Here is a look at real-estate news in Wednesday’s WSJ:
Freddie Mac to Name CEO: Freddie Mac is preparing to name Donald Layton, the former chief executive of online brokerage E*Trade Financial Corp., as its next CEO, according to people familiar with the matter.
Borrowers Face Big Delays In Refinancing Mortgages: Clogged mortgage pipelines have created headaches for hundreds of thousands of Americans trying to take advantage of low mortgage rates, which averaged 4.05% for the week ending April 27, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Builder is Constructing REIT for Home Rentals: Investors can buy stakes in malls, apartment towers, timber forests and even cellphone towers through real-estate investment trusts. Now, add to the list: single-family homes transformed into rental properties.
Makeover Time for Rentals of a Certain Age: While rental landlords once were loath to invest heavily in renovations, they’re now encountering a new breed of renter: people who are waiting well into middle-age before buying and thus expect condo-level finishes in their rental apartments.
Tax Terms Amended in Empire State IPO: The family that controls the Empire State Building has agreed to change the terms of the skyscraper’s public offering, making the tax treatment less punitive to small investors who have been fighting with the family over their potential tax bill arising from the sale.
Venture Pays $1 Over Debt to Win Minneapolis Towers: A venture of Zeller Realty Corp. of Chicago and a fund formed by Invesco Ltd., of Atlanta and billionaire Wilbur Ross Jr.’s company, which is an affiliate of Invesco, bid $1 more than the debt, or $110,700,000.66.
Ohio REIT Heads Upscale: A rental apartment-building company that owns properties in cities like Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, is pushing into the upscale Los Angeles market despite some investor concerns.
House of the Day: This ‘traditional-style’ home in Sag Harbor, NY, conceals a decidedly modern streak?it was built recently.
Europe House of the Day: This eight-bedroom house near Cambridge, built in 1786 and extended in 1870, is part of a historic racehorse-breeding estate with a show-jumping arena, stud and other equestrian facilities.
What would your bottom-line look like if your customers increased their spending with your company by 19%?
A 2012 study from the University of Michigan found that membership in an online customer community increased customers’ expenditures by 19%. Here is a visual aid to help you figure out what that would mean for your company.
The research details how the almost 20% increase in purchasing is directly attributed to joining and participating in the online community. It represents spending over and above what the customer was already spending with the organization prior to joining the online customer community.
Building Upon Prior Online Community Research
The report builds upon existing academic research that noted the increase in purchase intention among members of an online customer community, as well as studies that ties customer engagement through social media to higher revenue and margin growth.
Previous research also demonstrated that customers who are active in an online customer community show a willingness to pay a premium for the sponsoring organization’s products and services. Online customer community membership has also been linked to greater financial risk-taking with the sponsoring firm resulting from high levels of transparency and trust.
So, what does this mean if you are thinking about launching an online customer community?
5 Things That Executives Need to Know To Increase Revenue Using Online Customer Communities#1 Customers Will Order More Often, Not Make Larger Purchases
Rather than placing larger orders, it is order frequency that drives the increased spending. This makes sense – more opportunities to engage and consume helpful content means an increase in the number of visits to your website, and therefore a higher sales conversion rate.
The University of Michigan study saw order frequency increase by 18.4% after a customer joined the online customer community.
#2 Engage New Customers
It is not necessarily your long-time customers that will make the impact. The research showed that newer customers actually have the highest increases in expenditures after joining the online customer community.
#3 Capitalize on Customer Retention and Repeat Purchases
In the study, the 19% increase in customer expenditures persists over time. Customer who join and participate in your online community will maintain the higher levels of spending with your organization and not drop off after the novelty of the online community wears off.
#4 Offer Ways to Engage and Purchase Both Online and Offline
Though organizations with online customer communities will likely see a shift toward purchasing through online channels, offline purchases will also increase. Make sure your organization has enough ways for customers the engage both online and offline to make a purchase.
#5 A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships (and Product Categories)
Which products will see sales increase? The University of Michigan research indicated that all product and service categories saw a proportional increase equal to the proportion of revenue from each category before launching the community.
However, you can expect the most spending around your organization’s most well-known offerings and those in which your organization and its community members create the most content. Less content and fewer discussions correlate with a lower level of focus by your customers and lower sales.
It is also important to note that this research was conducted with a company that sold many different brands products. This means that the products and services discussed in the online customer community were not associated with the brand sponsoring the online community.
Companies that only sell their own solutions can expect to see even better results when the products discussed in the private social network match the brand on the online community.
Online Customer Community Takeaway
Social business strategies, like online customer communities, can have a profound effect on an organizations revenue performance. The University of Michigan report is the first research to demonstrate the existence and extent of revenue increases as a result of joining an online customer community. Though revenue models can vary from one one company to the next, making the 19% revenue jump more of a guidelines than a guranteed result, executives cant ignore the sales-generating power of online customer communities. Educate yourself by downloading the Online Customer Community Guide.
Ventura County Nursing Homes Targeted in Suit brought by Local Attorneys Jody C. Moore and Gregory L. Johnson. The suit contends that residents of nursing homes are being given anti-psychotic and other psychoactive medications without consent. AARP Foundation Litigation joined the lawsuit to raise awareness of the unnecessary use of chemical restraints and hold nursing homes accountable to standards set by the California Patient Bill of Rights.
Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) May 03, 2012
The AARP Foundation Litigation (AFL) has joined as co-counsel with the Law Offices of Jody C. Moore and Gregory L. Johnson in a lawsuit filed on behalf of skilled nursing facility residents in Ventura County, Superior Court Case No. 56-2011-00406713-CU-AT-VTA.
The case is filed as a class action on behalf of all Ventura Convalescent Hospital residents who were over- and mis-prescribed dangerous psychotherapeutic drugs without their informed consent, alleges AFL attorney Kelly Bagby.
The named plaintiff is the legal representative of former resident Patricia Thomas who was admitted to Ventura Convalescent Hospital for rehabilitation after suffering a painful hip fracture. The lawsuit alleges that during her weeks at the Ventura facility, she was prescribed and given antipsychotic drugs, an antidepressant, an anti-anxiety drug, and a hypnotic/sedative drug which were, according to court documents, unnecessary and administered without informed consent as required by law.
When Ms. Thomas daughter learned what medications her mother was given, she complained to Department of Public Health that she thought her mother was overmedicated and medicated without consent, according to public records with the Department. Her daughter alleges, in the lawsuit, that following her discharge from the facility, her personal physician tried to wean her off the medications with little success. Ms. Thomas died several weeks after leaving Ventura Convalescent Hospital.
Inappropriate and overmedication of nursing facility residents is a national problem, says Jody Moore, one of the attorneys handling the litigation. On March 29, 2012, the Centers for Medicare Services launched a national initiative to reduce the use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes. Further, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued its most dire warning – known as a black box warning – that antipsychotic drugs cause elders with dementia to die.
This is basic liberty, says attorney Gregory Johnson. Every person has the right to make decisions about what medical care they want to receive, and if they are unable, to have a person of their choosing make these decisions for them. The excuse we hear, that We are busy is not an appropriate excuse, explained Mr. Johnson.
Co-counsel, Jody Moore continues, We have good laws on the books about a patients right to know about the potential benefits and side effects of any proposed medication or treatment. The problem isnt that we need better laws. We need compliance.
Consumers have a right to sue nursing homes for violating federal or state laws, said AFL attorney Bagby. We are committed to this effort to raise awareness of the unnecessary use of chemical restraints and hold nursing homes accountable to standards set by the California Patient Bill of Rights.
For more information, please contact:
Jody Moore
(805)604-7130
jody(at)jodymoorelaw(dot)com
www.jodymoorelaw.com
Greg Johnson
(805)988-3661
greg(at)gregoryjohnsonlaw(dot)com
www.gregoryjohnsonlaw.com
For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9473552.htm
Nottingham, UK, 17 May 2012 ? 3D Laser Mapping has launched a brand new website to support Police Collision Investigators. As the nationwide rollout of laser scanners continues, this valuable resource offers a secure online forum that allows Collision Investigators to communicate with colleagues around the country, sharing experience and expertise to build an online community. The site also includes up to date information on hardware, accessories and software, as well a range of downloadable reference materials. The regularly updated FAQ section provides solutions to common queries and unanswered questions.
Additional guidance and support is available from a team of dedicated laser scanning professionals and can be accessed at police.3dlasermapping.com
Early users of 3D Laser Mapping?s Forensic Investigation web resource include Essex Police. Having recently taken delivery of a RIEGL VZ-400 from 3D Laser Mapping, Duncan Thurlwell, Forensic Collision Investigator commented, ?This is a really useful resource to share tips with and seek technical information from other investigators and the experts at 3D Laser Mapping.? He continued, ?Best practice can be exchanged and it?s a way to instantly distribute the learning and development already undertaken by other forces preventing expensive and unnecessary duplication.?
Gary Baldwin a Supervisor in the Forensic Collision Investigation Unit of Hampshire and Thames Valley Police Joint Operations Unit (JOU) added, ?I am sure this forum will become the main port of call for tips and information to progress our scanning skills. It has already proved extremely useful when integrating our GPS system and is the ideal tool to keep in touch with officers spread over 4 counties.?
Over half of the Police Forces awarded funding by the Department of Transport for the purchase of high tech laser scanners have purchased RIEGL devices from 3D Laser Mapping. The state of the art laser scanning systems will be used to rapidly collect evidence at the scene of collisions, helping to reduce the length of road or lane closures and minimise congestion on roads. Data collected by the scanners will be used by to produce high quality graphics and detailed plans of collision scenes for use in subsequent enquiries and court cases.
?Although extensive trials of laser scanners have been completed, this is still a relatively new application of this technology,? commented 3D Laser Mapping?s Managing Director Jon Chicken. ?We therefore wanted to provide as much information and support as possible in an easy to access way. The online forum is intended to be a sharing platform allowing users to interact with other investigators in order share best practice, discuss common support issues and access training materials and product upgrades.?
About the RIEGL VZ-400
The RIEGL VZ-400 laser scanners purchased have been proven to provide a significantly greater level of detail and colour compared to other laser scanners and can be used during the day, even in low light conditions, and at night. The VZ-400 utilises unique echo digitisation and online waveform analysis to achieve superior performance and accuracies of measurement, even under adverse weather conditions. Achieving accuracies of 5mm at ranges of up to 600 metres the VZ-400 can measure up to 122,000 points per second with a 100 x 360-degree field of view
About 3D Laser Mapping
3D Laser Mapping is a global developer of laser scanning solutions for sectors such as mapping, mining and manufacturing. 3D Laser Mapping specialises in integrating laser scanning hardware with their own software and peripherals to create solutions at the cutting edge of technology. Through a worldwide network of distributors 3D Laser Mapping is able to provide frontline support and service for a growing international client base. 3D Laser Mapping is also the RIEGL Premier Distributor for the UK, Ireland and sub-Saharan Africa and the leading distributor of TerraScan software. For further information see www.3dlasermapping.com
About RIEGL
RIEGL has over thirty years experience in the research, development and production of laser rangefinders, distancemeters and scanners. Primarily a technology company RIEGL specialise in producing technically innovative solutions for specific applications working in partnership with organisations such as 3D Laser Mapping to produce powerful turnkey solutions for multiple fields of application. For further information see www.riegl.com
The parents of a Brooklyn prep school lacrosse player are facing legal action after being caught throwing an alcohol-fueled bash for their son and some 40 underage friends as they celebrated a big win, police said.
More than 40 minors were at the raucous party on Saturday and at least two were taken to a hospital via ambulance, a source said.
The partygoers mostly lacrosse players at the prestigious Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn were celebrating their 16-5 win against Horace Mann High School the day before, a source said.
Anthony Reyes, 56, and his wife, Claire Reyes, 49, were hauled away from their home in the enclave of Breezy Point, Queens, on 43 counts of unlawfully dealing with children and 10 counts of endangerment of a child.
Where others see a streak, Mason Crosby sees another mountain to conquer.
In the wake of signing a five-year contract with the Green Bay Packers last July, Crosby paid his team back last season when he set a new franchise record with 23 consecutive regular-season makes (dating back to 2010).
Along with making a career-high 85.7 percent of his regular-season field goals, it added up to the most decorated season of Crosby?s five-year career.
In the process, Crosby tied his franchise record with a 56-yard field goal against Atlanta in Week 5 and broke it with a 58-yard kick in a 33-27 win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7.
For all the successes, there were a few failures ? missing an extra point and four field-goal tries, including one that hit the right upright against Tampa Bay to end his streak on Nov. 23.
Mix it together and that?s the motivation Crosby needs entering next season.
?There are always one or two things you can just improve on,? said Crosby prior to the start of the Packers Tailgate Tour Tuesday. ?Obviously, I didn?t make every kick, so definitely that?s a new goal, and now I have a number, a mountain-in-a-row, that I can try to eclipse. There?s always things you set and try to get better with.?
It?s hard to find much fault in Crosby?s 2011 campaign. He finished fourth in league scoring with 140 points and surpassed 80 percent in field-goal efficiency for the first time in his career.
Crosby also took advantage of the new NFL rule that moved kickoffs forward to the 35-yard line, finishing third in the league with 49 touchbacks.
Crosby credits most of that success to the continuity between him, punter/holder Tim Masthay and long snapper Brett Goode, who has spent the last four seasons with Crosby.
Although the NFL?s new offseason program rules didn?t allow Crosby or Masthay to kick during the first two weeks of organized team activities in April, the trio practiced on its own at St. Norbert College and various area high schools.
During the last three weeks, the three has practiced with the team. Crosby has ramped up his kicking during individual player workouts, which are three times a week.
(CNN) – As people in North Carolina vote on a controversial referendum that would constitutionally ban same sex marriages, a new national poll indicates that half of the public supports legalizing such unions.
According to a Gallup survey released Tuesday, 50% of Americans say that same sex marriages should be recognized as legal, with 48% saying such marriages should not be legal.
Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
The 50% support for same sex marriages is down slightly from 53% from Gallup polling last year, which was the first year dating to 1996 that a majority supported legalizing same sex marriages.
The polls release comes two days after Vice President Joe Biden said on NBCs Meet the Press that he was absolutely comfortable with the idea of same-gender unions.
The vice president added, however, that its the president, not him, who sets the administrations policy.
President Barack Obama, who once opposed same-sex marriage, says he supports civil unions for same sex couples, and has taken the official position that his views on the issue are evolving.
Forty-seven percent of people questioned in a Pew Research Center poll conducted last month said they favored allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry, with 43% opposed. An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted in March indicated that 52% supported legal same sex marriages, with 43% opposed. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll also conducted in March indicated 49% in support of legal same sex marriage and 40% opposed. And according to a CNN/ORC International poll conducted last autumn, 53% backed legalized same sex marriages, with 46% opposed.
All of these surveys indicated building support for legal same sex marriages over the past decade.
Like the other polls, the new Gallup survey indicates a partisan divide on the issue, with almost two-thirds of Democrats and 57% of independents but just 22% of Republicans supporting legalizing same-sex marriages.
According to the Gallup poll, theres also a divide along religious lines, with Catholics, by a 51%-47% margin, in support of legal same sex marriages but Protestants, by a 59%-38% margin, opposed. The survey also indicates that the more frequently a person attends religious services, the less likely that person is to support legalizing same sex marriages.
The Gallup poll was conducted May 3-6, with 1,024 adults nationwide questioned by telephone. The surveys overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
Also see:
Soros donates $1 million to liberal super PAC
White House downplays Bidens same-sex marriage remarks
Poll: Romney, Obama dead even in dozen swing states
AUSTIN, Texas, May 17, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) –
Today, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Experience(TM) Inc., announced it has launched AustinTechSource, an online talent community designed to attract experienced, out-of-market technology talent to the Austin area. This initiative is directly responsive to the Austin tech market’s need for mid-to-senior level positions, the vibrant presence of which is vital to the region’s continued growth. To date, more than 2,000 job seekers from around the country and 37 companies, including Bazaarvoice, Avende, Bridge360, Austin Community College, Ultra ATS, Microsoft and Google, are registered on the online community.
“Economic growth flourishes when employers are able to couple a favorable business climate with the right talent pool,” said Clarke Heidrick, Board Chair, Austin Chamber. “As a new talent initiative of the Chamber, AustinTechSource will support all Austin companies, big and small, with their goals of efficiently finding topnotch, experienced tech talent.”
The Austin Chamber conducted an analysis of all Central Texas electronic job postings from April 5 – 11, which concluded that, of the 4,453 online job postings, 28%, or 1,231, were classified as tech jobs. “The Job Portal is designed to facilitate nationwide knowledge of — and access to — job opportunities available at technology companies throughout Central Texas,” added Heidrick. “The Job Portal is the latest evidence that the Austin Chamber is leveraging the latest social media and web-based tools to expand hiring in the region.”
Located at AustinTechSource.com, the site allows employers to post openings, review resumes and connect directly with qualified job-seekers. The private community portal enables referrals between recruiters and prospective hires through integrated social networks and analytics. AustinTechSource also allows partners to offer training and certification classes that will help keep candidates’ skills sharp and current.
“The Opportunity Austin-funded Business Retention & Expansion program recently surveyed local tech executives, who indicated a lack of available, in-market, experienced tech talent was a critical barrier to their ability to expand their business,” said Bryan Jones, Greater Austin Technology Partnership Chair. “We listened to this feedback and created the AustinTechSource portal to provide them with access to the additional experienced talent they need to be successful.”
According to Drew Scheberle, Senior Vice President of Talent and Education at the Austin Chamber, the portal intends to attract 5,000 tech candidates from outside of Central Texas. “The current gap and need for talent acquisition among Austin technology companies was brought to the forefront after the SXSW soft launch of AustinTechSource, after which the portal gained more than 900 registered companies and individuals,” he said.
The goal for the future of AustinTechSource includes combining the strength of Austin’s current technology sector with a world-class, efficient technology jobs resource. Local Central Texas colleges, including University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, Texas A & M, St. Edward’s, Concordia, Huston-Tillotson, Southwestern, and Austin Community College, have been and will remain Chamber partners in educating and cultivating Austin’s entry level technology workers.
About the Austin Chamber of Commerce
The Austin Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit,
membership-driven organization comprised of 2,500 business enterprises,
civic organizations, education institutions and individuals. Its mission
is to provide leadership that will help create regional economic
prosperity and success for its members in Central Texas.
About Opportunity Austin
Opportunity Austin is the Chamber's regional, five-year economic
development initiative to foster sustainable growth through the creation
of new jobs and increased payroll in the Central Texas region.
About Experience, Inc.
Experience has been the leading provider of career services for colleges
and universities since 1996. Today, 5 million students and recent
graduates use the Experience network to find entry-level jobs and
internships, and to access information that helps them bridge the gap
between school and the professional world. Over 3,800 colleges and
universities are in the Experience network, connecting students and
graduates with over 130,000 employers and recruiters that use Experience
to connect with the best, qualified entry-level talent.
This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire,
www.globenewswire.com
SOURCE: Austin Chamber of Commerce
CONTACT: Rebecca Martin, Senior Vice President
Marketing & Communications
O: 512. 322.5623
rmartin@austinchamber.com
austinchamber.com
(C) Copyright 2010 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Washington DCs height limit forces downtown development into boring, boxy forms like this. Isnt that wonderful? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
MILWAUKEE One of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers potential recall opponents called Wednesday for Walker to clarify why he has set up a legal defense fund to pay expenses related to an ongoing investigation thats led to criminal charges against five former close aides and associates.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett sought to highlight the investigation, which centers on people who served during Walkers time leading Milwaukee County before he was elected governor in 2010, as a potential recall campaign issue. Allegations ranging from campaigning on county time to embezzling money from a veterans program have ensnared people close to Walker, but the governor himself has not been charged with any wrongdoing and he says hes cooperating with the investigation.
Under state law, officeholders may only set up a legal defense fund in one of two cases: if theyve been charged with, or are under investigation for, violations connected to campaign finance laws; or with violations connected to election laws.
Barrett, one of four Democrats hoping to unseat Walker in a recall election next month, said Walker owes it to voters to make clear which situation applies to him. The mayor honed in on revelations this week that Walkers campaign has transferred $60,000 to the legal fund to pay for attorneys.
I think its only fair to ask him why he set that up, Barrett said.
Walkers campaign responded with a statement reiterating that Walker has been told hes not a target of the investigation.
We have stated time and time again, this fund has been set up under the guidance of the GAB (Government Accountability Board), spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said, referring to the state elections board.
Walker earlier told reporters after an unrelated news conference that hes simply relying on his defense team to deal with administrative issues he doesnt have time to handle.
I dont think the voters of Wisconsin want me to spend hours and hours and hours looking through tens of thousands of emails and documents. I think they want me to be the governor, he said.
Messages left for Walkers attorneys, Mike Steinle and John Gallo, were not immediately returned.
A message also was left for Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, who has repeatedly declined to comment about the probe he is conducting as a so-called John Doe investigation. That means witnesses can be compelled to testify under oath about potential criminal matters but state law prohibits anyone involved in such secret proceedings from talking publicly about them.
The Government Accountability Board also has declined to comment on what it may have advised Walker to do beyond pointing to the relevant state statutes on legal defense funds. Aside from outlining the circumstances under which such a fund can be set up, the law says donors contributions can only be transferred into one with their explicit permission.
Barrett said Walker needs to disclose who his donors are and prove they have consented.
The state deserves to know whos paying his bills, the mayor said.
The ongoing investigation already has led to charges against five people who worked for or were associated with Walkers county executive office in Milwaukee before he was elected governor in 2010.
One former aide pleaded guilty to working on Walkers gubernatorial campaign on county time, and his former deputy chief of staff is charged with felony misconduct in office. Two other former Walker associates were charged with embezzling more than $60,000 from veterans and their families, and a fifth is charged with child enticement, evidence of which allegedly was discovered while investigating one of the others.
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Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde(at)ap.org.