Things To Do In SW Florida

Residents, city council members and the Church of Scientology have been locked in a tug-of-war over a portion of roadway in downtown Clearwater ever since city leaders voted in March to tentatively approve selling the land to the church.

The church withdrew its request to purchase the city-owned street in May after a group offered a counter proposal that would memorialize African American history. What seemed like a hyper-local debate over the future of Scientology’s downtown footprint has now caught the attention of Florida’s attorney general.

James Uthmeier sent a letter to Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector last month about the sale of a portion of South Garden Avenue. Despite never using the word “Scientology” in his letter, he wrote that comments Rector made during a recent city council work session suggest an “unconstitutional” position against the church.

“My role as the state’s chief legal officer compels me to caution you in this instance because it appears discriminatory motives could taint the Council’s decision making,” Uthmeier’s letter stated. “If discrimination forms a basis for any decision to reject or place restrictions on approval, such a decision would run afoul of Florida law.” read more

Q. After almost 10 years of marriage, my divorce has been finalized, but unfortunately the marriage ended a few months prior to 10 years. It is my understanding that unless the marriage lasted 10 years, I would not eligible for a spousal benefit from Social Security. My ex did work a sufficient number of years to qualify for a Social Security benefit, so I know that I would eventually have been eligible for a spousal benefit had the marriage lasted 10 years. My question is whether there are any exceptions to the 10-year rule.

A. I asked some Social Security experts I work with whether there are any exceptions to the 10-year minimum for marriage in order to be eligible for spousal and survivor benefits. They were aware of only one exception. The exception is applicable when an individual who was divorced prior to the end of 10 years of marriage is still taking care of a child from the marriage who is under the age of 16, or disabled, and eligible for children’s benefits. In this situation, the 10-year marriage requirement and the age requirements are waived. Under these conditions, the individual who was divorced would be eligible for spousal benefits until the child reaches age 16. read more

By Dan Lefkovitz of Morningstar

Investors brave enough to peek at their account statements know that it’s been a rocky 2025.

Even before tariff-related volatility, DeepSeek AI’s launch clouded the major technology theme that powered the market in 2023 and 2024, as AI stocks entered a bear market in March.

But there have been equity gains to be had in 2025. When I look at year-to-date returns across indexes, I notice a few surprising stars: European stocks, Latin America, and real estate investment trusts.

The common thread that connects the three? All had been underperformers in prior years.

European stocks have been made great again

Morningstar’s European stock index is riding high this year, as the macroeconomic environment has been improving. The financial-services sector, in particular, is a key beneficiary.

Then there’s Germany’s newfound interest in deficit spending and the continent’s focus on military self-sufficiency, spurred by the Donald Trump administration.

US tariff announcements caused sharp selloffs in Europe, but the recovery has been V-shaped. A weakening US dollar has magnified European equity gains for unhedged US investors. It doesn’t hurt that the European Central Bank and the Bank of England have actually been cutting interest rates. read more

A home with a fish tank isn’t unique. But what about a 650-gallon arched saltwater aquarium that you walk under to enter the living room?

“It was custom-made for this space and I believe it was a $150,000 fish tank just to put it in,” said listing agent Harif Hazera with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “It is definitely one of the most unique things I’ve ever seen in a home period. Bar none.”

An offer is pending on the home on 2^nd Avenue in Windermere, which offers five bedrooms, six bathrooms, 5,639 square feet and is listed for $4.395 million, according to GrowthSpotter.

The seller has only owned the place for a little over a year and has put more than $350,000 worth of improvements into it.

“It’s just so bright in there, tons of natural sunlight. It really does epitomize what lakefront living is all about in Windermere or in Central Florida,” Hazera said. “It’s really, truly spectacular and move-in ready.”

This is the second time Hazera has sold this home recently. read more

South Florida real estate isn’t beckoning foreign buyers like it once did.

The share of residential real estate purchases by foreign buyers in South Florida plunged to 10% during the 2024 fiscal year, the lowest level in a decade and a dramatic decline from 50% in 2018, according to a Miami Association of Realtors report.

The findings were based on responses of nearly 2,400 real estate agents in Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Martin counties to an online survey sent to about 60,000 members. The survey measured purchases from August 2023 to July 2024.

Bonnie Heatzig, South Florida-based executive director of luxury sales at Compass Real Estate, attributed the decline to a number of factors, including global uncertainty, currency pressures and new condo regulations imposed in response to the collapse of Champlain Towers South in 2021.

In addition, rising prices, interest rates and demand for South Florida real estate since the Covid-19 pandemic likely kept foreign buyers out of the game, she said. “In some cases, (rising prices in) Miami may have priced out segments of the international market, narrowing the pool to ultra-high-net-worth buyers,” she said. read more