Here are four takeaways from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s news conference following the Fed’s decision to keep its federal funds rate at or near zero:

Stop focusing so much on when the Fed will start raising rates

Too much attention is being paid to when the Fed will begin raising its federal funds rate and not enough attention to the fact that the Fed plans to raise this rate only gradually once this tightening begins, Yellen said.

The federal funds rate is what banks charge each… …read more

I became a father in September of 2002, and that moment of instantly loving something more than can be measured was unlike any emotion I can describe. My life had changed. I now had responsibility outside of my job and marriage — I now had the responsibility of raising a child.

But what I didn’t expect was that my daughter — and later my son, who was born in October 2006 — would help raise me and make me a better person and professional.

As Father’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking… …read more

Home builders’ confidence in the housing market jumped five points in June, as their sales outlook improved to its highest level since 2005.

That’s according to the National Association of Home Builders’ monthly Housing Market Index, which jumped five points in June to 59. The index is based on what builders say about current sales, sales expectations for the next six months, and how many potential buyers they’re seeing. All of those components gained, but both sales indices were especially… …read more

Pollack Shores Real Estate Group has big plans for Lexington Park at Westchase.

The Atlanta-based investment group paid $64.5 million or $161,250 per unit for the 400-unit Lexington Park in a deal that closed June 4, according to a Hillsborough County deed filed Wednesday.

The seller, Miami Beach-based Crescent Heights, paid $42.5 million or $106,250 per unit in 2010. Lexington Park was built in 2010.

Pollack Shores is planning to invest “significant capital” in the property, managing director… …read more

Tampa’s condominium market is showing promising signs of recovery.

There’s movement at both ends of the market. Different property types will see different outcomes, but the activity is a good sign for multifamily real estate.

At the high end of the market, there’s renewed interest in buying condos — and so much activity in one downtown Tampa building that prices are rising quickly.

At the low end, a fractured condominium for sale in Carrollwood is attracting significant investor interest… …read more