A growing number of baby boomers have investment money set aside for retirement that can be used to pay for the mortgages on these condos, said Scott Blackmon Jr., senior vice president of Arthur State Bank.
“So many people have millions of dollars in IRAs,” he said. “A lot of those folks are getting to 60, [...]

Owners at the Grand Vista Condo in Hialeah were stunned when they learned how much they’d be paying in property insurance this year.
Last year, they had spent $100,899 to insure the condo through Heritage Insurance. But last spring, Heritage dropped the policy, prompting the nearly 300 owners to call Citizens Property Insurance, the state-run pool.
The [...]

During the past six years, South Florida’s landscape shifted from low-slung homes to condominiums hundreds of feet high. As the buildings reached skyward, so did prices, topping seven figures for the more luxurious digs.
Today, though, the meteoric rise of condo development is on the verge of crashing down to earth.
The seemingly unstoppable juggernaut [...]

The unprecedented boom in condominium towers is remaking downtown Orlando’s skyline. But with fewer than half of the 30 announced projects completed or under construction, the timing — even the survival — of the rest is now in question because of rising costs and prices.
Developers who a couple of years ago could have sat back [...]

PLANNING a beach holiday to suit your tastes? If so, follow Siew Ching Chua as she visits the region’s best beaches on which to be washed ashore.
On the lookout for: A vibrant night life?
Go to: Koh Phangan, Thailand. It’s a well-known fact that if you are looking for a big beach party, you make [...]

The hip Atria condos in San Diego have a lot to offer young professionals and empty-nesters — a prime downtown address, skyline views, gym, rooftop deck and units starting at $300,000.
Developers are even throwing in free plasma TVs and $5,000 home renovation gift certificates to lure skittish buyers in what had been one of the [...]

As travel to and within China increases, Las Vegas Sands is preparing to capitalize on this trend with a pair of non-casino resort projects in the archipelago around Macau. One, planned for Hengqin Island, directly across the river from Macau’s Cotai Strip, is in the latter stages of the governmental approval process, according to [...]

Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has received the Fodor’s Choice 2006 distinction, which recognizes the resort as one of the top hotels in Fort Lauderdale. This acknowledgment is given to an exclusive list of hotels, restaurants and attractions which represent the best places to visit when traveling to the region, and was selected by [...]

Walt Disney World announced that Meg Crofton will be the new leader of the Orlando resort.
Crofton, 52, replaces Al Weiss, who has run the organization since 1994. In November, Weiss was promoted to oversee all Disney parks worldwide. Crofton has been with Disney for 27 years and held executive leadership roles in worldwide Human Resources, [...]

Australia’s largest hotel operator is in talks with Greater Taree City Council to establish a four-star resort at Diamond Beach later this year.
Representatives of the Constellation Hotels Group met with council officers and councillors in Taree this week to discuss the project.
Mayor Eddie Loftus, who was involved in the talks, said the development would be [...]

A fully occupied hotel had to be evacuated after it caught fire around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, WTAE Channel 4’s Marcie Cipriani reported.
Moon Township Fire Chief Charlie Belgie said some people complained that the exit doors were locked when they tried to run from the flames at the Rodeway Inn on University Boulevard.
“I don’t know if [...]

When urban dwellers think of hotel-condos, they usually imagine sky-high city apartments with daily maid service and mints on pillows.
In New York, perhaps, their fantasy would not be far from reality.
More often though, hotel-condos are proliferating into mid-size and smaller cities across the nation.
Hotel-condo projects can be found in different stages of development in cities [...]