Cape Coral Real Estate Blog

Question: When I refinanced my mortgage six years ago, my lender appraised my home at $274,000 but I borrowed only $220,000. I have made several improvements since then and have paid that loan down to $203,000.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/realty-qa-do-if-you/story.aspx?guid=%7B3EA972CA%2D232D%2D4C64%2DA208%2D3FF6E898863D%7D

The summer driving season is on its way, and consumers are feeling the heat of record prices. That sucking sound you hear at the pump is the resulting drain on the economy.

The national average for gas is just over $3.19 per gallon, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report -- up 34 cents from last month and above the Energy Information Association's record last week of $3.10 per gallon. Both prices top the former record of $3.07 set on Sept. 5, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast.

MEAL COSTS Elementary schools • Breakfast: 55 cents, increasing to $1 in 2007-08 • Lunch: $1.60, increasing to $1.90 in 2007-08, $1.95 in 2008-09, and $2 in 2009-10 Middle and high schools • Lunch: $1.85, increasing to $2.15 in 2007-08, $2.20 in 2008-09, and $2.25 in 2009-10 Note: Students from low-income families will still pay either 30 cents for breakfast or 40 cents for lunch, or get them for free. Schools are reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for these students. DELIVERING YOUR WORLD • Subscribe to The News-Press • Place a classified ad • Printer friendly version • Email this article

Some students were surprised to learn that they will have to pay a little more to eat lunch at school beginning in August.

The Lee County School Board last week approved raising the price by 30 cents. That means full-price elementary lunches will cost $1.90, and full-price middle and high school lunches will run $2.15.

"Are we getting better food?" said Sakerea Jones, 16, a sophomore at Cape Coral High School. "I think we should go on strike."

"They keep on raising prices on everything," added Alexis Griffin, 16, a Cape High sophomore. "The vending machine prices have gone up, too."

Gas prices won't deter Memorial Day travelers

Car trips forecast to rise, but AAA says people will stay closer to home

WASHINGTON - Despite record fuel prices above $3 per gallon, more Americans will travel by car over the Memorial Day holiday weekend than a year ago, according to a survey by travel agency AAA.

In a sign that energy costs will affect behavior, however, AAA said travelers are planning to stay closer to home and take shorter trips. Travel-related expenses for U.S. households are expected average nearly $600.

AAA forecast that 38.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more, an increase of 1.7 percent from last year. Roughly 32.1 million travelers — or 84 percent of the total — will drive, up 1.8 percent from last year