State association elects
Florida Realtors, the state’s real estate association, will be led by Hobe Sound’s Pat Fitzgerald in 2011. She succeeds Wendell Davis of Watson Realty.
Fitzgerald is a broker with Illustrated Properties.
Other officers installed at last month’s Mid-Winter Meeting in Orlando:
President-elect: Summer Greene, Prudential Florida 1st Realty of Fort Lauderdale.
Vice president: Dean Asher, Don Asher & Associates, Ocala.
Secretary: Bill Furst, formerly a broker with Michael Sanders & Company in Sarasota and now the Sarasota County Property Appraiser.
Treasurer: Sherri Meadows of Meadows Realty, Ocala.
Scott stops regulations
In one of his first major actions after his inauguration, Florida Governor Rick Scott has issued an Executive Order that freezes all new regulations and establishes the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform, which will review all rules prior to promulgation as well as agency practices and contracts. The order immediately suspends rulemaking for all agencies under the direction of the Governor; imposes 90-day suspension on execution of any contracts with a value in excess of $1 million, without prior approval from the Office; and prohibits agencies from promulgating rules unless they obtain prior approval from the Office.
Outlook conference coming
The First Coast Real Estate Economic Outlook Conference will be March 23 at the Osborn Center in Jacksonville.
The featured speaker this year will be National Association of Realtors economist George Ratiu. Also on the agenda is an industry panel with five speakers and several breakout sessions.
Information on the conference is at www.commercialallianceofrealtors.com.
Jeb Bush speaks here
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will speak February 17 at the NAIOP luncheon at the Hyatt in downtown Jacksonville.
He will discuss the importance of continually improving the business environment in order to attract the high-wage jobs needed to be a sustainable community.
Information is at www.naiopnefl.com.
Dickinson sells
A major Jacksonville commercial firm has been sold and has a new name.
Walter D. Dickinson, president of Colliers Dickinson which formerly was Walter Dickinson, Inc., has retired and sold his ownership interest to several employees.
The new company is named Colliers International Northeast Florida Commercial Real Estate Company and is headed by Robert W. Selton III. Partners include Hobart Joost Jr., Fran Pepis, Chuck Diebel, Jason Ryals, and Matt Entriken.
The company remains part of Colliers International, which has 480 offices in 61 countries. The firm’s web site will be www.colliersinternational.com/markets/jacksonville.
NEFBA ready to run
The Northeast Florida Builders Association is forming a team for the Gate River Run on Saturday, March 12. The association will have a tent at the event with food and refreshments before and after the race.
Each NEFBA member who signs up will receive a dry fit shirt. Members should send a list of participating employees as well as shirt sizes before March 1 to Chris Hagan at [email protected].
RiverTown home available
Issa Homes has completed a Colonial Revival home ready for immediate move-in at RiverTown, a St. Joe Company community along the St. Johns River. The two-story Churchill home is available for $349,900.
With 3,304 square feet of living space, the Churchill has four bedrooms and a loft area upstairs, a master bedroom with walk-in closets on the main floor, three-and-a-half bathrooms and a three-car garage.
Clockwork honored
Pointe Vedra Beach-based Clockwork Marketing won a Silver Award last month at the International Builders Show in Orlando. It was the only award for a North Florida company.
Clockwork won second place in the “Best Website by an Associate and Supplier” category for www.clockworkmarketing.com. The winner was a Newport Beach, Calif., company.
The Sales and Marketing Council winners were Tucker, Ga., in the Under 250 member category and Raleigh. N.C., in the Over 250.
HUD proposes new rules
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last month proposed new regulations intended to ensure that its core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
HUD is seeking public comment on a number of proposed areas including:
• Prohibiting lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis to determine a borrower’s eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage financing. FHA’s current regulations provide that a mortgage lender’s determination of the adequacy of a borrower’s income “shall be made in a uniform manner without regard to” specified prohibited grounds.
• Clarifying that all otherwise eligible families, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, have the opportunity to participate in HUD programs.
• Prohibiting owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD, from inquiring about the sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant for, or occupant of, the dwelling, whether renter- or owner-occupied.
New model at Cedar Bay
GreenPointe Homes has opened its first fully furnished model home - The Clover - and also has four homes ready for immediate move-in at the new community of Cedar Bay, a single-family neighborhood on Jacksonville’s Northside.
Mattamy Homes also is building in Cedar Bay.
The Clover has 2,362 square feet of open living space and is priced at $194,990.