Things To Do In SW Florida

South Florida’s housing market, like many others across the United States, is plagued by persistently high home costs, so much so that renting may be slightly advantageous.

But based on data in new market reports, real estate experts expect the housing market may experience a correction, which is when home prices may experience a decline, typically after a period of growth.

“The correction could literally be just the appreciation rate will slow significantly,” said Ken H. Johnson, a real estate economist at FAU’s College of Business.

He added: “I absolutely think we’re going to see prices’ appreciation slow down, maybe even go a little negative for a year or two.”

Appreciation is essentially how much the average home price increased from the previous year’s average price to the following year’s average price.

In March, the average home price of a home in the Miami-metropolitan area, which includes Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, was $486,817, which is nearly 35% more than where the price should be, at $316,307, according to new data in the FAU Top 100 Housing Markets. read more

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS (AP Business Writer)

NEW YORK (AP) — The “miners” who chisel bitcoins out of complex mathematics are taking a 50% pay cut — effectively reducing new production of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, again.

Bitcoin’s latest “halving” appeared to occur Friday night. Soon after the highly anticipated event, the price of bitcoin held steady at about $63,907.

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

For college students, sending money to friends has never been easier thanks to peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo, PayPal and Cash App. But that convenience poses risks, including vulnerability to errors, fraud and the tendency to overspend.

As a result, payment apps can contribute to financial stress at a time when young people are learning how to manage their finances on their own. “Peer-to-peer payment apps are cash on steroids because they’re a straw stuck into your bank account,” says Anne Lester, author of “Your Best Financial Life.”

Not only does that make spending easier and more “frictionless,” Lester explains, but it also means “if you trust the wrong person, then you’re in big trouble,” because it can be difficult or impossible to get the money back.

To keep young people safe while using payment apps, money experts suggest taking these extra steps to guard against scams and overspending.

Triple-check the recipient

One risk with peer-to-peer payment apps is sending the money to the wrong person by accident. “If you send money, make sure you are 100% certain you are sending it to the right person, because it’s very hard to get the money back,” says Nilton Porto, associate professor of consumer finance at the University of Rhode Island. read more

Visitors at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando experienced leg injuries, shortness of breath and loss of consciousness on rides at their theme parks in the first three months of 2024, a state report revealed Thursday.

The document listed eight guest injuries at Disney and two at Universal from January through March.

In January, a 63-year-old visitor injured her leg while leaving the ride vehicle for the Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, and a 70-year-old guest fell and injured her leg while loading into Epcot’s Spaceship Earth attraction.

At Magic Kingdom, a 32-year-old female lost consciousness while aboard Space Mountain, and a 46-year-old had head pain and nausea after riding Tron Lightcycle / Run roller coaster. Both were reported in January.

Four other Disney World incidents involved pre-existing conditions, according to the report. A 73-year-old male lost consciousness after riding Spaceship Earth in January. A 68-year-old female felt shortness of breath after riding Slinky Dog Dash, a roller coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in February.  A 44-year-old female had a seizure after experiencing Frozen Ever After, a water ride at Epcot, in March. read more

Boards of directors

Heather Dartez, director of graduate programs at Full Sail University, Winter Park, was appointed to the Orlando Downtown Arts District board of directors.

Ken DeGilio, course director at Full Sail University, Winter Park, was appointed to the Ten Thousand Villages of Winter Park board of directors.

Real estate

Tamara Sula has joined NAI Realvest, Orlando, as a commercial real estate associate.

Stian Funk has joined NAI Realvest, Orlando, as a commercial real estate associate.

Zach Cichocki has joined NAI Realvest, Orlando, as a commercial real estate associate.

Other

Ellen O’Connor was promoted to chief executive officer of Dave’s House, a nonprofit that works to end homelessness for people with serious mental illness through the development of permanent supportive housing.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com.