spokesman Jesus Rodriguez said. The Web site includes pages geared toward residents, businesses, agriculture, government, teachers and the news media.

Another Reason To Rent In Miami

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - 3:59 PM EST
BankUnited blacklists 191 condo projects

South Florida Business Journal - by Brian Bandell and Oscar Pedro Musibay

Interested buyers looking for mortgages to buy units in Miami's Opera Tower, Everglades on the Bay or Four Ambassadors shouldn't bother approaching BankUnited. The Miami-based bank has included them on a list of 191 condo projects it won't write loans for.

Declining market value was the biggest culprit, followed by high investor concentration -- as much as 70 percent in one case. BankUnited also cited numerous foreclosures, delinquent homeowners association dues, structural-based litigation and the bank's existing exposure in the buildings.

Even buyers with good credit can't get a mortgage for a condo that has an uncertain value, said Lewis Goodkin, president of Miami-based Goodkin Research. He said because sales have been so slow and 35 percent to 40 percent of buyers could pull out of contracts in some buildings, no one knows the real value of these condos. And, if lenders don't know the value, he said, they can't set a loan-to-value ratio with any certainty.

BankUnited's non-permissible condo list

Fair Housing Seminar 2008

Its always a full house at this event, and this year I can just imagine the range of topics that the Lowenhaupt & Sawyers team must cover. For more info or to register--lowenhauptsawyers@yahoo.com. (305) 412-5636

Friday February 15th 9am

Signature Grand
6900 State Road 84
Davie, FL 33317
Tel: (954) 424-4000
Fax: (954) 423-2400

How TV May Influence S. Florida Cultural Tolerance

The recent Broward County commission vote that has put Transgender rights in full public view may represent the evolution or influence of tolerance in South Florida. As it relates to gender or the transformation of it, arts and entertainment especially television can provide society a less prejudice perspective. Cultural perspectives influenced by;the Cosby show of the 80's, Margaret Chu's short lived sitcom, Will& Grace, The George Lopez show and more recently ABC's Dirty Sexy Money that has boldly casted an actual transgender character when tastefully done can convince audiences to identify with commonalities of other cultures, rather than confirm prejudices and stereotypes.

Transgender residents protected in Broward

By BREANNE GILPATRICK
bgilpatrick@MiamiHerald.com

Transgender people and pregnant women are now protected groups in Broward County after the County Commission voted to make it illegal to deny housing or jobs to those two groups.

With Tuesday's vote, Broward joins a growing number of local governments across the nation to include ''gender identity and expression'' in their non-discrimination laws. And the two new criteria will join 11 other categories in the county's Human Rights Act, such as gender, race, color, marital status and sexual orientation.

And Tuesday, one-by-one, more than 20 speakers took the podium and praised commissioners for adding Broward to the list. And many of them arrived before the county to share their own tales of discrimination, like LeAnna Bradley, who talked about what it was like to have paramedics refer to her as ''it'' while riding to the hospital. Or Jacqui Charvet, who lost her job after telling her boss she was going to start the medical process to become a woman. Or Nikki Hatch, who described receiving stares, rude comments and even, at one point, a mail bomb.

There are no statistics that track the number of transgender people. But advocates estimate that between 3 and 5 percent of people in Broward County struggle with gender identity. Many of those who decide to make a transition, say advocates, face trouble with employers and landlords.

While no one spoke against the changes on Tuesday, in the past, critics say the new laws are not needed and say they view it as wrong for transgender residents to try to redefine gender.

Golf Cart Tragedy

Over the years, I've probably driven the distance of the entire state of Florida on golfcarts. Its simply the way we do most of our business at gardenstyle apartment communities. So, after reading about a woman in Wellington on life support after falling of a golfcart it instantly provided me with a new and more cautious perspective. Below is the story as reported in the Sun-Sentinel By Sally Apgar

February 5, 2008 Wellington - A 43-year-old Connecticut woman is on life support after falling off a gas-powered golf cart following a Super Bowl party Sunday night, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Audrey S. Hanrahan, of South Glastonbury, Conn., was leaving a party at Tavern on the Green restaurant just after 11 p.m. with two friends. Investigators said the cart, driven by Christine McCrea, 29, of Wellington, was traveling east on Equestrian Club Road with Hanrahan in the front passenger's seat and McCrea's husband, Jonathan, 35, riding on the back seat. Near Pierson Road, Hanrahan stood up to wipe off the windshield, lost her balance and fell, striking her head on the pavement.

Hanrahan was flown by Trauma Hawk to the Delray Medical Center, where she was treated for severe head injuries. At 1:36 a.m. Monday, she was placed on life support to preserve her organs for donation.

Vote To Veto

Originally Posted Sunday, July 1, 2007

A bill proposing double rent that eventually met a single no.

It seems as if Gov. Crist has the final word on the ambitious (HB 1277)Early Lease Termination bill that attempted to give property managers the right to instantly charge up to 2 months rent as a fee for breaking a lease.
Florida Apartment Association lobbyist Ron Book vigorously promoted the infamous "double rent bill" at a recent press conference arguing its benefits to tenants. The current law holds renters responsible for the remaining term of a lease, or until a unit is re-rented.

The legislature favored the new bill so much that in May of '07 the it passed with flying colors through the state senate with a unanimous 37-0 vote. Ultimately, it met a swift veto from Gov. Crist. A well documented but interesting fact is that up until his impressive election victory, Crist was one of the state's estimated 5.4 million renters. "I had to do that(break a lease) when I moved into the mansion. And it was costly - like 900 bucks," Crist said. "I feel the people's pain. I live it."

In its memory here's a clip that I couldn't resist posting that may shed a little light on the short life of an ambitious bill. Enjoy!