Things To Do In SW Florida

By R.J. RICO

If Donald Trump wins the presidential election, Republicans hope he will fulfill a longstanding GOP goal of privatizing the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which have been under government control since the Great Recession.

But Democrats and some economists warn that, especially in this time of high mortgage rates, doing so will make buying a home even more expensive.

Republicans contend the Federal Housing Finance Agency has been overseeing the two firms far too long, stymying competition in the housing finance market while putting taxpayers at risk should another bailout be necessary, like in 2008. President Donald Trump sought to free the two companies from government control when he was in office, but Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 prevented that from happening.

Democrats fear ending the conservatorship would cause mortgage prices to jump since Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would need to raise fees to make up for the increased risks they would face without government support. The two firms guarantee roughly half of the $12 trillion U.S. home loan market and are a bedrock of the U.S. economy. read more

TALLAHASSEE— Greenhouse and nursery-grown plants, particularly holiday poinsettias, might be in short supply and cost more because of damage in Hurricane Milton.

Florida’s nursery industry hopes to be included in potential federal disaster aid that is expected to address damage to ranches, citrus groves and row crops in a series of recent disasters.

Tal Coley, CEO of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, said Thursday the nursery industry hopes Congress will address agricultural assistance after the Nov. 5 election and include the industry in any supplemental funding or block grants.

“In the past, our industry, they’ve kind of been left at the chopping block and haven’t been able to access some of those funds,” Coley said. “My hope is that everyone will be able to access any type of relief that does come.”

Coley met Thursday with Robert Bonnie, who works closely with the federal Farm Service Agency as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s undersecretary for natural resources and environment. read more

Gatorland has a convenient way of disposing of Halloween decor. It lofts the attraction’s pumpkins to its resident reptiles and other animals.

The South Orange Blossom Trail attraction will hold its Great Pumpkin Toss and feed the gourds to its alligators, crocodiles and more on Sunday, the final day of its Gators, Ghosts and Goblins Halloween event.

The schedule begins at 11 a.m. at the South Main Lake of Gatorland, followed by 1 p.m. in the Jungle Crocs area and 2:30 p.m. at the Breeding Marsh Observation Tower. The sight of mighty jaws chomping down on pumpkins has proven to be a crowd-pleaser over the years, Gatorland says.

Gatorland’s capybaras, parrots, bobcats, and Florida panthers also get involved in the pumpkin actions.

Gators, Ghosts and Goblins includes activities such as the Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum, Cryptid Petting Zoo (and Cryptid Express train ride), Godwin’s Gourd Farm, children’s Halloween costume parade, trick-or-treat candy station and spooky characters including the Skunk Ape.  Specialty vendors are scattered across the attraction, which marked its 75th anniversary this year. Regular Gatorland events continue as scheduled. read more

Anticipation is rising for Epic Universe, the theme park that Universal Orlando is crafting. The announcement of an official opening day and the first phase of ticket sales has Epic front-of-mind in the attractions community.

Epic Universe will be the first theme park to open in Orlando in more than 25 years. Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, followed by Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 1999.  Bill Clinton was president, Cher’s “Believe” topped the charts and the newsy virus was attached to Y2K.

A generation of Central Floridians wasn’t around for those big events. Epic’s design and promotions may reflect that eager audience.

“It is the first full new theme park domestically in quite a long time and certainly the first in the social media age. So I think it’s hard to avoid the excitement,” said Alicia Stella, owner of Orlando ParkStop website.

“There’s a whole new set of everything. As a theme park fan, it’s every little detail, like down to new attractions, new lands, new background music, new foods to try, new sights, sounds and smells,” she said. “It’s the full gambit, and it’s not just one land or one ride. It’s a whole theme park.” read more

By Erin El Issa, NerdWallet

Holiday shopping season is upon us, and the pressure is on, or at least it feels that way for some parents. A new NerdWallet survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, finds that 48% of parents with children under 18 feel pressure to spend more money on holiday gifts than they’re comfortable spending.

According to NerdWallet’s annual holiday spending report, Americans are spending quite a bit more on holiday travel and gift shopping than last year. And parents plan to spend more than those who are not parents of kids under 18. Parents of minor children who plan to purchase gifts this holiday season say they’ll spend $1,070, on average, compared to $860, on average, among those who are not parents of minors. And parents of kids under 18 who plan to spend on flights or hotels this holiday season will spend a whopping $2,610, on average, for these travel expenses, compared to those who are not parents of minors who plan to spend $2,131, on average.

Having kids can be expensive any time of year, but the holidays may up the ante. Here are five tips for parents trying to keep costs in check this holiday season. read more