VOL. 41 | NO. 15 | Friday, April 14, 2017
Technology has a way of devastating industries, and as early as 1997 a national journal predicted a dire future for the real estate profession.
March 2017 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
First quarter 2017 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
Top residential real estate sales, March 2017, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell for a fourth straight week, with the benchmark 30-year rate marking a new low for the year.
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
The residential real estate battlefield is littered with settlers and stretchers scattered across the neighborhoods in the Nashville theater. Troops of families relocating have invaded by land and air and have besieged the entire city.
SAM STOCKARD: VIEW FROM THE HILL
Word has it extra tissue will be placed on the desks of some House members in the coming weeks so they can dry their tears of pain.
DAVID CLIMER: OUT OF LEFT FIELD
The most unexpected development during Tennessee’s 2016 football season wasn’t three straight losses in October or the disappearing act at Vanderbilt.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
Your co-worker is an idiot. All day long, he’s blah-blah-blah, telling you how great he is, the coolest guy ever. If you’ve done something, he’s done it better. Twice.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Honda’s Accord Hybrid has returned for 2017 as a roomy, comfortable mid-size sedan that’s the most fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid four-door car in its class.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
It’s official – you are on the social media bandwagon. Your company has a presence on the major platforms because you want to drive traffic to your website, engage customers and learn their insights, build brand loyalty, deliver better customer service and manage your reputation.
CAREER CORNER
The job market often offers twists and turns you’d never expect. My first twist happened during college.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee House is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill that would allow two Nashville bars to serve alcohol for 23 hours a day.
STATEWIDE
KNOXVILLE (AP) — The student-run newspaper at the University of Tennessee is cutting its print edition to twice weekly.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will meet on May 1 to consider six applicants to fill the seat of retiring Sullivan County Circuit Court Judge R. Jerry Beck.
AUTO INDUSTRY
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — General Motors announced Thursday amid Venezuela's ongoing protests that it was no longer doing business in the country after authorities seized its only factory in the South American nation.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are off to another strong start Thursday morning as solid earnings from railroad operator CSX and paint and coatings maker Sherwin-Williams send companies that make and sell basic materials higher. Banks are also gaining ground after more of them report solid earnings and as bond yields rise, which allows banks to charge higher interest rates on loans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — More people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, yet total applications remained at a historically low level that suggests workers are enjoying solid job security.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19
STATE LEGISLATURE
The House and Senate are nearly ready to send the IMPROVE Act to Gov. Bill Haslam, passing it with relatively wide voting margins after months of debate.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill that would ban some abortions at 20 weeks passed in a Senate committee Wednesday, despite Tennessee's attorney general previously calling the measure "constitutionally suspect."
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's road and bridge funding bill is headed for a showdown in the Tennessee House on Wednesday.
NASHVILLE (AP) — State Rep. Brenda Gilmore has announced she will run for the Nashville seat currently held by longtime Sen. Thelma Harper, a fellow Democrat.
MIDSTATE
FRANKLIN (AP) — The Williamson County School board has approved the district's decision to eliminate class rank in the face of its declining importance in college admissions.
AUTO INDUSTRY
SHANGHAI (AP) — Ford Motor Co.'s luxury brand, Lincoln, has unveiled its first gasoline-electric hybrid, a version of its MKZ midsize sedan, at the Shanghai auto show.
SHANGHAI (AP) — Volvo Cars, the Chinese-owned Swedish automaker, said Wednesday it plans to make electric cars in China for sale worldwide starting in 2019 amid pressure by Beijing for global auto brands to help develop its fledgling industry in alternatives to gasoline.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks gave up a promising start and finished mostly lower Wednesday as investors continued to worry about lagging wages and energy companies dropped with the price of oil.
NEW YORK (AP) — Bill O'Reilly has lost his job at Fox News Channel following reports that five women had been paid millions of dollars to keep quiet about harassment allegations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve says the U.S. economy kept expanding in the early spring, with tight labor markets and many businesses reporting rising wages.
NEW YORK (AP) — The math behind your credit score is getting an overhaul, with changes big enough that they might alter the behavior of both cautious spenders as well as riskier borrowers.
NEW YORK (AP) — When small or independent retailers post "Going Out of Business" signs, many ask themselves, now what? That may mean trying again — or forging ahead on a completely different career path.
NEW YORK (AP) — Earnings at The Associated Press shrank substantially last year compared with 2015, when the news organization enjoyed a large tax benefit that skewed its results. Revenue also edged downward, reflecting continued contraction in the newspaper industry and a stronger U.S. dollar that reduced the value of overseas sales.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wealth management and investment banking firm Morgan Stanley saw profits rise 74 percent in the first quarter, helped by the firm's well-regarded trading desks.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, says he won't for re-election or any other office in 2018.
BEIJING (AP) — China is defending its handling of trademark applications from President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and her company, saying that all such requests are handled fairly.
BEIJING (AP) — Top diplomats from China and the European Union pledged closer cooperation Wednesday, highlighting their common interests in peace and security and pushing a message of free trade and open engagement in contrast to fears that the U.S. is turning inward under President Donald Trump.
TUESDAY, APRIL 18
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Middle Tennessee Mayors Caucus is urging state lawmakers to approve Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's transportation funding proposal that would include the state's first gas tax hike since 1989.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill seeking to reduce penalties for carrying a handgun in public without a state-issued gun permit has failed for the year.
Legislation putting a damper on Nashville’s efforts to stop natural gas pipeline compressor projects in Cane Ridge and Joelton is on its way to the governor’s desk.
NASHVILLE (AP) — In the first legislative session after a school bus wreck in Chattanooga killed six children, Tennessee lawmakers are advancing bills to improve safety, including one measure that would require seat belts on new buses.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A national transportation research group's study says deterioration, congestion and lack of safety features on Tennessee roads and bridges cost the state's drivers $6 billion annually.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Speaker Beth Harwell is calling on her Republican colleagues to show civility as the Tennessee House prepares for a contentious vote Wednesday on Gov. Bill Haslam's transportation funding proposal.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to ban open alcohol bottles or cans in vehicles traveling on Tennessee roads has failed for the year.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The full state Senate is poised to vote on a bill that would allow Tennessee drivers to choose license plates with the phrase "In God We Trust" on them.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — State tourism officials have launched a new personalized website to help travelers plan their trips to Tennessee.
COURTS
NEW YORK (AP) — An organization that advocates for restaurant workers has joined a New York lawsuit claiming President Donald Trump is violating the constitution by letting his businesses accept money from foreign governments.
MEMPHIS (AP) — More women are joining a lawsuit against the City of Memphis over the accumulation of thousands of untested rape kits.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. builders broke ground on fewer homes in March, but the pace of construction so far this year remains stronger than in 2016.
AUTO INDUSTRY
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen has reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter thanks to cost controls and a stronger contribution from its core brand, which was boosted by new models including the Tiguan SUV.
SHANGHAI (AP) — Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, plans to launch its first pure-electric car in China next year as Beijing steps up pressure on the industry to promote alternatives to gasoline.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell Tuesday after weak first-quarter reports from Johnson & Johnson and Goldman Sachs frustrated investors who hope that company earnings are on the rise. Health care companies lost the most.
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — President Donald Trump hopes to revive the economic populism that helped drive his election campaign, signing an order Tuesday in politically important Wisconsin to tighten rules on technology companies bringing in highly skilled foreign workers.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has created a new organization to analyze government spending and revenue to make it easier to understand.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A resilient China, rising commodity prices and sturdy financial markets are offering a sunnier outlook for the global economy and helping dispel the gloom that has lingered since the Great Recession ended.
NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America's first quarter profits grew nearly 40 percent, the bank said Tuesday, helped by higher interest rates as well as a strong performance in its investment banking division.
SHANGHAI (AP) — On April 6, Ivanka Trump's company won provisional approval from the Chinese government for three new trademarks, giving it monopoly rights to sell Ivanka brand jewelry, bags and spa services in the world's second-largest economy. That night, the first daughter and her husband, Jared Kushner, sat next to the president of China and his wife for a steak and Dover sole dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is rallying voters in Georgia's 6th Congressional District to "get out and vote" Republican ahead of Tuesday's special election.
MONDAY, APRIL 17
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — The executive producer of a documentary hailed as one of the best rock films of all time is coming to Nashville to discuss his new book that accuses tech giants of threatening the future of the music, film, television, publishing and news industries.
STATE LEGISLATURE
Votes aren’t adding up in the House of Representatives for passage of the governor’s gas tax/tax cut legislation.
Members of the Legislature’s Veterans Caucus are renewing a call to increase property tax relief statewide for veterans and the elderly in a measure separate from the governor’s IMPROVE Act.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is joining more than a dozen other states in urging an appeals court to reinstate President Donald Trump's revised travel ban.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville attorney and former Army helicopter pilot James Mackler says he is running for the Democratic nomination to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.
KNOXVILLE (AP) — A research team led by the University of Tennessee Knoxville has received a $9.9 million grant from NASA toward the development of a more aerodynamically capable aircraft.
REAL ESTATE
U.S. homebuilders are feeling slightly less optimistic about their sales prospects, even as their overall outlook remains favorable.
COURTS
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey woman has sued Wells Fargo Bank, saying she was fired for refusing to participate in a scheme to manipulate accounts and sell products that weren't in customers' best interest.
TECHNOLOGY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix is on the verge of surpassing 100 million subscribers, a testament to how much the video streaming service has changed the entertainment landscape since its debut a decade ago.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks bounced back from recent losses Monday after the Chinese government said that country's economy grew at a slightly faster pace in the first quarter. Banks jumped as interest rates recovered.
Absences, fitness, atmosphere _ new ways to track schools
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Tax Day approaches, show some love for the good people who live in the nation's capital.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to sign legislation to extend temporarily a program that gives veterans access to private-sector health care.
FRIDAY, APRIL 14
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Grammy-winning guitarist and singer Glen Campbell is releasing his final studio album, recorded shortly after his Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in 2011.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Unexpected twists in a state gas tax bill, a presidential nomination and the failure of congressional effort to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law are complicating the Republican campaign to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam next year.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's attorney general has agreed that the state will drop two abortion limits similar to Texas laws struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, according to federal court filings Thursday.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation stripping Nashville and Memphis of ordinances to ease criminal punishment for marijuana possession.
NASHVILLE (AP) — House Speaker Beth Harwell, whose support of efforts to strip a gas tax hike out of Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's transportation funding proposal had cast doubt about the bill's prospects, said Thursday that she is now 'leaning' toward voting for the proposal.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A state lawmaker who supported doubling the amount of money that senators could raise during their four-year terms was required to return nearly $60,000 in donations that he over-collected in 2016.
Legislation stemming from the infamous voting-booth selfie by pop star Justin Timberlake sailed through the Senate Thursday.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee House has passed a bill that lets older adults without a college degree or certificate attend community college free of charge.
NASHVILLE (AP) — After a deadly school bus crash in Chattanooga, the Tennessee Senate has passed a bill requiring school bus drivers to be at least 25 years old without serious traffic violations in the last three years.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Two new attractions opening this month in Nashville will give fans a chance to get closer to some of their favorite country music icons.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — "Obamacare" is proving more of a challenge than the Trump administration bargained for.
BEND, Ore. (AP) — A House committee chairman who's a leading author of the mired Republican health care bill said Thursday he's skeptical about proposals the Trump administration and conservative GOP lawmakers have discussed in hopes of breathing life into the legislation.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk says the company plans to unveil an electric semi-truck in September.
BLUE SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — Toyota Motor Co. says it will build a $10 million center for visitors and interactive training at its northeast Mississippi assembly plant.
NEW YORK (AP) — Thursday at the New York International Auto Show was a day for automakers that sell to the wealthiest of car buyers to show their high-powered stuff. Prices for these cars range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to the millions. A potential competitor for Tesla also made its auto show debut with an electric sedan.
NEW YORK (AP) — Volkswagen of America's CEO says he's confident the brand's sales will recover from a diesel emissions cheating scandal as it rolls out new SUVs for the U.S.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney says it is delaying the closure of 138 stores by several weeks to take advantage of better-than-expected sales at those locations.
PARIS (AP) — Facebook says it has targeted 30,000 fake accounts linked to France ahead of the country's presidential election, as part of a worldwide effort against misinformation.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Asian shares fell Friday as investors fretted over rising geopolitical tensions, especially the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Many markets around the world were closed for Good Friday holidays.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans pulled back on their spending at auto dealers and restaurants in March, causing retail sales to drop despite signs of a healthy job market.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer prices fell in March by the largest amount in more than two years, pushed lower by another sharp decline in the price of gasoline and other energy products.
CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines and the city of Chicago may find themselves the target of lawsuits by the man who was dragged off a United plane in Chicago last week after refusing to give up his seat.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hey, procrastinators: Don't freak out if you haven't finished your taxes. The IRS is giving you a reprieve until Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — In the 15-year existence of her girls' empowerment organization, Joanne Smith has dealt with funders and donors but never quite like this: a foundation putting $90 million toward helping girls of color by letting them determine their needs instead of being told what the funds have to be used for.
SMITHFIELD, Va. (AP) — The world's largest pork producer is entering the business of trying to grow skin and organs for humans.
CHICAGO (AP) — Dr. David Dao was trying to return home from a California vacation with his wife when he refused to give up his seat to an airline crew member on a full United Express flight.
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors have pinned high hopes on President Donald Trump's tax reform proposals, and that's one of the reasons stocks have soared since Trump's election in November.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation at the wholesale level slid last month, pulled down by plummeting energy prices.
Miss Kindergarten is in the million-dollar club. So are Lovin Lit, the Moffatt Girls and about a dozen other teacher-entrepreneurs who are spinning reading, math, science and social studies into gold by selling their lesson plans online to fellow teachers around the world.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Laying bare deep and dangerous divisions on Syria and other issues, President Donald Trump declared that U.S. relations with Russia "may be at an all-time low." His top diplomat offered a similarly grim assessment from the other side of the globe after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump likes to boast that he hires only the best people. But his personnel choices keep coming back to haunt him.