Away from the Office
Away from the Office
Compiled by Jason Dehart
IN THE NEWS
Is Florida Losing Its Allure?
Don’t look now, but that dust on Interstate 10 westbound may not trail the car of a happy camper heading to Pensacola for the weekend. Instead, it could be a disgruntled Florida resident moving to California or some other western state.
According to Atlas Van Lines’ 2007 “Migration Patterns Study,” the moving company has moved more Floridians out of the state than new residents into it for two years in a row.
Meanwhile, California recorded more inbound moves than outbound for the first time in seven years.
What’s to blame for this shift? Natural disasters and economics, according to Greg Hoover, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Atlas World Group.
“Overall, the number of household goods moves was down for the industry, as the post-Katrina exodus from Louisiana into the surrounding states leveled off and the housing market continued to stagnate,” Hoover says. “Real estate costs undoubtedly influenced migration patterns this year as well.”
Atlas officials say that in the Southeast, post-Katrina emigration has stabilized this year. Relocation traffic out of Louisiana and Mississippi finally leveled out, and the heavy migration to surrounding states such as Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Georgia returned to normal.
TECHNOLOGY Get a Jump on Your Computer
Space and time are at a premium, especially when packing for air travel. Bulky memory storage devices just don’t cut it; that’s why we have today’s “flash” and “jump” drives that allow you to carry all your computing needs in a package no bigger than a cigarette lighter.
One of the latest on the market is the Lexar JumpDrive Mercury, available in 1- and 2-gigabyte formats at lexar.com. What makes the JumpDrive Mercury stand out is an innovative exterior capacity meter that shows remaining storage space at a glance.
The device also includes PowerToGo portable applications software, which allows you to install and run most standard Windows applications. Take your personalized settings wherever you go, and advanced security software protects everything.
New Computer Bag Tough as Nails
CODi has introduced a redesigned version of its Director-class laptop computer case.
Called the Director Executive Plus, the new case is made mostly of high quality, full-grain cowhide leather like its predecessor, but it’s now tougher and more durable than before thanks to ballistic nylon used to reinforce critical areas. The addition of the ballistic nylon makes the case lighter, so it tips the scales at just below 3 pounds.
The Director Executive Plus retails for $238 and is available online at codi-inc.com.
DID YOU KNOW?
More Single Women Buying Homes
The Florida Association of Realtors reports one in three Florida homebuyers is single, with single women accounting for 21 percent of homes purchased in 2007. Single men accounted for 12 percent. Unmarried couples accounted for six percent of sales. These are just some of the findings released in the Florida version of the National Association of Realtors’ “2007 Profile of Florida Homebuyers and Sellers.”
Other interesting facts:
• The median age of homebuyers was 43 years old. Among first-time homebuyers, the median age was 32.
• Thirty-eight percent of homebuyers reported using social networking Web sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Friendster. Among homebuyers aged 18-24, 76 percent reported using social networking sites.
• Forty-nine percent of first-time homebuyers were between 25 and 34 years old.
• First-time homebuyers accounted for 38 percent of the homes purchased in 2007.
• The typical homebuyer purchased a home more than 1,700 square feet in size.
• The median price of Florida homes purchased was $230,000 compared to $215,000 in the U.S.
