Things To Do In SW Florida

United Launch Alliance has only launched one rocket in 2023 and Hurricane Idalia put a hold on what it planned to be No. 2.

Plans are back now, though, for an 8:51 a.m. liftoff on Saturday of an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 on the joint SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 mission for National Reconnaissance Office and Space Force.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts 85% chance for good conditions, and same in the event of a 24-hour delay.

SILENTBARKER’s classified mission, which includes multiple payloads, has a primary goal of placing watchdog satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) “so that we can understand the intentions of other countries to see what they’re doing in the GEO belts and see if there’s any indications of threats or if it’s just normal operations,” said Chris Scolese, director of the NRO on a media call last week. “That capability will just allow us to have increased understanding of what’s going on there.” read more

Food isn’t just for filling bellies at Orlando’s theme parks these days. The attractions are expanding menus, restaurant options and eating-oriented activities that draw repeat customers and double as advertisements.

Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are using character breakfasts, themed eat-and-greets, holiday gatherings and a feast of festivals to feed and entertain visitors, especially annual passholders eager to come back for seconds or more.

On any given weekend, there’s a festival cooking at SeaWorld Orlando.

“It’s been my understanding that food drives visitations. If you have unique food and good foods – whether it’s food from our Seven Seas festival or upcoming Christmas festival – that really brings guests out,” said Ty Robinson, vice president of in-park revenue/culinary operations.

SeaWorld aims for festival lineups of 50% new items and 25% “reimagined” favorites from past years, he said.

“Passholders seem to love the unique items,” Robinson said. Occasionally offered free items lure the park’s annual passholders, too. “That really gets them activated,” he said. read more

Q:  Is this a good time to buy an annuity? – Name not given

A: That depends upon the purpose of the investment and type of annuity that you are considering.  Annuities are often misunderstood because they come in many shapes, sizes and purposes. However, due to the rising interest rate environment, we are seeing insurance companies offering much richer annuity benefits today. In fact, much better than I have seen in over a decade.  Have a certified financial planner run an analysis based on your unique situation. – David Blount

Q: I had a life insurance policy endow this year, and we cashed it out. Will we owe taxes on that? – E.H., Taveras

A: Proceeds from an endowment contract are not taxable if they are less than the premiums you paid in. Talk to an accountant for this year’s return to confirm that is the case. –  Dennis Nolte

Questions are answered by Certified Financial Planners from the Financial Planning Association of Central Florida. Answers are for educational purposes only; you should also consult a financial professional. Questions and answers may be edited for space considerations. read more

By Holden Lewis | NerdWallet

Mortgage rates have risen to their highest levels in more than 20 years, making it harder to afford a home. And yet, out of necessity or desire, hundreds of thousands of people buy homes every month.

With the 30-year fixed rate topping 7%, NerdWallet asked real estate agents and mortgage loan officers for advice on how home buyers can stretch their homebuying dollars in this time of high interest rates. Here are nine tactics that they suggested.

1. Ask the seller to reduce the mortgage rate

Temporary mortgage rate buydowns have become commonplace since rates surged in early 2022. With a temporary rate buydown, the seller pays a portion of the buyer’s interest payments upfront. This reduces the house payments for the first one, two or three years of ownership.

“This is a common strategy for new-home builders, but it can also be used in the purchase of resale homes,” said John Bianchi, executive vice president for loanDepot. (All sources in this story commented via email.) “Negotiating a temporary buydown with the seller can help soften the blow of high interest rates, reducing your monthly payment for one to three years.” read more

Q: We decided to sell our home a few months ago to move our family to a larger house. We found a real estate agent who listed our property. We entered a contract to sell a couple of weeks ago, but I was just laid off, and now there is no way we will get qualified for the larger mortgage. Fortunately, we can afford our current home on my spouse’s salary. Can we get out of the deal? — Bobby

A: You may be able to get out of your deal, but depending on how your contract was drafted, it might cost you.

You should know that you have two contracts to deal with: the sale contract with your buyers and the listing agreement with your real estate agent.

While I rarely see a clause in these contracts concerning your ability to purchase the new home, this can be included in contracts for circumstances like this.  Typically, a buyer will purchase a new home contingent on selling their existing one, but there is no reason a seller cannot include a similar contingency.

If this feature was not included in your contract, your buyer would have the choice of letting you off the hook, demanding to be repaid the costs that were incurred in trying to buy the house, such as inspections and lender fees, or filing a lawsuit seeking “specific performance.” read more