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| Charleston.net News Commercial Real Estate Subscribe to the Post & Courier Place a Classified Ad | The capital real estate boom | ||
| There is a bright spot in the otherwise gloomy national real estate picture: the rising demand for office space in Washington, thanks to the government's almost unprecedented role in managing the economy and the hopes of lobbyists to influence it. The Washington Post reports that the federal General Services Administration, which leases space for government offices, expects in 2009 to double the amount of new leases it normally acquires in a year. | |||
 | Obama proposals include retirement plan changes The election is over and the message is clear â€" the economy is priority one. The big question now is how some of President-elect Barack Obama’s campaign proposals will affect retirees and workers with 401(k) and other retirement accounts. Looking at them a bit closer may reveal some clues. Retail job losses sap an occupational safety netRetail employment has traditionally been relatively resilient in times of recession. But this time, the sector’s job losses have outstripped those of other troubled industries such as automotive manufacturing, financial services and hospitality, according to the latest government jobs data. Somel experts believe many of the industry’s biggest cuts are yet to come. Owners cling to false optimism about home valuesA recent report showed that more than three-quarters of its real estate agents surveyed said most sellers have unrealistic initial listing prices for their homes. Likewise, an unscientific study found that half of homeowners polled think their home’s price has increased or stayed the same in the past year. Can high-def radio build critical mass?The new service hasn’t gained traction with consumers. For one thing, the signal can be heard only through special digital radio receivers, and just some of the nation’s radio stations offer extra HD channels. Moreover, the digital signal typically doesn’t reach as far as an analog signal.  | ||
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