| NAR Report: New-home sales recovery unlikely before 2009
Improvement in the Northeast housing market reaffirms a trend of recovery. Existing-home sales are likely to total 5.67 million this year, the fifth-highest on record, and rise to 5.7 million in 2008. Home price growth in the affordable midsection of America will help raise the national median existing-home price slightly in 2008 and price appreciation will return to more normal patterns in 2009. Areas showing healthy price gains include disparate markets such as Gary-Hammond, Ind.; Binghamton, N.Y.; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Spokane, Wash. "We can't emphasize enough how much local conditions vary, even within a given area," Yun said. "So it's important for consumers to make decisions based on local market conditions." The Memphis Area Association of Realtors said last month that year-to-date home sales were down 13.8 percent to 14,528 sold properties.
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Take precautions for safer internet shopping
But online shopping doesn't come without risks. Having the proper software installed and being savvy about choosing sites to shop are key to a safe, pleasant cyber experience. Hardware/software tips Make sure you have the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware installed and running on your PC. Online threats increase during this time of year. Boulder, Colo.-based Webroot Software reported a 173 percent increase in global online threats between October and December 2006 compared with other times of the year. Englewood, Colo.-based security company MX Logic predicts spam will rise an additional 50 percent over current levels by the end of 2007 because of the holiday retail rush. "Scan your computer for malware before you shop to make sure you're not harboring key loggers (that track your keystrokes to steal passwords and credit card numbers) or other spies," said a Webroot spokeswoman.
MessageLabs Intelligence 2007 Annual Security Report: A Year of Storms, Spam and Socializing With the Enemy
MessageLabs, the leading provider of messaging and web security services to businesses worldwide, today announced the launch of its MessageLabs Intelligence 2007 Security Report. The annual report highlights how 2007 has been a year of diversity due to the vast number of new tactics, techniques and trojans entering the security market during the last twelve months. .
Ontario police ask holiday shoppers to be wary
ONTARIO � A 61-year-old woman was knocked to the ground twice while her purse was being snatched around 10 a.m. Sunday in the Kohl�s Department Store parking lot.
That incident highlighted �the theft problem we are experiencing in the Ontario shopping area,� Ontario police Chief Rodney Smith said Monday.
On Monday, Smith cautioned shoppers to be aware of their surroundings as theft-related crimes grow, particularly in the shopping centers this holiday season. �She came out, set her purse inside the car, and as she came back around to load her items into the car, a man accosted her, under the disguise that he was asking her for directions,� Smith said. �At that point he reached into her car to grab her purse. She fought back, was knocked to the ground. He then removed the purse.
Dallas billionaire Ray Hunt has quietly shaped his hometown
Hospital administrators argued Parkland wasn't getting enough money to treat the indigent and uninsured who depended on the county hospital. So Mr. Hunt led an effort to secure more federal Medicaid dollars. When talks broke down, Mr. Hunt told the administrators and lawyers that he would make sure Dallas knew who broke up the party, Ms. Jordan said. "He says, 'I am going to isolate who caused this to happen, and then you may not have the continuing support of the business community,' " Ms. Jordan said. "It's not a threat. He has the view that it's their responsibility to do all they can for the uninsured in this community." .
ORU plays a vital economic role here
Oral Roberts University, embroiled in a lawsuit intensely critical of its leaders and their spending, is no insignificant token in Tulsa's econo my, business people say.
It trains students for the work force; it spends money in the community; it employs about 1,600 people; it attracts visitors to the city; it provides consumers for businesses, and it has helped spawn businesses.
"I think it would really hurt the Tulsa economy if we lost ORU," said Vinson Reed, broker for McGraw Realtors.
Matt Davis, general manager of The Plaza shopping center across from ORU at 81st Street and Lewis Avenue, pointed out the unique Christian education ORU provides and said, "Wouldn't you think that all Oklahomans would want to see that setting continue to thrive and do well?"
Some critics have said they do not approve of ORU President Richard Roberts and want to see new leadership at the school.
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