State’s housing prices too high for middle-income residents
A housing shortage is driving the middle class out of California. Several reports from Next 10 and Beacon Economics illustrated the state’s growing housing to jobs imbalance. Housing prices will continue to climb unless cities and counties increase residential densities and streamline the permitting process, according to the reports. More people are leaving the state Read More →
Coastal housing groups help workers buy or rent
Live near work. It’s a concept that’s vexed tri-county businesses as they’ve struggled to recruit and retain employees. The Santa Barbara-based Coastal Housing Partnership has made a name for itself by helping the region’s employees buy homes and rent apartments near their jobs. The nonprofit works with about 50 business owners who pay an annual Read More →
Higher education faces disruption because of technology
Business scholar and consultant Clayton Christensen coined the phrase “disruptive innovation” in the 1990s to describe a breakthrough that reshapes a market and displaces its leading firms. Twenty years later, “disruption” might be the defining theory of the modern economy. Print newspapers, brick-and-mortar retail and taxis have been some of its chief victims. On a Read More →
Dubroff: In era of unusual calamities, Feinberg has faith in system
Kenneth R. Feinberg has had an up-close-and-personal view of human tragedy. As the nation’s premier attorney for dealing with disasters, both natural and man-made, he has a remarkably practical approach to what should happen when things go wrong. So, when I had the chance to talk to him on March 8, I couldn’t resist asking Read More →
Apps drive home the point that safe motoring matters
A Cal Poly Technology Park company is helping drivers drive better by giving them feedback. Several apps developed by Mentor eData track how well users drive and give them scores at the end of their trips. Stephen Lakowske founded the company in 2009 when his two teenage daughters approached driving age. “I thought ‘holy smokes, Read More →
Real estate tech firms target Montecito, Santa Barbara
The tri-county real estate tech scene is surging. A number of web-based brokerage firms are flooding the region, targeting the affluent neighborhoods of Montecito and Santa Barbara. They aim to disrupt the established order of the real estate market through features such as streamlined online platforms, lower commission rates and live video walkthroughs. Open Listings Read More →
Dubroff: New initiatives as Pacific Coast Business Times enters 17th year
Look closely and you will notice something unusual about Page One this week. It is a rare Issue No. 53, as the Leap Year prompted us to add an extra edition. So, before we launch into our 17th year, here’s an update from the Pacific Coast Business Times: • We are embarking on new initiatives. Read More →
