Things To Do In SW Florida

By ALEX VEIGA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Skyrocketing housing values and a shortage of homes on the market gave homeowners the upper hand for years when it came time to sell. That’s no longer a given.

Across the country, it’s getting tougher for sellers to drive a hard bargain. A dearth of home shoppers who can afford to buy and uncertainty about the outlook for the economy, jobs and mortgage rates is putting pressure on sellers to give ground at the negotiating table.

In some markets, mainly in the South and West, homeowners who are eager to sell are more likely to give buyers a better deal. This could include a lower price, up-front money to nudge down the buyer’s mortgage rate, and funds for closing costs and any repairs or improvements that may pop up after the home inspection.

The reasons: Would-be buyers balk at what they view as unreasonable asking prices, while at the same time new construction is giving buyers more options and putting pressure on sellers to make their homes more appealing. read more

By Harlan Vaughn, Bankrate.com

Whether you travel often or would like to travel more, earning frequent flyer miles or points with an airline and its participating partners can help you get free flights. You can also enjoy perks such as airport lounge access, free checked bags and priority boarding.

You can typically collect frequent flyer miles through an airline loyalty program, but there are other easy ways to boost your stash of miles, such as through eligible credit card spending.

If you’ve never used a frequent flyer program before, you may wonder how they work and whether they can really benefit you. In this guide, we cover what you need to know about earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles and how travel credit cards can help you earn free flights.

How to earn frequent flyer miles

You can earn airline miles or points in many ways, such as by booking flights or spending money with a credit card through online shopping portals that allow you to earn airline miles on your purchases.

Earn miles through flights

To earn miles when you buy plane tickets, you’ll need to sign up for an airline’s loyalty program. Because most major airlines are part of a larger alliance, joining one frequent flyer program allows you to book award flights with a dozen or more airlines. read more

With six new gyms in the development pipeline across Central Florida, the fitness industry and anything wellness-related are fast becoming some of the biggest retail players in the market today.

It’s one of the rare business sectors that appeals to all generations, from Gen Z to Boomers, said Gregg Katz, director of business industry solutions for Esri, a leading mapping software company.

“Even for Gen Z and Millennials, it’s about wellness and health and longevity, and, you know, just making life better,” he said.

At this year’s ICSC@Florida, the state’s largest retail convention and dealmaking conference, fitness and wellness in retail were a hot topic. Katz, who spoke about how age shapes retail trends, said concepts that focus on health and wellness “are going to have a huge runway,” he said.

Jason Kaiser, Senior VP for SRS Real Estate Partners, said gyms used to be considered undesirable uses for grocery-anchored retail centers, but that’s all changing. He recently closed a deal for EōS Fitness to lease a vacant big-box store in Colonial Plaza, near Sprouts. read more

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH — These are anxious times in which to feed our families.

Grocery shopping is not just wildly expensive these days — the Consumer Price Index in July was up 2.7% year-over-year, with the price of some foods reaching record levels — but also filled with uncertainty.

Just when you think the price of a box of Honey Nut Cheerios couldn’t be higher (seriously folks, $7?) we have to worry about how big a hole President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs will burn in our pockets going forward.

Nearly 75% of U.S. food imports will be affected, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit. A 25% tariff on all Mexican imports all but guarantees the cost of fresh produce will go up, and we also can expect to pay more for household essentials like coffee and bananas.

The price of eggs is (maybe?) down to a bearable level. Recently, a dozen Good & Gather large white eggs were on sale at Target for $2.79. But the cost of ground beef is still climbing along with prices for dairy. read more

By Jae Bratton, NerdWallet

If you wanted a crypto-earning credit card at the end of 2021, you had a blockchain buffet of options. Multiple crypto companies like Gemini and BlockFi had launched cards that earned crypto rewards directly, while more established credit cards tacked on crypto as a redemption option.

But then the so-called crypto winter of 2022 hit, which completely reshaped the cryptocurrency ecosystem, credit cards included. BlockFi’s co-branded credit card was the first domino to fall after the company filed for bankruptcy. Other cards ended the ability to redeem rewards for crypto. By the end of 2024, the crypto credit card market had fizzled, and you could count on a couple of fingers the number of remaining options.

Fast-forward to 2025, though, and an infusion of crypto-friendly legislation seems to have given the market a second wind.

“This comeback of crypto credit cards is likely due to the more accommodating, softer regulatory environment making banks feel comfortable partnering with crypto platforms,” says Tonantzin Carmona, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who focuses on financial and emerging technologies, among other topics. read more