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EXPERT ALERTS
- Benefits of Urban Redevelopment
- Home Inspection Negotiations
- Financial Comfort With a Reverse Mortgage
- Downsizing Your Home
- 'Life Settlement' Policy Debate Renewed
- Cyberattacks Top List of Corporate Concerns
- Firms Can’t Ignore Chick-fil-A Lessons
- History on Debtors' Side in Texas
MEDIA JOBS
- Investigative Reporter - West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Producer/Writer - Houston, Texas
- Multimedia Journalist - Sacramento, Calif.
- Online Editor/Producer - Washington, D.C.
- News Anchor/Producer/Reporter - Pocatello, Idaho
OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES
- Upcoming #ConnectChat: Open Social Collaboration for PR Pros
- Spotlight: Michael Vasquez, The Miami Herald
- Grammar Hammer: Don't Go Toward/Towards the Light
- Tips for an Effective Email Marketing Campaign
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EXPERT ALERTS
Expert Alerts are listings of ProfNet members who are available to discuss timely news topics. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact their media representative at the end of the listing. You can also find Expert Alerts online at bit.ly/pncalerts
Benefits of Urban Redevelopment
John McGrail
Founder and CEO
Mayo Group
As urban sprawl begins to make its way past beltways and into territory previously considered suburbia, enterprising companies are seeking to overhaul urban expanses by reimagining downtown spaces and shoring up existing infrastructure to breathe new life into urban areas. McGrail is a big proponent of urban redevelopment and cites major benefits to putting a new face on a crumbling or neglected neighborhood.
"Through redevelopment, previously vacant or neglected buildings vanish as modern edifices appear in their place, drawing people back to the area. Urban renewal also includes public improvements such as parking and utilities, as cleaner, greener services edge out outdated utilities. Finally, incorporating new apartments organically into a site can draw in a new population of urban dwellers or provide updated living space for those already living in the area."
News Contact: Anna Steinbock, anna@exposeyourselfpr.com
Home Inspection Negotiations
Kristin Brown-Orr
Realtor
After the completion of a home inspection, there will usually be a list of problems to fix, unless you are buying a brand-new home. In many cases, buyers typically have three options: ask for a price reduction or credit to fix the problems, ask the seller to fix all or some issues, or walk away from the deal altogether.
"Negotiating after a home inspection is a unique and meticulous process. Since no two homes are alike, no two negotiations will ever be the same. It is important for both parties to weigh the pros and cons of the repairs and pick your battles accordingly."
News Contact: Anna Steinbock, anna@exposeyourselfpr.com
Financial Comfort With a Reverse Mortgage
Chip Poli
CEO
Poli Mortgage Group, Inc.
During recent years, the financial climate has made retirement more difficult to weather than ever before. With the cost of living ever on the rise, retirees may find their savings insufficient to last comfortably through their golden years. A reverse mortgage can help alleviate financial concerns.
"Whether you are looking for a lump sum of cash to allow you to do the things you want to do, a line of credit to use as a safety net or a new income stream, a reverse mortgage could be just the solution for you. To qualify for a reverse mortgage, you (and any co-owners) must be 62 years of age or older, and your home must be your primary residence. The amount of money you qualify for depends on the value of your home, as well as borrower age and interest rates, which are currently at a historic low."
News Contact: Anna Steinbock, anna@exposeyourselfpr.com
Downsizing Your Home
Peggy Patenaude
Realtor
Prudential Howe & Doherty
You've made the decision to downsize to a new home that better suits you -- now it's time for a most critical task: downsizing your life to match your new home. Patenaude, a downsizing expert, has a few tips for how to choose what to save and what to discard.
"If any of your belongings are old or shabby (think rugs, towels, window treatments, bedding, even lampshades), get rid of them and don't consider replacing them until you are in your new space and can assess its storage capacity. If anything in your house is broken beyond the point that you will ever fix it, throw it out right now and don't look back. It’s also a great idea to contact a cause. Most charities are looking for gently used household items. It can feel really good to know that your former belongings will be given a second life with someone who truly needs them."
News Contact: Anna Steinbock, anna@exposeyourselfpr.com
'Life Settlement' Policy Debate Renewed
Geoff Weisbart
Attorney
Weisbart Springer Hayes in Austin, Texas
A lawsuit filed by the Texas Attorney General’s Office against Waco-based Life Partners Holdings Inc. includes claims that the publicly traded company is selling unregistered securities to investors. Life Partners provides lump-sum payments to customers in exchange for the proceeds from their life insurance policies. Anyone purchasing an interest in a life settlement should be a very sophisticated purchaser who really knows what they are doing and recognizes the related risks. Likewise, any group selling life settlement interests must understand that courts are ruling that these policies are securities, requiring compliance with securities laws."
News Contact: Bruce Vincent, bruce@androvett.com or +1-800-559-4534
Cyberattacks Top List of Corporate Concerns
Erin Nealy Cox
International Data Security Expert
Stroz Friedberg in Dallas
Data security and cyberthreats are now the top legal concerns of business leaders and general counsel, according to a recent national survey. While acknowledging the data security threat, a majority of corporate leaders revealed that their companies either didn’t have or weren’t sure if they had a data security response plan.
"Corporate America is slowly recognizing that protecting sensitive data is just as important as locking the door of the warehouse. Many companies are not allocating the resources to be more proactive in this area until it’s too late, and they are suffering from a costly compromise. My hope is that it’s not going to take more high-profile and damaging cyberattacks before real change occurs, but I suspect it will."
News Contact: Robert Tharp, robert@androvett.com or +1-800-559-4534
Firms Can’t Ignore Chick-fil-A Lessons
Billy Hammel
Employment Attorney
Constangy Brooks & Smith LLP in Dallas
“While the Chick-fil-A maelstrom over gay marriage finally may be in the general public’s rearview mirror, employers still might find themselves vulnerable to lawsuits if such debates are allowed to rage at the workplace. Neither Title VII of the Civil Rights Act nor many states’ laws recognize sexual orientation as a characteristic that’s protected from discrimination. However, an experienced employee-side attorney could assert retaliation claims following such workplace debates in a way that would probably be covered by Title VII. For those wanting to avoid media firestorms like the one Chick-fil-A faced after its president and chief operating officer made statements against gay marriage, companies should enact policies that outline what types of public comments are permissible for all of their employees."
News Contact: Dave Moore, dave@androvett.com or +1-800-559-4534
History on Debtors’ Side in Texas
Frances A. Smith
Bankruptcy Attorney
Shackelford Melton & McKinley in Dallas
"Many of the strong homestead protections enjoyed by Texas landowners are a result of early state history. Early leaders wanted to settle the state as quickly as possible and encourage settlers to move to Texas. Founders advertised generous homesteads, which were protected from creditors. As a result, Texans’ homesteads -- the land and houses they occupy -- always have been exempt from general creditor claims. This generally covers up to 10 acres of urban land and up to 200 acres of rural property. Some states will say you get your homestead up to $25,000 or $30,000, but Texas does it by the land area, so it doesn’t matter what the dollar value might be. Whether your 200 acres is worth $2 million or $200,000, it doesn’t matter. Each of your 200 acres is protected."
News Contact: Dave Moore, dave@androvett.com or +1-800-559-4534
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MEDIA JOBS:
Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: bit.ly/pncjobboard
- Investigative Reporter - West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Producer/Writer - Houston, Texas
- Multimedia Journalist - Sacramento, Calif.
- Online Editor/Producer - Washington, D.C.
- News Anchor/Producer/Reporter - Pocatello, Idaho
See more listings here.
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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:
Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at profnetalerts@prnewswire.com
- UPCOMING #CONNECTCHAT: OPEN SOCIAL COLLABORATION FOR PR PROS: ProfNet Editor Grace Lavigne will interview PR pro Sarah Evans on Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. EDT: goo.gl/B9g0e
- SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL VASQUEZ, THE MIAMI HERALD: ProfNet Editor Evelyn Tipacti interviews this award-winning journalist about his career and what he's learned working in the industry: goo.gl/DkDFj
- GRAMMAR HAMMER: DON'T GO TOWARD/TOWARDS THE LIGHT: ProfNet Editor Grace Lavigne reviews when to use "towards" vs. "toward": goo.gl/06VmN
- TIPS FOR AN EFFECTIVE EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN: PR Newswire's Christine Cube provides tips for companies on how they can better reach consumers via emails and newsletters: goo.gl/otmZ7
