Attorneys general challenge compromise of healthcare bill

Attorneys general from South Carolina, Alabama, Colorado, and Idaho are among those who have joined Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum in a letter to U.S. Senate and House leaders asking they remove a provision from healthcare reform legislation that would give “special treatment” to Nebraska under the federal Medicaid program.

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New workers’ comp rates take effect Friday

The premiums employees pay for all new and renewed workers’ compensation policies will drop on average 6.8 percent starting Friday.

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Mass layoffs decrease in November

U.S. employers announced 1,797 mass-layoff actions in November that eliminated the jobs of 165,346 workers.

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Herald land sale uncertain

A contract to sell 10 acres of parking lots surrounding The Miami Herald's bayfront headquarters is set to expire Dec. 31, but it remained uncertain whether developer Mark Siffin would complete the long-delayed purchase. http://bit.ly/7uIiMJ

Miami at bottom of list for job seekers

Miami ranks No. 48 out of the 50 best cities in America for job seekers, according to a new ranking by job search engine JuJu.com.

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TOUSA creditors committee targets $60M

In an effort to recoup as much money as possible, the creditor’s committee for TOUSA is going after the joint venture partners that the Hollywood-based homebuilder paid tens of millions to prior to filing for bankruptcy.

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Floridian’s No. 1 gripe, telemarketers

If you hate those unsolicited sales calls that come at the most inopportune times, you’re not alone.

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Miami Beach condo project loses $4M foreclosure

Compass Bank won a $4 million foreclosure lawsuit targeting an uncompleted residential project in Miami Beach.

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Atlanta firm buys Sunny Isles Beach apartments

Jamestown, a real estate investment and development firm in Atlanta, said it has purchased the 308-unit Vista View Apartments in Sunny Isles Beach. The price was $31.25 million. http://bit.ly/5Mtoj2

Applications flood state

Florida's Office of Financial Regulation has received 4,600 mortgage broker licensing applications since July, more than double the amount requested for all of last fiscal year. http://bit.ly/74vHEE

Crowne Plaza at Sawgrass faces foreclosure

The Crowne Plaza at Sawgrass Mills has been targeted for foreclosure by a commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) fund.

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Holly’s green office faces $38M foreclosure

William H. Holly planned Miami Green as the first certified eco-friendly office tower in Miami, but now it’s the target of a $37.5 million foreclosure action.

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Case Shiller: Miami home prices fall in October

Home prices in Miami slid 0.4 percent between September and October after a 0.5 percent gain between August and September, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home-price index.

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South Florida residents rent homes for big games

When South Florida hosted the Super Bowl in 2007, the average hotel room cost $499 a night.<p/> For the 2010 game, Davona Lynch would like everyone to know that her three-bedroom, two-bath home, 15 minutes from Land Shark Stadium, is available for a nightly rate of just $300. http://bit.ly/599DMJ

Home prices up in U.S. -- but not in Miami

An index of home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in October for a fifth consecutive month, putting the housing market and economy farther down the path to recovery. http://bit.ly/8nGPqu

Downtown Miami facing office space glut

Crave more modern office space? Looking to slash expenses?<p/> It's a great time to be a commercial tenant in downtown Miami or the Brickell Avenue financial district, thanks to a glut of new office space that will begin flooding the market next year. http://bit.ly/8ihMxM

Fla. Supreme Court requires mediation in foreclosures

Plagued by an ever-increasing number of foreclosure cases, Florida judges now have guidance on how to deal with them through a statewide mediation program.

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Florida cracks down on loan modification firms

The days of simply hanging out a shingle and opening up a loan modification business is coming to an end in Florida.

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Florida’s Relay Service: 1.5M calls in ’09

More than 1.5 million calls were handled in fiscal year 2009 by Florida’s Relay Service, which provides hearing and speech impaired citizens access to basic telecommunications services.

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