(Photo by Tim Chapman/Getty Images)
The price of just about everything has gone up, including home prices. 3 Southwest Florida cities now have the most expensive homes in Florida.
Buying a house stands, for most, as the largest purchase one will ever make. It can be an exciting time, but it can also be stressful, especially when it comes to figuring out how to pay for it. The down payment can take years to save up for and then navigating the mortgage process can be overwhelming as well.
From coast to coast, home prices have increased. In fact, last month the average home price in the United States reached an all-time high of $351,423. That marks a 1.3% increase compared to 2022. High mortgage rates are making things more difficult too, with the 30-year fixed mortgage rate currently standing at 7.19% (as of September 21).
Not just homes In Florida, housing costs have surged nationwide, but certain cities in the United States carry a heftier price tag than others.
There are many factors that can influence the value of homes. Things like location, size, age and condition. Stacker has assembled a list of the priciest cities for real estate in Florida, drawing upon data from Zillow. 3 Southwest Florida cities have made the list of the most expensive homes in Florida. Coming in at #6 is Boca Grande where the typical home value is $3.2 million with an astonishing 5-year increase of 113%. At #15 on the list is Captiva. The typical home value on the island is $1.4 million with a 5-year increase of 55%. Finally, at #22 is Miromar Lakes. Miromar Lakes is one of my favorite areas in Lee County. The typical home value is $1.2 million with a 5-year increase of 80%.
Three Florida Restaurants Made The List Of Favorites By The New York Times
When it comes to good restaurants, we're lucky here in the Sunshine State to have plenty to choose from and three Florida restaurants just made the list of favorites by the New York Times.
We all have different reasons why a restaurant might be our favorite. Is it that every time you've gone there hasn't been a dish you haven't loved? Does it have a great ambiance? Do you get impeccable service? Do they make the drinks a little stronger than somewhere else? I love trying new restaurants, but there are also those I go back to again and again. I feel like just here in Southwest Florida I have a favorite in each city from Fort Myers to Cape Coral to Naples. And all for different reasons.
Each year the New York Times puts out their list of 50 favorites. To put together the list, the research is done by dozens of reporters, editors and critics who have the very tough job to visit hundreds of restaurants across the country. How do I get THAT gig? I may not be a critic, but I do love to eat. They're not all fine dining restaurants either, it's a very diverse list.
Three Florida restaurants made the New York Times list
Salt Shack on the Bay- Tampa
Salt Shack on the Bay is located right below the Gandy bridge at 5415 W Tyson Ave. The newspaper says of the restaurant that "“Jimmy Buffet would have liked this place, where there is no problem a platter of fresh Gulf shrimp and a drink with a pineapple slice couldn’t solve."
Maty's- Miami
Maty's is located in the heart of Midtown at 3255 NE 1st Ave. There you'll find Peruvian American food with dishes like oxtail saltado, duck salad and camarones.
Smoke & Dough- Miami
Smoke & Dough is located in the Sabina Shopping Center at 4013 SW 152nd Ave. There, you'll find dishes like ribs glossed with guava-ancho barbecue sauce, brisket with a Cuban coffee rub and housemade pastrami tequeños.
