Things To Do In SW Florida

A timeless home on Lake Pickett moved quickly with a special feature appropriate to recent weather but unusual for Central Florida: five fireplaces.

The home on Chuluota Rd brought $6.7 million, just under its listing price of $6.795 million, after being on the market for 48 days.

“It was a spectacular property, and we had a bit of interest, and it was beautiful. So for the right person, it makes perfect sense,” said listing agent Jessica Estrada with Keller Williams Advantage III Realty.

Built in 2016 by sellers Bruce and Dena Wemple with the help of architect Dan DeLong and Bressler Custom Homes, Estrada told GrowthSpotter the 7,521-square-foot home was built with care, offering a unique design and upgrades.

“The house was definitely created to entertain and enjoy the outdoors,” she explained.  “The way they designed the doors, they all open all the way in, so they go into the walls. So it really gives you that indoor-outdoor feel to enjoy the lifestyle here.”

There are five bedrooms and five full bathrooms, as well as a chef’s kitchen and a living area that has a wow factor. read more

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ, Wellness Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Barbara Goldberg brings a stack of newspapers to the office every day. The CEO of a Florida public relations firm scours stories for developments relevant to her clients while relishing holding the pages in her hand. “I want to touch it, feel it, turn the page and see the photos,” Goldberg said.

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Generation Z employees at O’Connell & Goldberg don’t get her devotion to newsprint when so much information is available online and constantly updated, she said. They came of age with smartphones in hand. And they spot trends on TikTok or Instagram that baby boomers like Goldberg might miss, she said. read more

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, MAE ANDERSON and WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

At a difficult time for America, Super Bowl advertisers ask viewers to take care of themselves and others — and maybe even crack a smile.

Ring shows how neighbors can use their doorbell cameras to find lost pets. A Budweiser Clydesdale protects a bald eagle chick from the rain. Novartis touts a blood test that can detect prostate cancer. Toyota reminds viewers to wear their seatbelts.

Mister Rogers is invoked twice: Lady Gaga sings his classic “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” in a tearjerker for Rocket Companies while the National Football League uses “You Are Special” to promote its work with youth sports organizations.

America is uneasy. U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since 2014 in January. The killings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis last month led to widespread outrage. And winter weather has been brutal across much of the country.

“There is a collective trauma. Everybody is stressed out. It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s something that’s impacting everyone,” said Vann Graves, the executive director of the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University. read more

By JOSH BOAK

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wants to keep home prices high, bypassing calls to ramp up construction so people can afford what has been a ticket to the middle class.

Trump has instead argued for protecting existing owners who have watched the values of their homes climb. It’s a position that flies in the face of what many economists, the real estate industry, local officials and apartment dwellers say is needed to fix a big chunk of America’s affordability problem.

“I don’t want to drive housing prices down. I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their homes, and they can be assured that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump told his Cabinet on Jan. 29.

That approach could bolster the Republican president’s standing with older voters, a group that over time has been more likely to vote in midterm elections. Those races in November will determine whether Trump’s party can retain control of the House and Senate.

“You have a lot of people that have become wealthy in the last year because their house value has gone up,” Trump said. “And you know, when you get the housing — when you make it too easy and too cheap to buy houses — those values come down.” read more

By KEN SWEET and CORA LEWIS

NEW YORK (AP) — Rent can eat up an entire paycheck at the start of the month, so a growing number of renters are turning to a financial product that promises relief by letting them split the bill — for a price.

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So-called “rent now, pay later” services have emerged over the past few years as housing costs climb and paychecks grow less predictable, particularly for lower-income and gig-economy workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rents have jumped nearly 28% in past five years.

Companies such as Flex, Livble and, more recently, Affirm, say breaking rent into multiple payments can help renters manage cash flow. But consumer advocates warn the products typically function like short-term loans, layering fees onto already strained budgets and, in some cases, carrying triple-digit effective interest rates — raising questions about whether they ease financial pressure or deepen it. read more