Masonite opens the door to new capital strategy

/in /by

Masonite International Corp. plans to buy back up to $150 million of its own stock.

It’s a way for Masonite (NYSE: DOOR), a Tampa company that designs and manufactures interior and exterior doors, to return value to its shareholders, Fred Lynch, president and CEO, said in a press release.

Masonite’s stock buyback is at least the fifth share repurchase announced in the past several months by public companies based in Tampa Bay and one of the largest buybacks, second only to a $250 million repurchase… …read more

Bank initiative opens ‘world of credit’ to some Tampa Bay snowbirds

/in /by

Tampa Bay businesses, ranging from Realtors to manufacturers to art dealers, stand to benefit from a BMO Harris Bank initiative that gives more buying power to Canadians who winter in Florida.

The program — called “cross-border banking” — allows Canadians access to their funds at BMO Bank of Montreal, without having to convert Canadian currency to U.S. dollars, said Anthony Perez, assistant vice president and manager of BMO Harris Bank in downtown Tampa. That’s key because $1 in Canadian… …read more

Florida real estate agents could get protections from crime

/in /by

People who commit violent crimes against real estate agents would face stiffer penalties, under a measure that started to move Monday in the Senate.

Members of the Criminal Justice Committee approved the proposal (SB 214), which would up the classification of assaults, batteries and sexual batteries against real estate brokers, broker associates or sales associates when they are showing property.

Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, said he gets “nervous” about setting criminal laws that single out… …read more

​20 meetings in 24 hours: The ‘new’ Tampa Bay Partnership in Tallahassee

/in /by

“I’m fired up,” said Tampa Bay Partnership CEO Rick Homans.

He’s still processing a whirlwind tour in Tallahassee this week with a delegation of nearly 20 Bay region business leaders and key elected officials, including Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, and Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

The group managed a frenetic pace, holding 20 meetings in 24 hours. But more significant, the first trip of its kind in the more than 20-year history of the Partnership… …read more

State of sports business: Economics shift as tech expands

/in /by

Technology is the undercurrent shaking up the sports industry.

From fan experiences to selling more merchandise, there are hardware and software advances that are changing sports economics, said Abraham Madkour, executive editor of Sports Business Journal, at the Tampa Bay Business Journal’ s 2016 Business of Sports event, Feb. 9 at Amalie Arena.

Near the top of his list is “cord cutting,” or getting rid of basic cable television packages as more people turn to alternatives such as streaming… …read more

Warehouse Lofts developer ices plans for next Seminole Heights project

/in /by

The developer behind the Warehouse Lofts, an adaptive reuse project in Seminole Heights, has walked away from plans to build a new mixed-use development in the neighborhood.

Wesley Burdette was under contract to acquire 5023 N. Florida Ave., which is owned by the Centre for Women. Burdette in November unveiled plans for an apartment-and-retail development on the site, with about 50 loft-style residential units and a 2,800-square-foot storefront.

The city’s architectural review commission sent those… …read more

Spec mansion on Davis Island sells for full list price (Video)

/in /by

A speculative waterfront mansion on Davis Islands has sold for its full list price of nearly $6 million.

A local development group listed 556 Riviera Drive — a 7,600-square-foot West Indies-style mansion — for $5.995 million, and that’s exactly what it sold for in a deal that closed Feb. 12, according to a Hillsborough County deed filed Tuesday.

The buyer was a joint revocable living trust in care of Dennis A. Hase.

When the spec mansion broke ground in late 2014 — a 1960s ranch home was… …read more

Canadian developer buys 100 acres in Riverview

/in /by

A Canadian developer has purchased more than 100 acres in Riverview, with plans to build hundreds of homes on the property.

Mattamy Homes paid $12.1 million for the land, which is near the intersection of Boyette Road and McMullen Road, immediately adjacent to Goolsby Pointe shopping center, anchored by Publix Super Markets Inc.

Mark Eilers, director of land services, and John Scott, senior vice president of Colliers International Tampa Bay, represented the sellers in the transaction and assembled… …read more

See how Tampa ranks among best cities to be a real estate agent

/in /by

With total home sales expected to reach 6 million this year — their highest level since 2006 — personal finance website WalletHub took a look at which cities are most conducive to a healthy career as a Realtor, and Orlando ranked just slightly above average.

To come up with its rankings, WalletHub analysts compared the 150 most-populated cities using 13 metrics, ranging from sales per agent and annual median wage for real estate agents to housing-market health index.

The top five best cities… …read more

See where Tampa Bay’s biggest construction projects are happening

/in /by

When compiling the List of the 25 largest construction projects completed in 2015, we threw in an extra survey question: What are your largest active local projects?

There are 77 projects with a combined construction value of $1.4 billion happening right now in Tampa Bay.

Projects were submitted by local contractors, architects, engineering firms and developers. They span from road improvements to new hotels, apartments and condominiums to improvements on a wastewater treatment plant.

Use the… …read more