News - Friday, July 10, 2020

Before Michael Dumitru became a lawyer, he was a peacemaker.

The harmony he brokered did not bring nations together or settle disputes between warring factions, but rather helped his gregarious and sometimes opinionated family members understand each others views on politics, religion and other fodder for their debates.

Chattanooga attorney Joe Hollis is one proud father.

He’s driving his daughter, Lindsey Hollis, to Florida, where she’ll spend the following day training at The Performance Center at TCP Sawgrass, home of THE PLAYERS Championship, an annual stop on the PGA TOUR.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 2 issued an order canceling the July 28-29, 2020 administration of the Uniform Bar Examination in the state.

The court order cited Gov. Bill Lee’s expanded emergency order limiting gatherings and extending the duration of other requirements, the recent increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee and the updated mandate limiting gatherings in Nashville to 25 people.

REAL Trends has identified five Chattanooga Realtors and 24 local real estate teams as among the most productive in Tennessee in 2019 based on closed transaction sides and closed volume.

REAL Trends released the 2020 edition of its America’s Best Real Estate Professionals list this month in partnership with coaching and training company Tom Ferry International.

You probably already know that working with a Realtor gives buyers, sellers and investors many advantages they need to succeed in today’s real estate market. But did you know another advantage of working with a Realtor is the assurance that we subscribe to a strict code of ethics that provides clients with the highest degree of professionalism and service?

Recent research from the National Association of Home Builders shows nearly half of homebuyers are willing to invest between $1,000 and $10,000 in order to save $1,000 annually on their utility bills, and 37% are willing to spend upward of $10,000.

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke has launched local consumer financial protection planning efforts in partnership with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The city will begin an education campaign to raise consumer awareness of the scams and predatory practices businesses use.

It’s unfortunate, but true: During this period of economic uncertainty, one of the busiest “industries” has been financial scamming. But it goes on even during normal times, too, so you’ll want to know what to look for, and how to defend yourself.

The Chattanooga Heart Institute at CHI Memorial has added vascular surgeons Richard Sprouse, M.D., Sachin Phade, M.D., and Mark Fugate, M.D.

Sprouse received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee in Memphis. He completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga and a fellowship in vascular surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.

Against my better judgment, I find myself reluctantly listening to certain arguments against scrapping monuments, statues, building names and such perceived to be racist: the “slippery slope” theory.

I blame the Dixie Chicks.

They are now just “the Chicks,” having shed “Dixie” with little comment other than “We want to meet this moment” on the band’s new website.

With summer in full swing, we typically see car dealerships heavily discounting excess inventory around the Fourth of July holiday. But the novel coronavirus and its effects make this year different from most.

Demand for new cars has rebounded over the last couple of months, but vehicle production lines have not yet returned to full capacity, which means shoppers should not expect to see the jaw-dropping discounts of previous years.

Shelter in place. Lockdown. Quarantine. Whatever you call it, it’s been a few months since the COVID-19 pandemic taught us what staying home for an extended period of time actually looks and feels like.

These are unprecedented times. And although things are unpredictable right now, we can control our ability to emerge from this challenge differently than we entered it.

Your last regular paycheck has come and gone. That was a while ago, back before you were downsized/laid off/reassigned right out of a job, and you’re not sure what to do.

Your savings are nearly gone, your retirement funds are next and you’re too young to get Social Security. In “55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal” by Elizabeth White, you’ll see how to make this new life work.

It’s becoming more common for workers, stuck at home, to look for alternative work locations. For some fortunate individuals, it’s been their vacation home. Others have fled cities to live with family members in less-populated areas.

But, a third option is emerging.