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Date:Tuesday February 22, 2022 through Saturday February 26, 2022.
Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Location: FAU Harbor Branch
Address: 5600 N US Highway 1, Fort Pierce FL 34946
Price: $20/ person
Category: Educational
FAU Harbor Branch welcomes you to go behind the scenes with one of our outreach scientists to learn more about the research being conducted by the Institute. During this 1.5-hour golf-cart tour, participants will explore our 144-acre waterfront campus, learn about our history, hear highlights of the cutting-edge research being conducted by our marine scientists and engineers, and discover the impact that our work has on their everyday lives. Spaces fill fast, so book your tour today over the phone (772-242-2293) or in person at the Ocean Discovery Visitors Center.
Address: 9221 SE Event Center Pl, Port St. Lucie , FL, 34952
Category: Concert / Live Music
Come out and enjoy some of the greatest songs ever performed!Miles savage and the last original stars
Led by Myles Savage, Myles delivers smooth renditions, crooning a middle of the road style that puts a soulful coat of uptown polish on pop-harmony rich material. He’s a part of a legacy that includes a lengthy string of hits like “Only You,” “Twilight Time,” “Harbor Lights,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “My Prayer,” “The Great Pretender,” and many more. THE PLATTERS were inducted into the 1990 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Savage is proud to be a part of the legacy of The Platters, known as “The International Ambassador of Romance.”
Joining Myles is Ramon Noble, lead singer from the Drifters. Early Clover lead singer saluting the Coasters. Maurice Jones, lead singer from Richard Street’s Temptations.
1 Day Only! Friday, Feb 25 | 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Starting now until December 25, tickets are buy 1 get 1 free. After December 25, tickets will be $80 each. Call 1-904-826-5020 to purchase your tickets.
This amazing event will benefit The Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Address: 117 S. 2nd Street, Fort Pierce, FL, 34950
Price: Starting at $52
Category: Concert / Live Music
This incredible live show creates a new era in Irish entertainment, containing a wealth of Irish talent, featuring World and Irish champion dancers, some of the finest Traditional musicians and singers who are a big hit everywhere.
Combining traditional dance and music with the most up to date stage technology, this two-hour dance and music extravaganza takes the audiences on an exhilarating and exciting, energy-packed time trip through the ages. Its internationally rated as one of the most popular and busiest Irish step dance shows in the world making it such a success with critics and audiences worldwide. It really is out of this world as seen by 7 million people in 50 countries.
Come for a nice stroll through the Tradition Green Market every Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Completely outdoors and perfect for social distancing.
Over 30 different vendors on one long strip with organic fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, fresh produce, raw local honey, free-range organic eggs, kombucha, fresh juices, baked goods, gluten-free bread, pastries, desserts, spices, marinades, jams, marmalades, plants, herbs, flowers, orchids, fresh local beef.
We also offer home decor, custom jewelry, fabric masks, clothes, shoes, custom and handmade products, arts and crafts, unique gifts, goods, services and so much more.
Our vendors and farmers rotate so we don’t always have the same products but we’ll always have something good every Saturday.
Brunch food trucks too!!
Come spend the morning with us, and support your local vendors and small business, we’ll have a nice gourmet coffee and warm breakfast waiting for you every Saturday from 9am to 1pm “Rain or Shine”
“Tradition Neighborhood Market “ is located in the parking lot across from Target and Michael’s in Tradition – Port St Lucie.
Free Parking-Free Parking lot and Pets are always welcome !!!
Indoor Event 10AM-5PM. Enjoy LIVE MUSIC from NOON-3PM. Shop with local vendors for great gift ideas…or treat yourself! Try your luck at great raffle prizes to support the Humane Society of Vero Beach. Vendor spaces available! Something for everyone!!
The Martin County Jaguars Youth Football League invites all Martin County families to join us for our 2022 Family Fun Day! There will be music, food, a 50/50 raffle, bounce houses, silent auctions, games for kids, and so much more. Year over year, this event is loads of community fun and helps to increase awareness and local support to our league. Donations from this event help us to provide equipment, uniforms, and future scholarships to our players. The event is FREE and open to the public. It is $5 per child to bounce in one of our bounce houses, and food prices vary depending on what is ordered. Bring cash to participate in the 50/50 raffle or one of our raffles. We hope to see you there!
Join the Treasure Coast Symphony for a delightful afternoon of orchestral POPS music in Memorial Park. The program will include favorites from radio, TV and film.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inspire changes within the home. Here’s a toast to one of the latest: the return (and update) of the at-home bar.
In addition to spurring designated work-from-home spaces, larger kitchen islands, and more relaxing outdoor living areas, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought back the at-home bar trend in a renaissance of home entertaining.
What started with Zoom cocktail gatherings and mixology events has stirred more homeowners to create an at-home bar.
In its 2021 Houzz Emerging Home Design Trends Report, Houzz, an online design source, found that searches for home bars and wine cellars both were up nearly four times from the prior year.
“People have been relying on their homes to provide new avenues of activity and entertainment since the beginning of the pandemic,” says Julie Noble, senior communications manager.
The concept isn’t new, however. At-home bars were a centerpiece for entertaining guests in the 1950s and 1960s. A certain cohort may recall the scene in the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” when Mrs. Robinson sat down at her home bar and asked college grad Benjamin what he wanted to drink.
Today, homeowners have adjusted their room designs and decors themselves to bring together the furnishing needed for a bar. Some are as simple as bottles of liquor and wine, along with an ice bucket, glasses, napkins, stirrers, and coasters on a counter or big tray. Others are professionally designed with added features such as shelves, cabinetry, a sink, and a refrigerator or wine cooler.
The interest in home bars also led to the return of stylish bar carts, which can roll into different rooms and outdoors.
Dallas-based architect Eddie Maestri of Studio Maestri is among the professionals who have found the at-home bar to be an increasingly popular client request.
“Every single project we have currently involves a bar of some sort,” he says. “We are doing a lot of floating shelving on brass, incorporating mirrors into the back wall, for sure. Whether it has a sink just depends on the space and if the client wants one.”
Maestri, himself, has an at-home bar with a sink and ice maker. He also just completed a project for a client converting a dining room into a bar.
“They used to be a formula: base cabinets, upper cabinets with glass doors, granite top, sink, and refrigerator,” she says. “Now, they are often more artfully designed with floating shelves, LED lighting in a channel on the underside of the shelf, and beautiful hardware.”
Professionals like Chicago kitchen designer Mick De Giulio of de Giulio Kitchen Design agree that the at-home bar is being requested more often. He prefers to call it a beverage center. In addition to the pandemic trend of entertaining at home, De Giulio believes homeowners are also seeking an organized arrangement of living areas in an open plan.
“Beverage centers can include not only traditional barware, ice makers, sinks, and liquor storage but also refrigerated drawers for beverages and wine storage,” he says. “Companies like Sub-Zero have manufactured modular wine and refrigeration units in many more sizes and configurations, and now have the ability to mask the fronts with cabinet and furniture-like facades, allowing for bars that don’t look like bars but blend seamlessly into the surroundings.”
And Los Angeles–based designer Lori Gilder of Interior Makeovers Inc., who has seen an increased interest in home bars over the last few years, thinks the trend simply is another way homeowners reassessed their living spaces.
“We repurposed and redesigned unused living rooms by transforming them into new areas to entertain family and friends, indoors and outside,” she says. For some clients, Gilder has nestled dry bars into existing nooks, and for others, she set up more elaborate wet bars that included a sink, refrigeration, and display shelving for barware.
People’s “entertaining aesthetic tells a personal story,” Gilder says. To make the areas attractive, she carefully chooses finishes, woods, metals, stones, glass, wall coverings, integrated lighting, and hardware.
Where to put a bar varies according to how homeowners use their homes. Designer Jodi Swartz of KitchenVisions in Natick, Mass., has one large installation going into a basement. Typically, she places bars in a kitchen as a beverage center, or outside that room in a butler’s pantry, in an alcove, along the buffet wall of a dining room, or even behind a door in a closet. She tends to include a sink and refrigerator and often a dishwasher. For decoration, she might line a backsplash with tiles, a full splash of quartz, or a mirror, possibly an antique. She rarely uses wallpaper since it can easily get splattered.
Designer Krista Watterworth Alterman of Krista + Home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., considers a custom bar to be a terrific way to use a fun nook or an unused area in a living room. “I like to add a bar to break up a very large space—it adds zones that are perfect for entertaining and connecting,” she says. Other additions include a lot of storage, open shelving, and an ice machine or wine fridge.
The popularity of the at-home bar has also helped designers boost business. Case in point: Renee and Marc Simon, owners of foo-BARS Designs in Ocala, Fla., experienced a 100% year-over-year sales increase for their furniture business, which started out making reception desks, then shifted to handcrafted bars. The bars vary in shape and size up to 14 feet. Most use pressure-treated lumber when designed for the outside and pine for bars inside a home; some are stained and others are painted. Others incorporate corrugated metal. And while many clients live in Florida, the couple has worked with homeowners in New York and California.
For now, nobody seems to know whether the home bar will remain an important part of more homeowners’ wish lists or fizzle when the pandemic ends.
How to stock a home bar? The site The Spruce Eats, offers suggestions. Cheers!
The National Association of REALTORS® is building on the success of its award-winning “That’s Who We R” ad campaign with new TV commercials, radio spots, social ads, and branded content partnerships that have begun rolling out for 2022. In this fourth wave of the campaign, NAR will further emphasize the difference between REALTORS® and non-member agents and listing apps through emotional and real-life storytelling.
The new campaign officially launches on Feb. 8. NAR is also releasing campaign advertising and social assets for members and REALTOR® associations to use in their marketing outreach that are available at ThatsWhoWeR.realtor and on NAR’s Photofy app.
“In 2022, the ‘That’s Who We R’ campaign shows compelling reasons to trust a REALTOR®, by demonstrating how they go above and beyond to make property ownership a reality,” says Karen Bebart, NAR’s director of consumer strategy and brand advertising. “The work focuses on the deep expertise of REALTORS®, human stories about their extraordinary caring, and their commitment to ethics, which validate an elevated experience compared to working with a non-member agent or using a ‘do-it-yourself’ tech platform.”
The NAR consumer ads have expanded their outreach since the 2019 start of the “That’s Who We R” campaign. The 2022 campaign ads stress professionalism and doing the right thing on behalf of clients. They feature different storylines around real estate transactions to capture the authentic, emotional, and unexpected moments that can occur in the buying process and how REALTORS® rise to help navigate those challenges.
“I can see my past clients and fellow members in these spots, so while these may be acted out commercials, they are as true to life as they can be,” says Justin Knoll, 2022 chair of NAR’s consumer communications committee. “The combined vision of the committee, staff, Havas, and industry professionals for consumer-facing media in 2022 is inspiring and speaks directly to REALTOR® expertise, commitment to ethics, and the relationships they foster throughout a home sale or purchase. The new spots breathe life into the connections we have and demonstrate how crucial it is to be the best advocate we can for our clients’ housing dreams.”
Beginning Feb. 8, new TV commercials will air across a variety of cable and syndication networks, such as on HGTV, Food Network, TBS, Bravo, and the newly launched Magnolia Network as well as on streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, and more. The new ads also will stream during NCAA’s basketball March Madness and will air on the radio.
The “That’s Who We R” TV spots feature four storylines. View the videos here:
The new 2022 campaign assets are available for REALTORS® to download and use locally. Select from digital banners, print ads, and social images, along with suggested post copy to include.
Also, REALTORS® can find social assets and images on NAR’s Photofy app. Photofy allows you to personalize the campaign assets you use along with your photo or logo and contact information. Access the app: Photofy.com/nar
A local sheriff’s office has contacted the Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors® about email scams that are targeting business owners, real estate agents, title agents and attorneys. As there has been a significant increase in these scams locally, they will be sharing this information with your agents in the near future.
ATTN: Business Owners, Real Estate Agents, Title Agents & Attorneys
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Financial Crimes Unit has seen a recent increase in cases involving email compromises specifically involving the interception of wire transfer instructions. In this scheme, the business owner/attorney/title agent, is involved in a transaction of either sending money to a vendor or to another title company for a real estate transaction.
The suspects hack into the victim’s email account and create rules within the email account that causes the wire instructions to go into another mailbox besides the inbox. Once they receive the wire instructions, the suspects then create a new email address that looks very similar to the real email address and then sends a new email with wire instructions directing the money to a different account.
For example, if the real email address was “abc123@gmail.com”, they would create a new email of “abc123@gmail.co” or if the real email address was scammer@gmail.com, they would create a new email of scamrner@gmail.com (replacing the “m” with “r” and “n” to make it look like an “m”). Once the funds are transferred to the suspect’s account, the funds are almost immediately withdrawn or transferred out.
In order to avoid becoming a victim to this scam, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office recommends the following:
1. Make sure you’re using a secure password and change it every 30 days.
2. Check the rules on your email accounts frequently to make sure that nothing has been changed directing your emails to your trash or spam folders.
3. If you know you are going to be receiving wire instructions, please contact the person who will be sending the instructions via phone and verify what email address the instructions should be coming from.
4. Once you receive the wire instructions, contact the person you are sending the funds to via phone and verify the account number and bank.
5. Once the wire transfer is sent, contact the receiver via phone and make sure the funds were received.
6. Do not rely solely on the banks to recall the wire transfer and return the funds to your account regardless of what you are told by the local bank employee. Please make a report to your bank and the bank that the wire transfer was sent to. Insist that a fraud case be opened and request a bank case number.
7. And remember, the longer you wait to report the fraudulent wire transfer, the less likely it will be that law enforcement can recover any of the funds.
If, by chance, you become victim to this scam, make an immediate report to www.ic3.gov and contact your local law enforcement agency.
The year 2022 marks the 5th anniversary of the Broward, Palm Beaches, and St. Lucie Realtors® ‘mega merger’, when the Realtors® Association of the Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors® merged in 2017. Upon announcement as the largest merger in the history of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), all industry eyes were on the newly unified group, especially during the consolidation of their massive MLSs.
The unification created a rare opportunity for Realtors® in Broward, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties to tout their affiliation with one of the largest MLSs in the nation. The evolution of what is known as BeachesMLS today created both a single source for homebuyers and greater exposure for sellers throughout southeast Florida.
“It was no small feat merging 40,000 on-market listings, totaling over $21 billion in inventory, but we knew that MLS consolidation was essential to delivering seamless technology to our brokers and agents,” said Dionna Hall, CEO of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® and BeachesMLS.
In 2019, the merged association went on to further consolidate the southeast Florida market by merging with the South Broward Board of Realtors®. The additional merger resulted in the association having complete NAR jurisdiction in Broward County, as well as the majority of listings in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
Today their membership represents 40,000 Realtors® and over 41,000 BeachesMLS subscribers. As advocates of MLS consolidation, the mergers have created a new, much larger territory for expansion and growth without the need to join multiple MLSs.
With MLS consolidation in place, what’s on the horizon?
“The MLS landscape is changing at a record pace. New influences, both inside and outside of the industry, are increasingly moving into the MLS space, and unparalleled venture capital is entering the market. BeachesMLS will need to establish strategic relationships with a variety of groups and individuals to secure the future of our organization,” said Carlos A. Melendez, President of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® and BeachesMLS.
BeachesMLS has already partnered with some big names in the industry, including FBS, Corelogic, Supra, IMAPP, Lone Wolf, Remine Pro, Realtor.com, and most recently, MLS Aligned.
BeachesMLS became an equity owner of MLS Aligned which consists of six forward-thinking multiple listing service organizations across seven states. MLS Aligned represents approximately 150,000 Realtors® and is constantly developing innovative partnerships and products to better serve their subscribers and consumers. Their API driven data distribution tool distributes large amounts of accurate and cutting-edge data to BeachesMLS subscribers.
The merger has also blazed a trail for improved collaboration and record-breaking participation with the Realtors® Political Action Committee (RPAC). Advocating efforts expanded across the local, state and national levels. In 2021, Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® raised $950,000, an amount that would not have been achievable without the mergers. Going into 2022, they are hoping to reach a new high for RPAC fundraising, as the yearly fundraising goal is set for $1 million.
In hindsight, does consolidation work?
MLS consolidation has been a hot topic in the industry for many years, and the consensus is still split. MLSs that are reluctant to change maintain that independence is key. In this story, however, MLS consolidation has proven to benefit subscribers at large in Broward, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties. Five years after consolidation, Broward, Palm Beaches, and St. Lucie Realtors® have grown 64 percent in membership to become the Association of Attraction in southeast Florida. They attribute their growth largely in part to the efficiency and data accuracy of BeachesMLS along with the association’s ability to maintain unsurpassed customer service during and after the mergers.
The Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® redefined their experience for members and subscribers. As the real estate industry constantly evolves, they have undoubtedly created a path for more Associations and MLSs to follow suit in the future.
Address: 9221 SE Event Center Pl, Port St. Lucie , FL, 34952
Price: $35/$45/$55
Category: Concert / Live Music
Jumpstarting her career, Jo Dee Messina’s breakout song, Heads Carolina, Tails California, made her a household name. Following the success of her debut, Jo Dee posted nine No. 1 hits, 16 Top 40 songs, sold over five million albums worldwide and was honored by the Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and Grammy Awards. As Jo Dees résumé grew, she proved to be a trendsetter and history-maker, becoming the first female in country music history to celebrate three consecutive multi-week, chart-topping songs.
Country hitmaker Tracy Byrd first reached No. 1 in 1993 with Holdin Heaven, and he followed up with a string of hits that include Watermelon Crawl, Big Love, Im From the Country, Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo, Drinkin Bone and The Keeper of the Stars, which won ACM Song of the Year honors in 1996. He’s released 34 singles and 10 studio albums, four of which have been certified gold, one platinum and one double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. | Show starts at 7 p.m.
Please note: This performance was rescheduled from its original date in April 2021. Any tickets that were previously purchased will automatically be transferred to the new show date. This event will be hosted outdoors. Rain or Shine.
Date: Saturday February 12, 2022 & Sunday February 13, 2022
Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens Event Lawn
Address: 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd., Port St. Lucie , FL, 34952
Price: Free
Category: Sale / Food / Live Music
Check out all the Special Events that will be featured at next weekends 2022 Botanica Garden Festival Plant Sale, February 12th & 13th at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, sponsored by GL Homes.
We’ll have music from the Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society and our Children’s Story Hour in the Faerie Forrest. The Port St. Lucie Orchid Society will be presenting their Annual Orchid Show & Sale, as well as presenting Orchid Demonstrations in the Orchid Room.
To top that off, we’ll have lots of Vendors featuring everything for your garden and outdoor spaces, plant specials and sales in our Garden Center and Gardens Gate Gift Shop, tasty treats and much, much more.
We invite you to join us for 2-days of outdoor fun at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens. See you there!
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Martin County Fair
Date: Friday February 11, 2022 through Saturday February 19, 2022.
Time: 5:00 pm – 12:00 am
Location: Martin County Fairgrounds
Address: 2616 se Dixie Hwy
Price: $10
Category: Arts / Exhibits
63rd Annual Martin County Fair. Come Celebrate MY TOWN. Carnival Rides, Fair Food, Exhibits, entertainment, fun for ALL ages.
Date:Event occurs the second Sunday of every month.
Time: All Day Event
Location: St. Lucie Mets Convention Center
Address: 8555 Commerce Centre Dr. Port Saint Lucie, FL 34986
Price: Free Admission
Category: Expo
The Port Saint Lucie Baseball Card Show is held on the 2nd Sunday every month at the St. Lucie Mets Convention Center at Barons Real Estate. 8555 Commerce Centre Dr. Port Saint Lucie, Florida 34986.
Show Hours: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Collectible Trading Cards & Memorabilia!
Baseball, Football, Other Sports, Comics & Non-Sports!
Younger consumers more pessimistic about future finances and affordable homes
Consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level in 18 months amid affordability constraints, supply shortages and job concerns, according to Fannie Mae’s latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI).
The HPSI, which tracks consumers’ housing-related intentions and perceptions, fell 2.4 points in January, highlighting worries – particularly among younger consumers – about home-buying and home-selling conditions.
In total, four of the index’s six components decreased compared to the previous month after polling a nationally representative sample of 1,006 households.
The index revealed that 70% of respondents felt it was a bad time to buy a home, while only 25% – “a record low”, according to Fannie Mae – felt that it was a good time to buy.
Although it represents a relatively small 5% drop compared with the previous month, it is a whopping 60% down year over year.
Respondents were also distinctly gloomy about the mortgage rate outlook, with 58% saying they expected rates to increase, versus 4% who believe they’ll go down, resulting in a net reduction of 18 percentage points year over year, and a more modest 2% compared with last month.
At the time the survey was conducted, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was reportedly more than 50 basis points higher than it was the previous month, and a staggering 83 basis points up compared to a year ago.
Year over year, the full index has nose-dived 5.9 points, representing the lowest level since May 2020.
On the flip side, 69% of consumers reported that it was a good time to sell, representing a 23-percentage point increase year-over-year, but a 12% drop compared with December 2021.
Regarding employment, 78% of respondents said they did not fear losing their jobs over the coming year compared with 17% who did, representing a 5% net month-over-month decrease. However, it also reflected a 10% improvement when compared to the mood a year ago.
In addition, the net share of those who say their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago increased six percentage points compared with December, underscoring the belief that borrowers have substantial equity available since the COVID pandemic.
A larger percentage of Americans – 4% compared with December – also expected home prices to rise in the coming months.
According to Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae’s senior vice president and chief economist, younger consumers were more pessimistic about their financial outlook and their prospects for buying a home this month.
He said: “Younger consumers – more so than other groups – expect home prices to rise even further, and they also reported a greater sense of macroeconomic pessimism.
“Additionally, while the younger respondents are typically the most optimistic about their future finances, this month their sense of optimism around their personal financial situation declined. All of this points back to the current lack of affordable housing stock, as younger generations appear to be feeling it particularly acutely and, absent an uptick in supply, may have their homeownership aspirations delayed.
“On the whole, the latest HPSI results are consistent with our forecast of slowing housing activity in the coming year.”
Patrick Stoy, owner-broker of Wilmington-based, MC Mortgage Group, was asked whether the survey’s findings reflected his own experience with customers.
He said he felt some clients were taking on too much debt, given their financial constraints. Speaking to MPA, he said: “I’ve had people in my office that went and got under contract for properties and they’re obligating themselves to a $250,000 loan, even though the payment’s cheaper than what they’re paying in rent.
“It’s still a lot of a lot of debt to obligate themselves to, based on their current income being a single income household. It’s really almost impossible to buy a property these days, unless you’ve got multiple sources of income coming into a house.”
Fannie Mae’s latest survey results also confirm the views of Dr. Robert Dietz, chief economist and senior vice president for economics and housing policy for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), who recently warned that a tightening monetary policy and higher interest rates would take a toll on housing affordability and price out younger families from the market.
“At the turn of the millennium, it was about 10% of young adults aged 25 to 34 who lived with their parents. Today that rate is higher than 20% and has doubled in the last two decades,” he told MPA, suggesting a lack of housing inventory as one of the reasons.
Now that a huge wave of baby boomers have left the workforce—30 million at the height of the pandemic, according to the Pew Research Center—many are considering where and how to live.
As they retire from the workforce, some baby boomers are looking to relocate to maintenance-free homes or condos. Or they want to be near their children or grandchildren in what has been termed “baby chasing.” Others want to head to a warmer climate full- or part-time, often choosing active-aging communities where they can pare maintenance, enjoy activities, and meet new people.
However, most baby boomers want to age in place. This may require changes to their home to live more conveniently and safer as health challenges arise.
Many residential design options emerging today reflect trends seen in the luxury hospitality industry, like country clubs and spas, says architect Rocky Berg, whose Dallas-based boutique design firm, three, works in the hospitality, residential, and senior living segments.
“Boomers are all about having choices,” Berg says. “They’re accustomed to having what they want when they want it.”
But having more options can make the decision tough. No single choice fits every boomer’s interest, budget, and health situation, particularly since their ages range from 57 to 75 years old, says Chicago-based commercial interior designer Mary Cook of Mary Cook Associates. She has found four factors influence their decision: finances, family circumstances, home, and community or neighborhood.
“If they’re the primary caregivers or helping with grandchildren or single parents, they may be tethered to family and a location. Sometimes, their decision, if budget permits, will mean a second location for the winter or summer,” Cook says.
While the boomer segment represents an important 15% of the population, it’s been described as on the verge of becoming a silver tsunami with numbers growing beyond 20% by 2050. Here are some options your boomer clients may want to consider as they weigh their next move.
Eighty percent of homeowners aged 50 and above want to spend their upcoming years in their current home, according to an AARP survey back in 2018. The good news is that there are increasing design options and experts to help.
Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS)—a designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)—can offer insight on which features to modify in existing quarters to make life more convenient and safer. This includes adding smart home technology, task lighting, grab bars, raised toilet seats, a shower without a threshold, wider doorways, and barrier-free entry.
When a bicycle accident left her paralyzed from the waist down in 1998, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., became an expert in how to adapt a home for accessible living. She and her husband built a home in Columbus, Ohio, which became the Universal Design Living Laboratory, with every universal design feature available.
Companies like The Plan Collection design layouts that homeowners can buy online to build a home that makes staying put easier. They include features such as an open plan without doors, one-level living, and flex space to manage work from home or accommodate guests, says Laurel Vernazza, the company’s home design expert. The flex space could also house a live-in aide.
There are also more technology tools to improve daily living for those less mobile or impaired hearing or eyesight. Robot vacuums and smart lawnmowers are cited in senior expert Lisa Cini’s book, BOOM: The Baby Boomers Guide to Leveraging Technology.
Despite active-aging communities generating buzz, those who gravitate toward them still represent a small percentage of the boomer population. “It seems bigger because the boomer group is large, but it’s still a very small percentage,” says architect David Banta, senior living and affordable housing sector leader at BKV Group, who has focused on this niche for more than 20 years.
The average age at move-in is 75, Banta says, the extreme end of the boomer cohort. “Most do so to gain low-maintenance, convenient living. They want out of their big house with some services provided and no restrictions on when they come and go, especially since some still work,” he says.
The main difference between what’s available now versus 10 to 20 years ago is the greater variety in building type and what’s offered inside, such as resort-quality amenities, programmed activities, upgraded finishes, and technology.
Besides the traditional communities and stand-alone buildings, there are also co-housing communities and rentals for those who no longer want to own and manage their home, says Berg, whose company helped develop Cellars at Pearl, a luxury property in San Antonio, nestled next to a five-star hotel and food vendors.
The common denominator is that boomers want to enjoy experiences that reflect their special interests and help build social connections, Cook says. “Forget crafts and woodworking, however,” she says. “This group has added 20 years to their life expectancy and are not at the end of their lives. They’re in their 70s enjoying wine tastings, pickleball, and bocce ball,” she says.
When it comes to cost, many boomers will spend the same, or more, to gain these features, including name brand appliances for reliability, Cook says.
Besides designing new buildings, firms like Banta’s also work with clients to reposition existing properties by freshening finishes, reworking common areas, and adding the latest amenities.
When to Consider a Continuing Care Retirement Community
Generally developed for the cohort older than boomers, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) are made up of independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing care wings. But these facilities are also undergoing changes to reflect the coming wave of boomers and their mindset.
How much does life in a CCRC cost?
Many people worry about the cost of care when services are provided. Often, it’s a la carte pricing, but these days there are more options, says Matamoros. What’s changed most is a swing toward market-rate rentals versus an entry or buy-in fee, says Banta. Those who prefer the CCRC model have many entrance-fee options, which, in turn, will affect how much money is needed to put down and how much will be refunded if they move out or passed along to their heirs when they die. Some choose to pay a deposit before they move to secure a place, especially if there’s a waitlist, says Matamoros. One of the biggest problems for operators he works with is to try to develop a moderate-cost model, Berg says. Matamoros also sees solutions lacking for the affordable sector. While tax credits are available from municipalities and states for the housing portion, funding care services is hard to secure, Banta says. “Without government subsidies, I don’t know how you make an affordable option work,” adds Ackerman.
“The previous generation has been fiscally more conservative and had the attitude, ‘How little could you sell me,’ while the boomers are all about choice,” Berg says.
Currently, there are about 2,000 CCRCs in the U.S., but their numbers are not growing, in part because of the difficulty finding good locations, says developer Richard Ackerman, senior managing principal of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Big Rock Partners, a real estate development and investment firm focused on senior housing. While firms like his continue to develop new communities, they also update existing projects, so they appeal more to boomers’ evolving tastes and desire for options. Many operators seek expansion to leverage the overhead of these investments across multiple communities, Berg says.
Another reason for the lack of growth is the average age at move-in is rising, currently at 81, according to the Aging with Freedom site. Of the different CCRC options, independent living represents the biggest share at 55.6% of CCRC units.
No matter the age residents move in, their shared goal is to be less dependent on family but live near them, retain autonomy, and have options to socialize, which, Berg says, helps residents live longer and better. “All move in as strangers and adapt. Most end up saying, ‘I wish I had done this sooner,’” he says.
CCRCs are evolving in ways similar to the active-aging sector, with a greater focus on technology, programming, fitness, and entertainment. There are even more eating options. “They might want to stop at a cafe or bistro to eat, pick up sandwiches to sit in front of a TV, or dine formally. They don’t want to be told when to show up at one place for meals or one time for an activity,” Berg says.
When they eat, there’s increased concern about the nutrition of available food, along with additional interest in other wellness initiatives, says Ackerman. More attention is paid to the layout and design of communities to encourage socialization and help curtail loneliness.
New projects such as Big Rock’s Seafields at Kiawah Island in South Carolina are designed to attract a younger, 62-plus age group who are more fit and affluent, while still supporting inevitable aging needs.
Seafields will have an in-house medical clinic operated by the Medical University of South Carolina when it opens in 2024. Its 90 units will target the younger residents who seek independent living while an additional 16 units are for assisted living and continuing care services. As part of the trend toward luxury, units will be larger, have upgraded finishes, plenty of light, and outdoor space. Staff will include a lifestyle director and 24-hour concierge.
Another example of the movement toward luxury among CCRC communities is River Tower, a 142-unit expansion that Berg’s firm worked on at Harbor’s Edge, a high-end senior living community in Norfolk, Va., where custom interior designs are available in residential units. While Harbor Edge’s focus is independent living in a contemporary, sociable community, it, too, offers continuum-of-care services.
And Berg’s firm is also working on multiple projects with Dallas-based nonprofit Forefront Living, a developer and operator of senior communities. The work includes repositioning and expanding Forefront’s Presbyterian Village North, which offers a continuum of care, says Barbara Matamoros, corporate director of sales and marketing. “Presbyterian Village has a 41-year-history of providing senior living, and through the years how we choose to live has changed,” Matamoros says. Among changes are larger living spaces with room for flexible, multiple uses, she says. In addition, services such as assisted living can be provided in a residential environment to keep residents from moving to a nursing home setting.
While all these changes are occurring in senior living residences, developers are learning that not everyone wants to be segregated by age. The former Chicago Tribune newspaper tower was converted into condos and renamed Tribune Tower Residences. It has a prime location on Michigan Avenue and stellar views that appeal to residents of a mix of ages, says Cook.
The Azure at Hacienda Lakes community in Naples, Fla., developed by Toll Brothers, is a master-planned community—also not age restricted—but targeted at the empty nester/downsizing active boomer.
Sometimes, plans need to change, as was the case when the developer of the agrihood Serenbe outside Atlanta found that a cluster of houses planned for the boomer cohort didn’t appeal. They revised the grouping for a mix of ages and are now planning an assisted living facility for a different, older population, says Garnie Nygren, managing partner or Serenbe.
Barbara Ballinger – Barbara Ballinger is a freelance writer and the author of several books on real estate, architecture, and remodeling, including The Kitchen Bible: Designing the Perfect Culinary Space (Images Publishing, 2014). Barbara’s most recent book is The Garden Bible: Designing Your Perfect Outdoor Space, co-authored with Michael Glassman (Images, 2015).
US housing sentiment sank even lower in January as affordability and supply constraints continued to limit home purchase opportunities, particularly among younger households.
Fannie Mae reported Monday that its Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) fell 2.4% month over month and 5.9% year over year to 71.8 in January – its lowest level since May 2020.
During the month, a record-low 25% of respondents said it’s a good time to purchase a home, compared to the 69% of consumers who believed that it’s a good time to sell. Concerns about job stability and mortgage rates also weighed on consumers’ minds.
“Younger consumers – more so than other groups – expect home prices to rise even further, and they also reported a greater sense of macroeconomic pessimism,” said Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan. “Additionally, while the younger respondents are typically the most optimistic about their future finances, this month their sense of optimism around their personal financial situation declined.”
Four of the six HPSI components decreased month over month in January. Component highlights include:
The net share of Americans who say it is a good time to buy a home decreased five percentage points to 25%
The net share of Americans who think it is a good time to sell posted a 12% month-over-month gain, up to 69%
The net share of Americans who expect home prices to go up in the next 12 months rose 4% to 43%
The net share of Americans who believe mortgage rates will go down in the next 12 months went down two percentage points to 4%
The net share of Americans who say they are not concerned about losing their job in the next 12 months saw a decrease in November, down five percentage points to 78%
The net share of Americans who reported that their household income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago inched up six percentage points to 26%
“All of this points back to the current lack of affordable housing stock, as younger generations appear to be feeling it particularly acutely and, absent an uptick in supply, may have their homeownership aspirations delayed,” Duncan said. “On the whole, the latest HPSI results are consistent with our forecast of slowing housing activity in the coming year.”
Borrowing costs held mostly steady this week, but how long will the reprieve last?
Mortgage rates continue to follow the trend of the 10-year Treasury yield and have stayed flat over the last three weeks.
As the economic recovery continues through the spring and summer, mortgage rates are expected to resume their upward trajectory, says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
But for now, “since mortgage rates are still near historic lows, many people are rushing to benefit from these rates,” Nadia Evangelou, National Association of REALTORS®’ senior economist and director of forecasting, writes on the association’s blog.
Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Feb. 3:
30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.55%, with an average 0.8 point, unchanged from last week. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 2.73%.
15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.77%, with an average 0.7 point, dropping from last week’s 2.80% average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 2.21%.
5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.71%, with an average 0.3 point, rising slightly from last week’s 2.70% average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.78%.
Freddie Mac reports commitment rates along with average points to better reflect the total upfront costs of the mortgage.
Please join us on Fridays at 9:15am for a music and movement class, taught mommy and me style. Little ones (6m-5yrs) will play bells, maracas, drums and shakers as we learn the basics of beat and pitch. Plus, well play with parachutes, dance and work out our wiggles in fun and exciting ways. Help us encourage all of Gods children to make a joyful noise to the Lord of the Universe, who created music and all of us!
Date:Thursday January 20, 2022 through Saturday December 31, 2022.
Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Elliott Museum
Address: 825 NE Ocean Blvd
Price: Adults $14 Seniors $12 Children $6 5 and under free
Category: Arts / Exhibits
This permanent exhibit will explore the life and times of John Ashley and his family. Born in the 1880’s and raised in the wild west atmosphere that pervailed over Florida’s East Coast and the Everglades. Joh Ashley turned to a life of crime after being accused and he was tried numerous times for the murder of Seminole Indian De Sotto Tiger in 1911. Learn more by seeing the exhibit for yourself at the Elliott Museum.
Date:Thursday February 3, 2022 through Saturday February 5, 2022.
Time: Times Vary
Location: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center
Address: 9221 SE Event Center Pl, Port St. Lucie , FL, 34952
Price: 12.00
Category: Arts / Exhibits
The Port St. Lucie Crazy Quilters Show is coming back to the MIDFLORIDA Event Center! Mark your calendars for the 2022 Quilting in Paradise Show, February 3-5, 2022!
This 3-day event will feature hundreds of beautiful and unique items, all hand-crafted by local residents.
Come on out and show support for our many talented neighbors and friends!
Admission is $12 and valid for all three days.
Hours:
Thursday & Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more information, visit www.pslcrazyquilters.org.
Port St. Lucie Quilters is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting its love of quilting through education and community service.
You’re gonna have Big FUN on this Small Biz Crawl supporting local businesses and retailers! Unlike a pub crawl, this hop includes all types of businesses as well as bars and restaurants. Each will have special offerings just for Hop participants – from free samples and refreshments to sidewalk sales, discounts and goodie bags. All ages can participate. Please Read all details, thank you
You also get a FREE GIFT at check-in from your event host, PriscillaCrawl at your own pace, with your own group or join a group that’s heading out when you arrive.** This way, businesses don’t get overwhelmed, and you don’t have to rush because the crawl is moving on to the next stop. Go to as many or as few of the stops as you like but of course, we encourage you to visit all of them!
When you arrive at our starting point – MULLIGANS BEACH HOUSE, you’ll be given the list of Hop Stops. (in the past, publishing in advance has lead to people going to the stops without checking in, which has caused problems. Thank you for understanding). We want everyone to be able to enjoy the Hop so it’s priced right at just 10 per person in advance and 13 day of (cash only). Thank you for drinking responsibly. All stops are within walking distance of each other, in a 6-blocks area
Date:Saturday February 5, 2022 through Sunday February 6, 2022.
Time: All Day Event
Location: Riverside Park
Address: 3260 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach,Fl 32960
Price: Free
Category: Festival
Gardenfest! One of the largest and free garden shows in Florida returns for its 20th year. Visitors will stroll under the oaks enjoying amazing vendors, lectures, demonstrations, food, and raffle prizes. Many arrive with their wagon in tow ready for the treasures they will find.
Gardenfest! Natures Finest Market Place is hosted by the Garden Club of Indian River county.
At Gardenfest! Plants for sale include palms, bamboo, fruit trees, orchids, herbs, bromeliads, succulents, bonsais,Florida natives,roses and geraniums.There will also be planters, pottery, furniture, lighting, staturary, and garden accessories. In addition Ask the experts returns each day with free lectures, demonstrations, and Q&A sessions. There are activities for the younger gardener and food vendors. Take your chance on some raffle prize packages such as dining, entertainment, and spa. Proceeds subbort the clubs community outreach programs.
Come meet our local artists and crafters! From oil and acrylic paintings to glass art and jewelry from wearable art to greeting cards stickers magnets and more. Theres so much variety youre sure to find your own treasures. Family friendly. Pet friendly. FREE Admission. Sunday February 6th 9am-2pm. At Cool Beans Brew 1115 Delaware Ave. Ft. Pierce, FL 34950
When France hosts the 2024 Olympics, the plan is for Notre-Dame Cathedral to be restored to its former glory in time for the event.
A team of 35 architects, masters in historical restoration, and international NGOs armed with a billion euro in donations from around the world—including 30 million from U.S donors—are busy helping the Parisian monument rise from the ashes.
North rose stained glass windows/ Zairon; CC license
It’s been three years since fires engulfed the famous cathedral, yet even as the flames rose that night, there were signs that utter destruction could be averted. The firemen trained their hoses with tact, avoiding the enormous stained glass windows Notre Dame is known for.
Furthermore, in the days after the 800-ton spire collapsed, it was discovered that something of a miracle had occurred. While the modern altar had been crushed, the iconic Virgin of Paris, a 14th-century stone statue, stood but several feet away entirely unharmed—albeit quite covered in dust.
Luckier still, the twelve copper apostles lining the staircase to the spire’s summit had been removed four days before the fire for maintenance. The Chapel of St. Ferdinand, apart from suffering an increase in humidity, was entirely spared.
All in all, the Cathedral lost its spire, vaults, and lead ceiling, the last being a particular danger as it poured molten lead all over the architecture, but the walls survived, the treasures and art survived, and the enormous façade survived, giving more than enough for restorationists to work with in a grand revival in time for the Olympics.
The Sunday before the fire, 3,000 people attended mass, but 10-12 million tourists visited the building every year.
When it was being built in the late 12th-to-early 13th century, Notre Dame was a real stunner, and brought many new styles to cathedral building, such as flying buttresses and pointed arches. The buttresses allowed for soaring windows and high walls. National Geographic reports that jealous Italian architects dubbed the style “Gothic,” which to be more specific means, “Visagothic”—in other words, “barbaric,” but that didn’t stop the style from spreading to Germany, Austria, Great Britain, and east as far as Ukraine.
The timber framework was clad in triangular oak trusses from ancient woodlands, the kind that barely exist anymore in France. A forestry expert named Philippe Gourmain manages forests all over the country, and Nat Geo reports that “by 11 p.m. he was on the phone with a friend at the National Forest Office, hatching a plan to collect the needed wood through donations.”
An NGO named Carpenters Without Borders are perfecting the method of constructing these trusses in the Medieval way—working with the heart of each tree in each creation. In September 2020, the non-profit reconstructed one of these trusses in front of the cathedral as a demonstration of what was to come.
In terms of the stone, the heat of the fire at 1,400°F (760°C) was enough to peel as much as four inches off some and turn it into powder.
In some of the wall stones, this caused them to crack, but experts are finding ways to repair these by injecting a paste of lime and other minerals. Those which are too damaged are up for replacement, and architects are looking to find the location of the quarries that birthed Notre Dame’s original stone, long since swallowed up by the city’s sprawl.
Many stones have remained entirely unharmed, however they are fitted in walls that were revealed to be dangerously wobbly; perhaps vulnerable to toppling in just a 56-mph wind. To prevent a secondary calamity, engineers installed huge wooden support beams to hold the walls in place until a new roof is finished.
Even the lead roof will be replaced, and will join the timber roofbeams and spire with modern fire proofing and extinguishing equipment.
The night of the blaze, President Emmanuel Macron called Notre Dame “our history, our literature, our imagination,” and vowed to rebuild it before the 2024 Olympics, a goal which galvanized progress—setting an end date reminiscent of U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 pledge to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
And with a budget most restoration architects could only dream of having, the cathedral should reopen with a sparkling finish, with every new, old, and ancient square inch cleaned to a shine.
(WATCH the new video below from CBS Sunday Morning—and see all the photos at National Geographic… Editor’s Note: Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the CBS video here.)
