Things To Do In SW Florida

Q: Our house is near some train tracks, where a commuter line runs during the week, but rarely runs on weekends. It is pretty loud when it goes past, but not unbearable. We are about to sell our home, and I remember your article where you wrote sellers should tell potential buyers about hidden problems. Do we have to disclose the occasional train noise when showing the property? — Lydia  

A: Your memory is correct. The traditional rule of caveat emptor or “let the buyer beware” has been modified for residential property to require sellers to disclose “latent” or unseen problems that can affect the property’s value to potential buyers.

If a seller fails to disclose a latent defect, they can be held liable to the buyer. Since you could be on the hook if you fail to disclose something to your buyer that you should have, you should disclose as much as possible.

The fact that you are even questioning whether you should disclose means that you should.

Quality real estate agents will have a detailed written disclosure form completed by sellers to provide to potential buyers during the contract formation. Sellers should fill out the form disclosing every defect that could potentially be considered to be hidden. read more

SeaWorld Orlando has rolled out a stage show called “Surf Holiday,” which has some ties to the theme park’s new Pipeline roller coaster and contains conservation messages.

The production is part of the park’s Summer Spectacular programming, which includes the “Ignite” fireworks show, Club SeaGlow dance party and the return of the pearl divers, who have been seen sporadically since 2015. A concert series will begin July 8, but SeaWorld has not announced acts for it.

Know going in that “Surf Holiday” isn’t about Christmastime. No Santa, Rudolph or faux snow this time around. Instead, think “beachy vacation.”

Hit the beach

The vibe was  “Beach Blanket Bingo” with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon at first. And the energy was celebratory like “We Go Together,” the finale of “Grease.” In the story, we are at Pipeline Pier and there are lots of beach balls and swimwear involved, along with a surfing culture-styled opening song.

But the setting, we soon learn, appears to be modern times, so just go with the flow. There is an acknowledgment that the male lead’s lingo is remarkably retro. read more

By COLLIN BINKLEY (AP Education Writer)

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a good month, Celina Chanthanouvong has about $200 left after rent, groceries and car insurance. That doesn’t factor in her student loans, which have been on hold since the start of the pandemic and are estimated to cost $300 a month. The pause in repayment has been a lifeline keeping the 25-year-old afloat.

“I don’t even know where I would begin to budget that money,” said Chanthanouvong, who works in marketing in San Francisco.

Now, after more than three years, the lifeline is being pulled away.

More than 40 million Americans will be on the hook for federal student loan payments starting in late August under the terms of a debt ceiling deal approved by Congress last week. The Biden administration has been targeting that timeline for months, but the deal ends any hope of a further extension of the pause, which has been prolonged while the Supreme Court decides the president’s debt cancellation.

A Republican measure overturning Biden’s student loan cancellation plan passed the Senate last week, but the president vetoed the bill Wednesday. read more

AnitaB.org, an organization of female and nonbinary tech workers, is moving its annual convention out of Orlando and taking its business elsewhere, citing Florida’s political climate and actions taken by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature.

And another group of nurses is canceling a 2027 event because of similar concerns, according to the Orange County Convention Center.

The cancellations are the latest economic blow to the region, coming in the wake of Walt Disney Co.’s decision to drop plans for a nearly $1 billion corporate campus in Orlando with 2,000 high-paying jobs.

AnitaB.org told members it will no longer hold conferences in Florida after this year’s event at the Orange County Convention Center, despite a “warm welcome” it has received over the years in Orlando.

The California-based group cited laws that banned most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, cracked down on illegal immigration and lifted permit requirements for carrying a concealed gun in public, along with measures that organizers said were intended “to erase the identities and dignities of people from historically marginalized and excluded groups, including Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+, and Indigenous people.” read more