Florida home buyers stop waiting for mortgage rates to fall
Florida home sales saw an increase in May for the ninth consecutive month as concerns over rising mortgage rates begin to ease. The median sale price for a single-family home in Florida rose to $425,000 in May, a 4.3% increase from the previous year. Despite some reports labeling it a risky market, experts believe a housing crash in Florida is unlikely due to continued population growth. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Orlando lost a $300M+ convention to Las Vegas. Here's why.
Orlando was snubbed in favor of Las Vegas for an event that brought more than $300 million in economic impact this year — and the reasoning behind this has now become more clear. The National Association of Home Builders International Builders’ Show held its event in February in Orlando for the last time in the foreseeable future. It will be solely held in Las Vegas from 2027 through 2039. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
JEA board approves rate changes set to go into effect Oct. 1
After months of meetings and discussion about changes to rates for its customers, JEA’s board finalized plans for those rates during a June 30 meeting. Rates, which vary among residential, multifamily, commercial and industrial customers, will take effect Oct. 1. JEA’s rate changes, which will increase bills for most customers, come as the utility begins to construct a $1.57 billion power plant at the former St. Johns River Power Park. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
St. Petersburg mayor picks team to redevelop Trop site
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has selected a proposal from local investor Blake Investment Partners to redevelop Tropicana Field and the downtown land around it, according to City Council member Corey Givens Jr. Givens confirmed Tuesday evening that Welch’s administration notified him of the selection, which is expected to be announced Thursday morning. Welch selected Blake’s proposal, called the Burg Bid, and a pitch from the Pinellas County Housing Authority. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
What to do with a 100-year-old courthouse? Miami-Dade hopes auction brings a buyer
Under an ornate wooden ceiling in a courtroom where Al Capone once stood trial, representatives of Miami-Dade County on Tuesday made a pitch for betting big on one of Miami’s oldest buildings. “Look around this courthouse and look at the craftsmanship,” Idania Barroso, a member of the county’s in-house real estate team, told attendees of a catered kick-off to the online auction of Miami-Dade’s 1928 courthouse. Months after opening a $267 million replacement next door, Miami-Dade has struggled to find a buyer for the one built nearly 100 years ago. More from the Miami Herald.
Florida History
5 things you might not know about Florida’s role in the American Revolution
George Washington feared Florida. He wrote at least 80 letters warning about threats the peninsula posed during the Revolutionary War. And he authorized five invasions into the “14th colony.” It may be surprising to learn, as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, that 18th-century Floridians supported the British, fighting a “War for Dependence.”
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Daytona State’s subtle emphasis
When LaKisha Holmes was teaching, she wanted one thing clear to her students: "I am your teacher, not your friend." When you send an email, be sure it has the proper tone, and "do not email your teacher in all caps. That is screaming." Now that she is Daytona State College's associate vice president for arts and sciences, Holmes wants all her faculty to take advantage of such teachable moments.
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