Housing downturn another nail in the coffin for snail mail?

Miami-Dade and Broward counties are slated to lose about 415 underused mailboxes as the U.S. Postal Services continues to consolidate and cut costs, but e-mail isn’t the only culprit. The real estate downturn has also contributed to snail mail’s steep demise. “Every home sale generated probably seven to eight pieces of mail… a letter from a mortgage company, mortgage insurance, Home Depot … all of these folks would start sending you advertisements for your business,” explained Mike Fortunato, Fort Lauderdale’s postmaster. Mail volume dropped by about 15 percent last year in South Florida, and the postal service has reacted by shuttering post offices and now, by removing about one in six of the region’s blue metal mailboxes. Palm Beach County is also slated to shed some boxes, though the number has yet to be determined. [Sun Sentinel]