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Home sales hit their lowest level in 16 years, spurring a big scramble among Bay Area buyers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

Plenty of buyers are in the market for a home — the problem is finding one.Persistently high interest rates paralyzed the Bay Area housing market in November, stymying would-be homebuyers and pushing sales in California to their lowest level in 16 years.“Buyers are willing to buy, but there’s terribly low inventory rates,” said Thao Dang Pham, a San Jose-based real state agent. The Bay Area had just 1.8 months of supply in November — the lowest of any region in California.With fewer homeowners trading up, home shoppers are left to compete over fewer available homes. As a result, prices are higher than they were a year ago. The median price of a single-family home in the nine-county Bay Area was $1.25 million in November — an increase of 4.4% from a year ago, according to data released this week by the California Association of Realtors.Bidding wars — while not as common as during the frenzied pandemic era of 3% mortgage interest rates — are ...

Thousands of seniors want to live on the 30 acres of Seven Hills Ranch. A 50-square-foot strip of land has been holding it up for months.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

WALNUT CREEK — A tiny 50-square-foot strip of land was one of the last battlegrounds for opponents of a 30-acre senior care community slated to transform Seven Hills Ranch’s low rolling hills and wildlife habitat.Nestled in a residential neighborhood less than a mile northwest of the John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center and east of Interstate 680, that minuscule piece of property at the northern end of Kinross Drive has for years been coveted as a potential primary access point for the planned Seven Hills Ranch development The Glen at Heather Farm.There was only one problem: the parcel was technically city property. That fact has kept the controversial gated development in a state of limbo, even after the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the plan in November of 2022, despite 4,000 signatures collected in opposition.But on Tuesday, the Walnut Creek City Council finally sold that sliver of land, technically designated “Lot A,” to Spieker Senior Dev...

Stock market today: Wall Street claws back some of Wednesday’s big loss, heads toward winning week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is clawing back some of its sharp losses from the prior day, its first big step back since a rally began in late October. The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher in early trading. The Dow was up 219 points, a day after falling for the first time following five straight record-setting days. The Nasdaq composite was 1% higher. Micron Technology leaped to one of the market’s bigger gains after reporting stronger results than expected. Treasury yields were lower following mixed economic reports. Easing yields have been one of the main reasons stocks have charged so high the last two months.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.(AP) — World shares mostly fell Thursday after Wall Street hit the brakes on its big rally following disappointing corporate profit reports and warnings that the market had surged too far, too fast.Germany’s DAX slipped 0.3% to 16,676.00 and in Paris, the CAC40 fell 0.3% to 7,559.33. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.1% lowe...

El gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, inicia vuelos de migrantes a Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

(CNN) — El gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, está subiendo la apuesta en sus esfuerzos por transportar inmigrantes a ciudades santuario, llevándolos en avión a Chicago, dijo a CNN el secretario de prensa del gobernador, Andrew Mahaleris.“Hasta que el presidente Biden dé un paso al frente y haga su trabajo para asegurar la frontera, Texas seguirá tomando medidas históricas para ayudar a nuestros socios locales a responder a esta crisis provocada por Biden”, dijo Mahaleris.El primer vuelo partió de El Paso a Chicago con 120 pasajeros este martes, publicó Mahaleris en X. La publicación incluye un video del primer vuelo que muestra a familias migrantes, incluidos niños, abordando el vuelo y el avión despegando.La nueva ley de inmigración de Texas siembra confusión e incertidumbre a lo largo de la fronteraUna fuente familiarizada con las operaciones en tierra le dijo a CNN que los migrantes firmaron una renuncia de consentimiento voluntaria que estuvo disponible en vari...

Prince William School Board chair to run for lieutenant governor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

Dr. Babur Lateef (Courtesy U.Va) Dr. Babur Lateef (Courtesy U.Va) Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef has filed to run as a Democrat for lieutenant governor of Virginia next year, according to documents from the Virginia Department of Elections.Lateef declined to comment on his campaign, but a spokesperson said a formal announcement is forthcoming after the holidays. As of Tuesday, Lateef was the only candidate who had filed to run for the office, according to the elections department.Lateef, an ophthalmologist who lives in Manassas, was first elected chair of the board in a special election in the fall of 2018 and was reelected in 2019 and 2023. Although School Board members don’t run with...

The Czech central bank cuts key interest rate for the first time since June 2022 to help economy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s central bank cut its key interest rate Thursday hoping to give the country’s struggling economy a boost.The cut by a quarter of a percentage point brought the interest rate down to 6.75%. It was the first time the bank cut the rate since June 22 last year.Last year the bank raised its key interest rate as it tried to combat soaring inflation. The hike of a percentage point and a quarter took the rate to 7%, the highest level since early 1999. It was the ninth straight increase since June 2021.The move took place at the last meeting of the bank’s board on monetary policy under outgoing governor Jiri Rusnok.On July 1, Rusnok was replaced by Ales Michl, a member of the bank’s board since 2018 who opposed previous rate hikes.Thursday’s move was expected by most analysts.Inflation in the Czech Republic soared to 18% in September last year. It was at 7.3% in November this year, according to the Czech Statistics Office, which is still well above the...

Photos: Dog rescued from bottom of 25-foot well after 2 days

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Tuesday, Adams County Fire put on their red helmets, pulled on their firefighting gear and loaded up Engine 11 before heading to Tennyson Street to save a dog at the bottom of a well.The dog, Max, went missing two days prior. No one had seen Max until a neighbor heard whimpering near an abandoned well. Volunteer drivers log hundreds of miles in the name of pet adoption Sure enough, the dog had fallen two and a half stories and was trapped at the bottom of the 25-foot well. After calling animal control, they needed more help.Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)Dog saved from an abandoned well (Courtesy Adams County Fire Rescue)On Tuesday morning, Adams County Fire received a call from animal control requesting their assistance. Ada...

Photos: Prost Brewing Company biergarten opens in Northglenn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Wednesday, Prost Brewing Company opened its biergarten with German-grown hops and malts, along with its Great American Beer Festival award-winning Prost Pils.You can get more than just beer. Prost's biergartens offer Germain specials like schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzel bites. Denver restaurant recognized nationally for having one of best dishes in US There are already locations in Denver, Highlands Ranch and Fort Collins. Now, there's a fourth location in Northglenn.Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)Prost Brewing Co.'s new biergarten and headquarters in Northglenn (Photo credits: Prost Brewing Co.)The...

Fire breaks out at Pembroke Pines apartment complex; no injuries reported

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

Firefighters battled a blaze that erupted Thursday morning at a Pembroke Pines apartment complex. The fire broke out around 8 a.m. at the Encino Apartments, located at 14927 SW 15th St., on the north side of a building. After a few moments, crews controlled the fire. According to officials, the flames were spotted at the rear of the structure, containing the blaze to a bedroom and patio. One resident was able to safely exit the unit and are currently displaced, said a fire official.Live video footage captured firefighters tackling the flames, revealing significant damage to the affected units. Neighbors gathered outside, witnessing the Pembroke Pines Fire Department’s extensive firefighting efforts.Despite the incident unfolding within the gated Grand Palms community, authorities contained the fire, addressing lingering hot spots. Crews were observed dismantling drywall to ensure hot spots were completely extinguished. Authorities said the fire is under investigation. Please c...

Czech police say people have been killed in a shooting in downtown Prague

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:02 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — A shooting in downtown Prague killed several people and wounded dozens of others, and the person who opened fire is dead, Czech police said Thursday.Police gave no details about the victims or the circumstances of the gunfire in the Czech Republic’s capital. They said officers were deployed due to a shooting at a school in Jan Palach Square.The philosophy department of Charles University, which is located in the square, was evacuated, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda said.The police department said the square has been sealed off. It urged people also to leave the surrounding streets and stay inside.Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said no other shooter was at the scene, but he urged people to cooperate with police.Prague’s rescue service confirmed several people were killed and said a larger number suffered various injuries.Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled his scheduled events and was heading for Prague.