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Florida
Florida residents 'looking to escape' due to rising home prices & diminishing affordability, new report says
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The rising cost of living in Florida has many residents considering a move out of the Sunshine State, according to a new report.
A report titled “Florida on the brink” was compiled by the data tech firm Cotality, and it describes a state under stress.
WATCH BELOW: Report outlines why Florida residents leaving for other states
Here’s why Florida residents are ‘looking to escape’
“The promise of sunshine and opportunity has been replaced by something a little less sunny — rising home prices, diminishing affordability, and growing pressure on infrastructure,” the report said.
There is a pipeline of Florida residents fleeing to more affordable southern states like Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
“What we saw in Florida, after a period of very strong immigration to Florida, there is now a little bit less inbound, a bit more outbound migration,” Selma Happ, the chief economist at Cotality, said. “A lot of people who are migrating from Florida are going to neighboring states.”
The report cited billion-dollar hurricanes and costs soaring so high, especially in South Florida, that the state is heading down a path similar to California’s population drain.
Real Estate News
Will people leave Florida after devastating hurricanes?
Insurance remains a big drag on finances even as the state tries to slow down a coverage crisis.
“You have rising insurance, you have rising property taxes, so they can no longer sustain that home, and then they decide to leave for the areas more affordable and maybe where insurance costs are a little bit less,” Happ said.
But even with the exodus, Florida is still attracting new residents.
The report raised the question of whether there is a way to turn around the pressures the state and its residents are facing.
“Florida — a state once synonymous with getting away — is starting to see signs of people looking to escape,” the report said.
Florida
Rainy stretch continues in South Florida
South Florida is experiencing a prolonged stretch of wet weather as deep tropical moisture combines with a stalled frontal boundary across the region.
The result has been frequent showers, thunderstorms, periods of heavy rainfall, and localized flooding concerns from Broward to Miami-Dade and throughout the Keys.
The atmosphere is loaded with moisture, allowing storms to produce intense downpours in a short amount of time.
Some neighborhoods have already seen several inches of rain, with additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected through the end of the week.
Flood-prone streets and poor drainage areas remain especially vulnerable during the heaviest rainfall.
While the rain is helping ease drought conditions, it is also increasing the risk of flash flooding and travel delays.
South Florida is two weeks into its rainy season, when abundant heat and humidity combine to generate daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms.
Heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds are common features of this time of year.
The good news? Drier air will gradually filter into parts of the region heading into the weekend, allowing rain chances to slightly decrease. Until then, keep the umbrella handy and be prepared for sudden tropical downpours.
Florida
Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida
NEWS
A man is in custody after deputies said he tried to kidnap a woman at a Wawa near Winter park. Per investigators, Matthew Seaberg approached the victim from behind, picked her up by the waist, and threw her into his truck.
Florida
Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino
MIAMI — A new group of prospective jurors was questioned Tuesday in the trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino, who is charged in connection with a 2022 boat crash that killed a teenager in Miami-Dade County.
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During jury selection in a Miami-Dade courtroom, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez asked potential jurors what they already knew about the case and whether they had recently seen or heard anything about it.
Several prospective jurors said they knew only basic details, including that a fatal boating crash occurred and that a teenage girl died. Others said they recalled media reports that alcohol may have been involved.
As questioning continued, some prospective jurors disclosed connections to schools and communities tied to the case.
Passengers aboard Pino’s boat included his wife, his teenage daughter and 11 of her friends, many of whom attended private schools in Miami-Dade County.
One prospective juror said they graduated from a local private school around the time of the crash and were familiar with some of the students involved.
Another said references to schools and witnesses brought back memories of seeing posts and articles about the incident shared on social media.
A third said their child participates in youth sports with students from schools connected to the case.
Investigators said the boat struck a channel marker while returning from an outing on Biscayne Bay. Seventeen-year-old Lourdes Academy student Lucy Fernandez drowned after the crash.
Tinkler Mendez also addressed concerns that a prospective juror had been viewing a news report about the case on a cellphone while waiting outside the courtroom.
Another prospective juror reported hearing the report but said it was not loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.
Tinkler Mendez reminded prospective jurors to avoid news coverage and social media discussions related to the case as jury selection continues.
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