Things To Do In SW Florida

A vacant, weed-ridden plot of land where the once-popular Flea World attraction stood near Sanford moved closer Tuesday to becoming a complex of apartments, shops and offices.

Seminole County commissioners approved preliminary plans for Reagan Center, a development of up to 1,003 apartments, a 200-room hotel and about 1.3 million square feet of retail and office space on 75 acres off U.S. Highway 17-92.

County officials have called the vacant area — across from Seminole’s expanding Five Points government complex — blighted since Flea World was closed and razed in 2015.

“This is a good product and I’m glad to see you’re moving forward with it,” Commissioner Bob Dallari told representatives for the developer, Integra Land Co.

Randy Morris, an Integra consultant, said the empty land sits along one of the busiest highways in Central Florida and is surrounded by existing businesses and multifamily housing.

“This is a development in the urban area and not in the rural area,” Morris told commissioners. “If not here then where would it go?” read more

Katie Kelton | (TNS) Bankrate

Kari Karanikos is 25 years old with six figures of debt. A social media director who lives in Pittsburgh, Karanikos is one of the many Gen Zers who love to travel, despite carrying hefty debt.

A recent Bankrate survey on chasing credit card rewards while in debt found that nearly 1 in 4 (24%) Gen Zers and 1 in 3 (32%) millennials carry a credit card balance. At the same time, nearly 3 in 5 Gen Zers (60%) and millennials (61%) plan to take a summer vacation this year.

Experts — and young people like Karanikos — know how tricky it can be to balance debt payoff with your budget’s needs and wants. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Learn how Karanikos is juggling expenses and experiences, and discover ways you can do the same.

Splurging on travel

If you end up on a flight, cruise or other mode of travel this year, look around — you might see more younger faces than older. That’s because roughly 3 in 5 Gen Zers (60%) and millennials (61%) plan to take a summer vacation in 2024. Only half of Gen X (50%) and fewer than half of boomers (44%) say they’ll do so. read more

Tim Henderson | (TNS) Stateline.org

The number of job openings has declined sharply in every state since 2022, better aligning the numbers of unfilled jobs and people seeking work.

Nationally, for the first time since before the pandemic, the number of job openings and unemployed people is roughly in balance: a little more than one opening per person looking for work, according to a Stateline analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. At the height of the labor shortage in 2022, there were two job openings per job seeker. As of April, the ratio was down to 1.2 openings per person.

But the proportion of workers to jobs ranges widely from state to state. In California, where layoffs in tech and the film industry have unsettled the job market, there is less than one opening per unemployed person. In North Dakota, where a brain drain has left a shortage of skilled and educated workers, there are almost three openings per unemployed person.

The federal government defines a job opening as an available position that an employer wants to fill within a month. read more

Imagine handing over thousands of dollars, signing a lease for a home and moving all your belongings in — only to find out that you were scammed.

Steve DuBrueler, founder and CEO of Coldwell Banker Premier, said there has been a surge in scams involving vacant properties. Now in his 36th year in the business, DuBrueler wants to make the public aware. The Coldwell Banker affiliate, based in Winchester, operates an office in Virginia Beach.

“We’ve seen an uptick in this for vacant properties, both for sale and for rent,” he said. “It is a little bit alarming. They are getting more creative.”

The scammers conduct their con by acting as if they are the property owner, DuBrueler said. They typically express they are firing their real estate agency and plan to sell or lease the property on their own. They say they are going out to the property to remove the company’s for sale sign.

“They use photos from the internet to create an ad, typically on a social platform like Facebook,” DuBrueler explained. read more

Avery Newmark | (TNS) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

There’s a lot to consider when planning a vacation: plane tickets, car rentals, food, lodging and other expenses. However, the last things you want to encounter are hidden fees and surprise expenses, often associated with booking accommodations through Airbnb. In cities like Atlanta, where fees can add an average of 48% to your Airbnb stay, exploring alternative options can save you money and offer unique experiences.

Whether you’re looking for luxury, transparency or adventure, there’s an option to suit your needs and budget. Check out these alternatives to Airbnb for finding your next vacation rental.

Sonder

Sonder bridges the gap between hotels and homes by offering well-maintained apartment rentals with hotel-like services. This short-term rental company features mobile-first service for seamless check-ins, neighborhood guides and in-app requests for towels or toiletries.

bnbfinder

For budget-conscious travelers tired of service fees, bnbfinder offers a transparent booking platform that allows you to connect directly with hosts. Specializing in “professionally managed vacation rentals,” bnbfinder eliminates service fees, providing more affordable stays and ensuring hosts receive fair compensation. read more