Blogs from Anna Maria, Florida, United States, North America

Housing is in an exciting place in the U.S. Historically, low interest rates were followed by a pandemic, which rapidly changed the state of the market. Today, prices steadily rise across the U.S., which has put the market in turmoil. Amid these issues, there have been winners and losers. Florida is looking to be one of the big winners. Florida and Affordability First and foremost, this isn’t to say that Florida is extremely or even exceptionally affordable. It’s certainly not reaching the highs of other areas such as New York or California. However, many people are moving into Florida, inevitably raising prices. The average home price is $392,000in Florida. For reference, the average in California is $450,000. This price is lower than in many states but still above average. In contrast, th... read more

We headed the Jeep back up to Anna Maria Island on Friday via Bradenton with a quick stop at a Flea Market. Wes always has a short "shopping list." This time, he wanted a narrow belt, suitable for dress pants. He found it! Me? I am not a very good flea market shopper. Bradenton has artsy, fancifully painted geckos on the walls of businesses. A nice local arts touch, sort of like the "Horses of Lexington or Saratoga!" Our purpose in heading for Anna Maria was mainly to sample the Sandbar Restaurant out toward the north end of the island. The Sandbar has a lovely beach location, we nabbed a great Gulf-side table where we could comb the talc-soft sand with our toes, the food was good, and the service accommodating. One little glitch, perhaps picky ... read more

General Nonsensical Intro ‘Sup (common American greeting equivalent in meaning to our ‘howzit’) my friends far and wide, near and far, here and there, fast and slow. I must apologise for such a late update! I am terribly sorry that it has taken me so long to drop you a line but quite frankly hanging with my fiancé has just been………so much fun!!!:) And seriously busy. Even though I cannot work here and should have all this spare time, it just doesn’t seem to exist. When there are two of you, life just seems to get abnormally busy! I don’t know what happens but all of a sudden this other person’s needs become your needs too and you can’t just do whatever you want whenever you want (even though sometimes I try…to no avail)…they did warn ... read more

Welcome to 2009! What the heck happened, one minute I was in high school the next it’s going on 9 years later and I’m getting married!!! I remember Y2K and all the millions we spent on making our computers compliant mean while they all went out of date the next day anyway and we had to upgrade. But alas we have made it this far but still the world seems to be getting crazier! Oh well just more reason and need for us to spread the Word and be a light! Just thought I would pop you all an update to let you know what is up as I never seem to be in one place for too long, and to let you know what God is doing in my life. This last few months has ... read more

You can click on the pictures to see a larger view or a slide show. I'm back in Korea already, but I went to the States to see my little sister's wedding. The photos and videos are mostly of interest to my family. The blog is my side of things as a family member coming from Korea. The wedding was beautiful and Lori and Arif seemed so happy. Of course, I cried, because weddings do that to me. Everything was a whirlwind of activity pretty much from the time I got there... people arriving, parties, and gatherings. There were a few minutes of quiet because I was staying at my sister's house this time. (Thanks, Trudi) Lori and Arif chose the perfect weekend to get married in Anna Maria. The weather was perfect and being that ... read more