Breaking News: Southern Voice (Atlanta's LGBT Newspaper) and the Washington Blade Shut Down?

Update 11:26am: The Washington Blade just tweeted that they are closing.

Looks like this will effect: Washington Blade, Southern Voice, Houston Voice, South Florida Blade, David Atlanta and The 411 Magazine.

From the Advocate:

Report: Washington Blade Closing
By Michelle Garcia

Window Media, the publisher of several gay and lesbian newspapers including Washington, D.C.’s 40-year-old Washington Blade has shut down, the Associated Press reports. In addition to the Blade, Window is publisher of the Houston Voice, South Florida Blade, David Atlanta, The 411 Magazine, and Atlanta’s Southern Voice.

Laura Douglas-Brown, editor of the Southern Voice, said she came to work Monday to find the doors chained and with a note from Window owners saying that the company was shutting down. Brown said all the publisher’s papers were closing.

Click on the link for the latest from the Atlanta based blog.

clipped from blogs.creativeloafing.com Richard Eldredge tweets that the Southern Voice and David, Atlanta’s leading gay publications, have been shut down. Eldredge says staffers came to work today to find the locks changed. In February, the NYC-based Gay City News reported that the Avalon Equity Fund, a parent company majority shareholder in SoVo, Washington Blade and several other gay publications’ parent company Unite Media, had been forced into liquidation and faced federal receivership. People familiar with the matter recently told CL they were unaware of the company’s fate. (Project Q Atlanta’s been following the story closely.) UPDATE: “We had been told that essentially we’d be sold down the road,” SoVo Editor Laura Douglas-Brown tells CL. “We had no inclination it’d be this morning. Everyone’s in shock right now.” UPDATE: Project Q Atlanta posts a photo of the one-page announcement that greeted the publications’ staffers. We’re trying to touch base with Unite Media and Window Media. More to come.

Realtor group says home prices to rise 4% in 2010

Click on the USA Today link to read more.

A federal tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers has helped stoke sales this year. The incentive was set to expire at the end of this month, but the NAR and other housing groups successfully lobbied to get the credit extended.

Now buyers can claim the credit if they sign a contract by April 30 and close the deal by the end of June. Lawmakers also expanded the program to include a $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for at least five years.

clipped from www.usatoday.com SAN DIEGO — Home prices are expected to grow modestly next year and sales will keep rising as the housing market continues to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. Home resales are projected to total 5.7 million next year, up from an estimated 5 million this year. Prices will climb about 4% after a projected decline of 13% this year, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the trade association. "Going into 2010, I anticipate that prices will also begin stabilizing or begin to modestly improve," Yun told the audience at the association's annual conference and expo in San Diego. That should help ease buyers' anxiety. "I don't think the fear factor will be at play in 2010," Yun said. First-time buyers accounted for a record 47% of home sales this year, up from 41% last year, the trade group said.

New mural in the Short North on the wall of Magnolia Thunderpussy

Old Oaks neighborhood near Downtown Columbus enjoys a bit of a revival

Click on the link to read the entire article.

clipped from www.dispatch.com Small, close-knit and architecturally rich, the neighborhood is a pocket of stability in an area that's struggling By Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Old Oaks neighborhood was one of Columbus' first streetcar suburbs a century ago. The area was platted in 1892, when an electric streetcar line was built along Livingston Avenue, said Doug Motz, a longtime neighborhood leader who lives on Oakwood Avenue. Before that, horses pulled trolleys along the street. The streetcars are long gone, and the neighborhood has had its share of ups and downs over the years, but today it's enjoying a bit of a rebirth. For instance, neighbors gather on porches every Wednesday during the summer to catch up. And they sponsor an annual holiday homes tour in December and are planning a memorial for Ohio State football legend Chic Harley, who grew up on Champion Avenue. The weekly porch chats are popular.

Real Living, the Nation's First Consumer Lifestyle Real Estate Brand Is About To Get Bigger....Much Bigger!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REAL LIVING, THE NATION’S FIRST CONSUMER LIFESTYLE REAL ESTATE BRAND, IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER – MUCH BIGGER

GMAC Real Estate to be Re-Branded ‘Real Living’ as Brookfield Continues Expansion and Ongoing Commitment to the Industry by Acquiring Real Living Network Services

Oak Brook, Ill. and Columbus, Ohio (November 11, 2009) – Real Living Network Services, a subsidiary of Real Living, Inc. (http://www.realliving.com), the real estate industry’s first consumer lifestyle brand franchisor, and GMAC Real Estate (http://www.gmacrealestate.com) today announced they are merging to become one of America’s leading residential real estate franchises with more than $20 billion in annual home sales.

Locally, Real Living HER (central Ohio market) and Real Living Realty Services (Dayton, Cincinnati and Louisville) will continue to be independently owned and operated franchisees. Chris Derrow, who was executive vice president of Real Living will become president of the holding company that has ownership interests in Real Living HER and Real Living Realty Services as well as Real Living Title, Real Living Mortgage and Real Living HomeGard (warranty). Clyde Corle, president of Real Living Realty Services and Pat Law will continue their leadership of Realty Services. RLHER and RLRS will remain, as they are today, franchisees of the new Real Living real estate franchisors.

“I eagerly anticipate working with an expanded network of real estate professionals, enhanced technology platforms, and a thriving relocation program,” said Chris Derrow. “This merger for Real Living Network Services will further strengthen our award-winning franchises—providing new opportunities for our real estate agents and an enhanced consumer experience.”

The move was set in motion late last year when Brookfield Residential Property Services (Brookfield RPS), a division of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (Brookfield), acquired GMAC Real Estate. Earlier this month, Brookfield RPS acquired Real Living Network Services, a subsidiary of Real Living Inc., and as a result will now rebrand GMAC Real Estate as Real Living.

Columbus, Ohio-based Real Living is a national award-winning brand known for its innovation, customer service and track record of attracting results-driven brokers and sales professionals, along with a culture of partnership and collaboration within its network.

“In Real Living, we found the ideal partner and brand for what we are hoping to accomplish with our real estate operations, which we are committed to building even further,” said Graham Badun, Managing Partner & CEO of Brookfield Residential Property Services. “We explored a number of options, including creating an entirely new brand from the ground up, but our customer feedback and research kept leading us back to Real Living. Both companies share many of the same core values and combined will be part of a bigger, stronger network of brokers and sales professionals.”

Badun added, “We are thrilled to have Real Living as our flagship U.S. real estate brand, and welcome Real Living’s 2,000 brokers and sales associates into Brookfield RPS’ North American real estate network of almost 30,000 real estate professionals. We look forward to further expanding the size of our network by adding new franchisees that are truly looking for something fresh and different, and we are excited about the opportunity to take the brand to new markets internationally. Adopting and expanding an already established and respected brand will benefit the entire GMAC Real Estate network of brokers and sales professionals from day one,” he said.

Badun also announced the appointment of Real Living’s Harley E. Rouda, Jr., a longtime real estate industry broker, owner, operator and franchisor, as President of the newly combined operations.

Real Living was founded in 2002 and the company has grown to become one of the nation’s premier real estate companies and brands. Its technology platform has been recognized by Inman News as one of the best in the industry, the company has been named “Most Promising New National Brand” by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report, and Entrepreneur Magazine listed Real Living as one of the Top 50 New Franchises.

“We brought a truly fresh approach to the industry earlier this decade when we launched Real Living as the first-ever consumer lifestyle real estate brand, and we will continue to do so by bringing new programs, services, support, training and technology, to our brokers and sales professionals,” Rouda, Jr. said.

“There is an incredible need for a broker and agent-centric brand that is consumer-focused, yet managed by an experienced team that understands real estate. Combined, Real Living and GMAC Real Estate have that team as well as a truly differentiated brand,” he said.

Brokers and sales professionals looking for more information on the launch and rollout of the Real Living brand can view RealLiving.com for more about the announcement. Company executives will also be available at this week’s annual NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego.

About Real Living
Real Living is a full-service real estate company with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources and services for franchisees, sales professionals, and consumers. Real Living was named one of the best new franchisors by Entrepreneur magazine. The firm also won the Inman Innovator Award and was named the most promising new national brand by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report. For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com

About GMAC Real Estate
GMAC Real Estate is one of the industry’s leading real estate firms with offices throughout the United States, Canada and Portugal. The company’s unique service delivery model, Premier Service®, has earned it a national Customer Satisfaction Rating of 95% since its inception in 2002 – the best in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.gmacrealestate.com

About Brookfield Residential Property Services
Brookfield Residential Property Services is a division of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a global asset manager focused on property, power and infrastructure assets. Brookfield has approximately USD $90 billion of assets under management and is co-listed on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchanges under the symbol BAM and on NYSE Euronext under the symbol BAMA. Brookfield Residential Property Services was named in the 2009 Swanepoel TRENDS Report as the number one real estate trendsetter in 2008. For more information, visit http://www.brookfieldrps.com

# # #

For more information please contact:
Caitlin Murray
Real Living, Inc.
(614) 273-8573
mailto: Caitlin.Murray@RealLiving.com

French Wine & Artisan Cheese Shop Opening Soon in the Short North

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com When the Ohio Art League moved out of their Short North gallery location in September, it didn’t take long for the windows to get papered up and a mysterious new “Coming Soon…” sign to appear. The new store may not have a name just yet, but entrepreneur Yusef Riazi is already working around the clock at filling his new venue with character. His focus for the shop is on French wines and artisan cheeses, but will also showcase a variety of fresh local breads, cured meats, soups, sandwiches, salads, and more. “My passion is French wine,” explained Yusef. “Nobody in Columbus has really touched upon the French village wine market. I also plan on featuring artisan cheeses, and I have a wonderful baker who uses seasonal, local, product-driven ingredients in his breads. The charcuterie is another big part of this… cured and dried meats are also something just barely touched on in Columbus.” This former art gallery at 954 North High Street is roughly 900 square feet

House Passes Health Reform Bill with Key LGBT Provisions

Late last night, the House passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, by a vote of 220 to 215. While this is a historic step toward improving health care for all Americans, it is also a tremendous advance for the health needs of LGBT people. HRC lobbied the three committees involved in drafting the bill to include provisions that would help LGBT people in particular obtain the improved access to health care that the Act is designed to provide. Some of these measures have been part of HRC’s legislative agenda as free-standing bills for many years. The key provisions in the bill that the House passed are:

* Health Disparities – the bill specifically designates LGBT people as a health disparities population, opening up health data collection and grant programs focused on health disparities related to sexual orientation and gender identity. With collection of data and funding of research, we can better address the specific health issues facing LGBT people.

* Unequal Taxation of Domestic Partner Benefits – the bill ends the unfair taxation of employer-provided domestic partner health benefits, incorporating the language of the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act. Without this tax penalty, more people will be able to afford employer-provided coverage for their families, and more companies will be able to offer these important benefits.

* Early Treatment for HIV under Medicaid – the bill also incorporates the Early Treatment for HIV Act, which allows states to cover early HIV treatment under their Medicaid programs, instead of withholding treatment for Medicaid recipients until they develop full-blown AIDS, This will dramatically improve the quality of life for low-income people with HIV, as well as saving taxpayers money and reducing the transmission of the virus.

* Comprehensive Sex Education – the bill provides funding for comprehensive sex education programs that focus not only on abstinence, but also reducing teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. After more than $1 billion wasted on failed and discriminatory abstinence-only programs, this funding will provide youth, including LGBT students, with the tools they need to live healthy lives.

* Non-discrimination – the bill prohibits consideration of personal characteristics unrelated to the provision of health care. HRC worked with a coalition of civil rights groups to develop and lobby for this language and we believe it will help protect LGBT people from discrimination in the health care system, where there are currently no federal protections for our community.

As the legislative process moves forward, HRC will continue to work to ensure that these important provisions remain part of the bill that reaches the President’s desk and, once it is law, to see that it is properly implemented.