FINLLY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR THE METROPICA PROJECT IN SUNRISE

FINLLY THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR THE METROPICA PROJECT IN SUNRISE

We have been waiting for this one for a long time, over 10 years in fact. This is the mixed use project that is to be built in Sunrise just West of the Sawgrass Mills Mall at the northwest corner of 136^thAvenue and Sunrise Blvd. It will have 1,250 condos and apartments, 485,000 square feet of retail space and 150,000 square feet of office space. And that is just in the first 2 phases! There is no detail on the development in later stages of the project. It is a 65 acre site, so I am sure that there is room for more building if this is successful. And that is in question given the proposed pricing of the residential units: from $300,000 to $1,000,000. The argument is who is going to spend that kind of money to live next to the Sawgrass Mills Mall when they could be by the water? We will see. But this Metropica is really the ultimate mixed use community and I really hope it works out. Residents have all of their shopping needs, have access to office and parks, all within walking distance. Yet it is not an urban setting and without all the problems that come with that like crime, traffic, pollution, etc. The project is being built by the original owner, Joseph Kavana, who is partnering with Scott Leventhal. Their company name is The Thrillist Cos. It sounds like they are considering a different name for the project, and other minor details are still being worked out. But finally it looks like this exciting mixed use project will be built, a little mini city next to a mall. I wish them the best with the project and know an excellent real estate broker who can help them with the retail and office space there! As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Metropica condo sales expected to start this year

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-05/business/sfl-metropica-condo-20140805_1_metropica-joseph-kavana-k-group-holdings

ANOTHER LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST JIM BATMASIAN

ANOTHER LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST JIM BATMASIAN

Jim Batmasian was back in the press again, on another wrong end of a lawsuit. This one was brought by the condominium association of Palmetto Place at Mizner Park who contends that Batmasian benefitted from “top city staffers” who made the condo association give Batmasian 100 free parking spaces. The suit is looking for compensation for these parking spaces, and the allegations are putting more unpleasant information into the public eye. For one, it seems like there is a constant struggle between Boca Raton city officials and Batmasian. Batmasian is the largest owner of real estate in the City and as such he pays the most property taxes. Those taxes pay the salaries of the City officials. If he ever decided to not pay them, it would create a difficult situation for those people. Now eventually he would have to pay the taxes or lose the properties, and he would, but not before showing them who the boss was. You get the impression that he likes to throw his weight around with them, and you can see why he feels like he has leverage over them. Specifically, the lawsuit accuses the City “and its staff have gone so far as to fabricate public records, including a land use order… that takes Palmetto Place’s property without compensation,” according to lawyer Robert Hackleman who represents the condo association. This is going to be an interesting one and I will be following it closely. You will be able to read about the results here, as you might have already guessed. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Lawsuit alleges Boca developer Batmasian got city favors

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/lawsuit-alleges-boca-developer-batmasian-got-city-/ngxfq/

PORT EVERGLADES TO DEEPEN PORT

PORT EVERGLADES TO DEEPEN PORT

Our close coverage of Florida’s port expansions continues with this article. One of the reasons for this is the belief that our economy will be very much positively affected by the widening of the Panama Canal. The area ports are responding to this and preparing for increased traffic and cargo. Right now Port Everglades is 42 feet deep, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has just recommended that it be deepened to 47 feet to accommodate the increased traffic. Broward County sought a depth of 48 feet, and would need to pay for the extra foot. That would cost $18 million dollars. That that seems like a lot but when you see this math you can see why investing in this infrastructure makes sense. The Army Corps calculates that every $1 spent on the deepening project (total cost $370 million) the U.S. will make $2.7 dollars in return over the next 50 years. The conclusion was made that the extra foot of depth did not justify the added expense. It should be noted that Port Miami is dredging to 50 feet. So it is clear everyone is betting on this expansion and putting up millions of dollars in pursuit of more growth. I think it is all going to pay off and that this will be lasting growth. Florida is uniquely positioned between Central America (where it seems like most of the fruit and seafood are coming from lately) and the rest of the U.S. and it is a natural stop for sea based traffic. If we can improve our rail service this could only assist the growth to come. Very exciting stuff and we will be following it closely. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Broward to dig deeper at Port

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-12/news/fl-port-everglades-dredge-20140812_1_port-everglades-portmiami-u-s-army-corps

REAL ESTATE LICENSING FEES ARE REDUCED

REAL ESTATE LICENSING FEES ARE REDUCED

Do not be alarmed, there was no photo with the article. It happens from time to time, it is just coincidental that there have been some missing photos from the blog articles lately. As you can imagine, this article caught my eye! You really don’t see fees going down very often, and for real estate licenses I cannot remember this ever happening since I moved here in 2001. Back then everyone in the state seemed to have a real estate license regardless of age, expertise or occupation. It was a profession preferred by the transient crowd, a way to make big money without working very hard or long hours. When hard times hit the market, membership in the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches dropped 31% from 2005 – 2011. Now with the market slowly improving, the number of realtors is growing once again. It is interesting that the state appears to be trying to help the industry with this drop in licensing fees. But don’t forget that lots of people make money from these real estate licensees, who must attend real estate schools, pay taxes on the licenses, and eventually collect sales tax on the transactions they make. Thanks to the state of Florida for the small break, it is appreciated although it will not affect my voting choice. Before long, we might well be back to the boom times where you could find a real estate agent under every rock and mangrove in Florida. We are certainly heading in that direction quickly. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Real-estate licensing fees reduced in Florida

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/business/real-estate-licensing-fees-reduced-in-florida/ngz3F/#fafbbd37.3711057.735463

FLORIDA HAS PLENTY OF SUN BUT LITTLE SOLAR POWER

FLORIDA HAS PLENTY OF SUN BUT LITTLE SOLAR POWER

This is just plain crazy and something that needs changing in huge way. I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and while riding the L train to Wrigley Field to see a Cubs game I saw plenty of solar panels on top of residential and office buildings. It is something you never see in Florida, despite our moniker as the Sunshine State. Why is this?? Because here in Florida and in other states (many of which are in the Southeast) where there is a monopoly on the energy supply, like Florida Power & Light, the utility company pays big money to prevent any competition. No matter how logical, environmentally friendly and efficient it might be. This is another example of politics gone bad, where the rich and powerful use their money to shape the laws to benefit their interests. It is almost funny that not only have they prevented competition from solar, but they have actually succeeded in making it illegal for homeowners to lease solar systems. That is the most common use of solar power, leaving only the option of purchasing it, which is very costly upfront. States in the Northeast like Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey are far ahead of states in the South with rooftop solar panels for homes. I think if enough publicity is shed on this subject the utility companies will be forced to allow more competition which will be good for both consumers and the environment. So please spread the word, and with our help competition will be allowed. Once it is, prices for everything will drop and service should improve. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Sunshine State slow to warm up to solar power

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/2014-08-16/story/sunshine-state-slow-warm-solar-power

PORT EVERGLADES: BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 47 & 48 FEET OF DEPTH?

PORT EVERGLADES: BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 47 & 48 FEET OF DEPTH?

An interesting debate is taking place in Broward County regarding the depth of dredging at Port Everglades. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the authority in these situations, and also impacts federal funding of these port projects. They have just recommended a 47 foot depth for Port Everglades, while Broward County sought a depth of 48 feet. Seems like small change, no big deal right? First of all, let’s talk about the cost of it: $18 million dollars. The 47 foot depth would allow the largest petroleum and container vessels. So what is the issue? It is that megaships with full loads prefer depths of 50 feet to comfortably maneuver. Port Miami is dredging to 50 feet and maybe other ports are concerned that they will be bypassed if they are not deep enough. It could also be a regional competitive thing, like if Miami can do it then we should be able to as well. There is a lot of money and jobs at stake here, $369 million dollars, of which $186 million would be paid by the federal government and $183 million by Port Everglades. You could imagine the prospect of spending all this money to improve the capacity and then it not being adequate to handle the increased traffic. And then the traffic would divert to other ports that can handle it and lose the investment and the existing traffic. The ports and the expansion of it supports 4,200 jobs and 2,200 construction jobs. There will be plenty of more updates on this soon and I promise you will find them here. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Port Everglades mulls extra $9 million outlay to dredge to 48 feet

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-07/business/fl-port-everglades-dredging-update-20140807_1_port-everglades-portmiami-expanded-panama-canal

LONG VACANT LANTANA WATERFRONT SITE FINALLY TO BE DEVELOPED

LONG VACANT LANTANA WATERFRONT SITE FINALLY TO BE DEVELOPED

I promise it isn’t me! This is the 2^nd article this week I have been unable to get the photo from it, and of course I blame the respective publications. I have a long and impressive track record of using photos with my blogs so I know it isn’t me! I love articles like this about a long vacant or dilapidated site that gets a new life from a developer. This is the definition of a win win deal, with the City of Lantana getting added tax revenues and new homes sprouting where there was nothing but overgrown land and decaying buildings before. But all is not agreed upon yet but looks promising. The plan is to transform the 10 acre waterfront site into 5 buildings, a mixture of 2 story mixed use properties which would be fronting on Dixie Highway and 6 story residential buildings which would be a gated rental community. The plans call for 2 mixed use properties and 3 residential buildings. There will be a total of 319 residential units. Given that there have been many failed deals on this site throughout the years and no other competing plans or bidders, this deal should happen. This is one of the last large waterfront parcels left and it will be very interesting to see how it all turns out. It should be great for the area and it is long overdue. My fingers are crossed but I really don’t think that is going to be necessary here. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Lantana waterfront property could develop as retail/residential

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/lantana-waterfront-property-could-develop-as-retai/ngypN/#74a094e9.3711057.735459

DESPITE MONEY AND EFFORTS, WALMART STILL STRUGGLES IN U.S.

DESPITE MONEY AND EFFORTS, WALMART STILL STRUGGLES IN U.S.

Sorry despite multiple and sincere efforts I was not able to get the photo from this article for some reason. Walmart fascinates me, for many reasons. But as the largest retailer in the world, they shed light on lot of things in the market. It seems like Walmart just can’t find itself these days. Realizing that just having the lowest or low prices is not enough to guaranty success, they have tried to expand in many ways. They have introduced new lines of business, such as the auto insurance industry, health clinics, ramping up their web site to compete with Amazon, etc. But none of these has really been successful and I think they have taken Walmart away from their core focus and customers. But I understand that they must widen their customer base if they are to be successful and that is what they have been pouring their money and efforts into lately. Their main focus has been improving their web site to compete against Amazon. But from what I read here, there is no chance from them to compete against Amazon, despite Walmart spending $650 million dollars to do so in the past 2 years alone. Their efforts to expand their smaller size formats are still in the works and have not been successful to date. It seems like they missed a huge opportunity to accelerate this effort by buying Family Dollar and their 11,000 locations, who ended up merging with Dollar Tree instead. It seems like they really have no direction or plan, just keep trying to enter new business markets and hope that something will catch fire and work. Eventually they will need to come up with a real and focused strategy if they want to compete against their rivals like the dollar stores and Costco, Target, Kroger, etc. We will see what they come up with and I will be watching closely. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.     

'It's sad...pitiful': Howard Davidowitz weighs in on Walmart's latest disappointment

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/-it-s-sad---pitiful---howard-davidowitz-weighs-in-on-walmart-s-latest-disappointment-143055177.html

PORT EVERGLADES GEARING UP FOR GROWTH WITH NEW PROGRAM

PORT EVERGLADES GEARING UP FOR GROWTH WITH NEW PROGRAM

Special thanks to Cordova Rodriguez & Associates for the great photo! This article was too interesting to pass up, even if it didn't have a photo. Port Everglades is one of 16 ports to enter into a new agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It will allow state and local governments along with the private sector to reimburse U.S. Customs for expanded services and quicker inspections. This will be accomplished by adding customs personnel when there are peak traffic surges. This will make the port more attractive as a destination and the customers that will benefit from the new changes will be cruise lines, cargo terminal operators and ocean shipping lines. There is some precedent in the area for this new program. Last July Miami International Airport was among the initial 5 governmental agencies chosen for the program. They increased their budget by $6 million dollars, in order to pay for adding personnel, additional traffic lanes and automated passport technology. The result of this money and efforts was a decrease in wait times of almost 30%. The idea is simple for both Port Everglades and MIA: make your destination more attractive and more efficient and you will get more business/traffic in return. It is exciting to see these changes in place before the widening of the Panama Canal, which is expected to bring significantly more traffic to the area. Hopefully the Port of Palm Beach can also get involved in the program as well at some point now that the groundwork in the area has been laid. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Port Everglades may improve customs processing

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-07-28/business/fl-port-everglades-customs-deal-20140728_1_port-everglades-fort-lauderdale-seaport-customs-and-security-operations

JIM BATMASIAN'S DIRTY LAUNDRY FINALLY OUT IN PUBLIC

JIM BATMASIAN'S DIRTY LAUNDRY FINALLY OUT IN PUBLIC

While it has never been a secret in the real estate community that Jim Batmasian was a bad guy, he paid great sums of money to try and give the impression that he was truly a good guy. That was done by donating money to various organizations. If you recall, he was recently going to host a fund raiser for Rick Scott at his house but for some reason people had a problem with it taking place at a convicted felon's house so they had to scrap that one. Batmasian loves giving money to politicians and public figures who he can get pictures with (they come with the donations). Those pictures decorate the walls of his office and reception area to show everyone how important he is. But he is a convicted felon, who in 2008 pleaded guilty to not paying federal withholding income taxes for employees (and to the tune of $253,513! That is nothing to someone like him and sheds a lot of light about him). That earned him a stint in federal prison. If these new accusations have any merit, he soon will be able to add sexual harassment, bank fraud, and accounting fraud to his resume along with a return to prison. It also seems like he has had a penchant for renting space to brothels and taking personal services from them in exchange for rent or construction, according to his former leasing agent who was involved with the transactions. He is currently being sued by 2 former employees, the former leasing agent and his former Chief Financial Officer, who is being sued by Batmasian. Why does anyone care? Because he owns more than half of Boca Raton and a significant amount of properties in Broward County as well. He has a $100 million dollar line of credit. His black and yellow signs are ubiquitous on Federal Highway in Boca Raton and every commercial leasing agent avoids his properties. The reason is a well earned reputation for not paying them commissions, along with other trades people. With in house counsel, he is always involved in dozens of lawsuits at any given time, it is just how he does business. But now everyone knows and I don't think Jim is very happy today. This will play out for months in the press so start getting used to hearing about it. We will update you when there is a new update. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Sex, tax fraud claims made against Boca Raton property owner Batmasian

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/business/sex-tax-fraud-claims-made-against-boca-raton-prope/ngmYh/#ff8ee250.3711057.735442

FORECLOSURE UPDATE

FORECLOSURE UPDATE

We have written a lot about foreclosures here, and yes we still lead the nation in this unfortunate department. I thought this was a good article to shed some light about them (by the numbers of cases both in Palm Beach County and the entire state of Florida), and why they just won't go away. 33% of Palm Beach County's cases are at least 2 years old. Of 15,195 pending cases, 5,005 have lingered for over 730 days. Statewide, the numbers are 185,823 total cases with 55,798 more than 2 years old. The new law to fast track the foreclosures, not mentioned in the article, and the new determination of the courts to clear the backlog have paid dividends over the past year. The numbers support that in Palm Beach County with 17,739 cases solved between July 2013 and April 2014 and 194,000 cases statewide. It is clearly suggested that new regulations on banks are preventing them from more efficiently foreclosing on delinquent mortgagees. There is also the issue of many banks having a full plate of toxic assets and they do not want to add to it so as to not show as great of a loss/exposure. They add them when they are ready for them for whatever reason. It is mentioned in the article that it is not uncommon for people to have not made payments for 2 years and still have not received foreclosure papers from their bank, starting the process. So in short, foreclosure in Palm Beach County and Florida as a while is still a mess but improving at a faster pace. Hopefully the courts can finally clear all the cases someday and if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn! As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Nearly six years for South Florida home values to hit pre-recession peak

http://realtime.blog.palmbeachpost.com/category/foreclosures/

BAHIA MAR LATEST PROPERTY TO BE BOUGHT AND UPGRADED

BAHIA MAR LATEST PROPERTY TO BE BOUGHT AND UPGRADED

This is a familiar story by now isn't it? An older, well located property gets bought and the new owner plans to renovate and expand and or upgrade the property. It is happening all over the state, from every product type from theme parks to retail centers and yes marinas. That is the case here with the famed Bahia Mar Marina, the hub of Ft. Lauderdale Beach. It has been badly in need of a renovation and now it will finally happen. The new owners, the Tate brothers (Jimmy & Kenny) and Sergio Rock , along with Rialto Capital Management and RCI Marine have been steadily adding to their portfolio lately and following the same script. The Tates and Rok and have totaled 18 investments with a value of more than $600 million in the past 5 years alone. This site is irreplaceable, 39 acres, across from a public beach, has a 250 slip marina and 297 room hotel. It is also the location of the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, which as we know from previous blogs is a huge economic driver for the entire region. So while already good, this site is about to get amazing with the addition of a condo hotel, and retail, restaurants and offices all facing the water. It will be a park like setting with people being able to walk, and enjoy time by the water. This should be an absolute home run if done right and I can't wait to see it when it is complete. It is very exciting to see important parts of the area getting improved and renovated. It also provides badly needed jobs and enhances our already excellent standing as a tourist destination. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Bahia Mar sold, may be upgraded with more dining and shopping

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/23/4251573/bahia-mar-sold-may-be-upgraded.html

MORE RESIDENTIAL CONDOS ON THE WAY FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY

MORE RESIDENTIAL CONDOS ON THE WAY FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY

Did you really think we had reached the limit on more multifamily growth? Ha! Seems like the surface is barely scratched with the reports of new projects almost daily it seems. 3,000 more residential coastal condos are on the way in Palm Beach county, from Boca Raton to Juno. This represents a 42% increase from the year before. Some are wondering if it is enough to satisfy the demand from high end empty nesters, incoming retirees from the Northeast and Midwest and of course the ever present foreign investor. If you think this sounds like a lot of product coming to the market at once (maybe gun shy from previous over building?) it really isn't when compared with the 27,000 units planned for Dade county. But as with any product type in Dade county, when the pricing gets too high there (or there is not enough), people look Northward. And don't forget that all that rental product that has already been built or is in the planning stages can easily be converted to condos if the market will support it. Any way you look at it, multi family is on fire in South Florida again and let's hope that things turn out better for all of us this time around. While lessons have been learned from before (down payments for these units are sometimes as much as 50%), it is impossible not to ride the wave when it presents itself so the process is playing out much as it did a few years ago. Get ready to see some new high rise residential buildings the next time you are in the East part of town, no matter where you are in South Florida. It is an exciting time in South Florida again and the boom cranes are back again in force. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

3,000 condos planned across Palm Beach County

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/fl-condo-projects-20140725,0,5102771.story

TWO MORE AIRLINES COMING TO SOUTH FLORIDA

TWO MORE AIRLINES COMING TO SOUTH FLORIDA

That might be a premature blog title but I think it will end up being accurate. This is also a 2 for 1 blog opportunity, as you will see that these 2 articles are quite related. They show a very different situation between Palm Beach International Airport and Hollywood Ft. Lauderdale airport. First let's look at the story about PBIA and their new airline, PeopleExpress. Last week the newest airline at PBIA started flying routes from West Palm Beach to Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Virginia. There is some argument about whether or not there is a need for this route at all, whether or not there will be sufficient traffic for it to make sense and money. It should be noted that traffic at PBIA has steading dropped since 2007, with a slight increase last year. Where is all the traffic going since we have been having record tourism numbers? Ft. Lauderdale? Traffic is only up 3.8% since 2007 there. Miami? Probably but no numbers are given. So we wish PeopleExpress the best of luck and hope that this niche route works out. On the other hand, is the possibility of Azul Brazilian Airlines, Brazil's 3rd largest airline, establishing non stop routes between Ft. Lauderdale and San Paolo/Campinas airport. The deal is confusing since there are conflicting reports here. At the beginning of the article it says that the deal is waiting for regulatory approval from Brazil and the U.S. Later it says that they are still in negotiations (the airline and the airport) and a final agreement is pending. While there are challenges, this is the most natural thing in the world given the enormous Brazilian population in Broward County and the fact that there are no nonstop flights currently. This would be the first in the US for Azul, who is also planning to have service from Brazil to New York and Orlando by mid 2015. I would be shocked if this deal didn't happen. Good luck to Azul and hopefully we will be seeing them here by the end of the year. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Brazilian airline could be coming to Fort Lauderdale

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/morning-edition/2014/07/brazilian-airline-could-be-coming-to-fort.html?ana=e_sflo_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2014-07-21&u=imWEgan6Mo2Fr8QCA5ZmD1rCrgv&t=1405950286

Palm Beach International’s new fledgling airline: Is it a risk?

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/palm-beach-internationals-new-fledgling-airline-is/ngjCD/#a93ac2ca.3711057.735435

BLUE MARTINI ON THE WAY OUT OF CITY PLACE?

BLUE MARTINI ON THE WAY OUT OF CITY PLACE?

For the 2nd time in a month there is another story about a large multi unit restaurant facing bankruptcy at City Place. Blue Martini, who has been a tenant at City Place for 14 years, is facing eviction for non payment of rent. Their arrearage is reported to be over $140,000 but they say they will resolve the dispute amicably and have no intentions of leaving. This is also what was said by Brewzzi's last month. That case is still pending but the establishment remains closed. What is going on at City Place these days? Like all lifestyle centers in Florida, City Place is a project that draws people looking for entertainment and dining. They do very little shopping, and there is a lot of competition for the dining dollars. While the restaurants are all different with respect to cuisine, there are lots of options and usually all the business comes on the weekends. So you are looking at really 2 good days per week, very tough to make a living on that especially when you have an enormous restaurant and pay substantial rents. I was working with a restaurant there in the past and learned that the operating expenses, better known as CAM, was about $30 per square foot. If that was the rent alone it would be daunting. For example, most of the restaurants are at least 5,000 - 6,000 SF. So let's say 5,500 SF, just with CAM and sales tax pays $14,575 per month assuming there is no rent! And there certainly is so assume they pay $20,000 per month minimum. With all the employees, limited week day profits, stiff competition how can any of these restaurants make it? You may have heard that a bowling alley recently opened here, providing yet more entertainment options. It also offers food, which further cuts into the restaurants profits and potential customers. Given all of this, I think it is a sure bet that the revolving door of restaurants at City Place will continue until some long term solution is found. But there is something else working against it. Any retail properties that have 2 stories don't seem to succeed for whatever reason in Florida. City Place happens to be the only lifestyle center I know of that has 2 stories. I really hope they can find a solution and make the project work. It is a huge improvement from what was there before and the great hope is that eventually more residents will move into all the condos downtown and make it work. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

MICROSOFT LAYS OFF 18,000 PEOPLE BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING?

MICROSOFT LAYS OFF 18,000 PEOPLE BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING?

I really couldn't resist this one. Microsoft has virtually no competition and seems to just print money. Now they are laying off 18,000 people, a staggering amount. But this article takes a very positive look at the possible result of this, and it is very interesting. Once freed from the large corporation, many of the Microsoft alumni have gone on to start successful companies. The thought is that this could really invigorate that area in Seattle, with talent spreading out and doing all kinds of good things. But why is Microsoft doing this? I have a personal story here that I think is quite applicable. Over a month and a half ago I started getting messages saying that my Office product was going to expire and that I had to call them to renew my product key. On June 4th I did that, paying them $99 for the privilege. Since that date I have been unable to use my Microsoft Outlook, having to rely on web mail (thank you Google!). After all this time they still haven't fixed it, takes 20 minutes at least to leave them a message and they missed 6 consecutive call back appointments in a row. After all this, they sent me a survey to see how the service was. After giving them the lowest scores in history and trying to email them, I have had no response. So maybe they just have too many employees to do things, even the most basic, correctly. Every person I spoke to from there, and I spoke with at least 12 people over that time, was from India. Given that they work on much lower salaries than the American workers, it is not surprising that there were no layoffs for their Indian personnel. They work on that time zone, not the American time zone, making it impossible to deal with issues in the morning. It is hard to believe that a company this large could provide such terrible service but I can assure you it is true. The problem is still not fixed. As a consumer, there is nowhere to turn, no competitor to jump to. It is awful and really makes me want to start a company to compete with them but alas I am just a real estate broker. Hopefully someone much smarter and with more resources than me with take up that challenge and we will all benefit. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.