Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crashFort Myers Beach prepares for St. Patrick’s Day Parade
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach prepares for St. Patrick’s Day Parade Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for its St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is expected to cause traffic disruptions on the already busy island.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach prepares for St. Patrick’s Day Parade Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for its St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is expected to cause traffic disruptions on the already busy island.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
Home builds have doubled in price due to pandemic shortages. (CREDIT: WINK News) The pandemic has caused Southwest Florida’s population to balloon. Lots of people are considering building their dream home in paradise but because of the short supply in materials and labor, experts say it will cost you. Lumber, windows, cabinets and even porta-potties are hard to come by this year. Justin Einstein with Aubuchon Homes said that the challenge is making it more expensive to build a home. “It takes longer to get materials, it’s taking longer to find the skilled labor on our job sites. And it’s certainly a challenge,” Einstein said. “Everything that we’re seeing now shows a consistent trend of increased pricing, especially over 2022 into early 2023, probably an additional double-digit increase somewhere between another 13 to 17%.” A custom home built in Fort Myers that is 5,000 square feet with three bedrooms and a three-and-a-half-bath would have taken 12 months to build in 2020. But, now it takes 16 or 17 months, Einstein said. According to the National Association of home builders, in January 2022, there were 380,000 construction positions open. “We are not seeing those younger tradespeople come back into our marketplace and be able to continue on that tradition that that’s so necessary,” Einstein said. It’s a chain reaction that has a lot to do with the pandemic, Einstein said. “Back in 2018, 2019, one out of every 10 homes that was sold was a new construction build,” Einstein said. “That number has changed now to almost four out of every 10 homes that’s being acquired as a new construction home because of the diminished inventory.” Specifically in Florida. “There’s certainly an overwhelming amount of land here still to be built on. But the population is growing so quickly that the cost of that land continues to escalate,” Einstein said. “So lots, again, lot prices that in 2020, may have been sub $100,000, depending on the location, if it’s a waterfront property could have tripled or quadrupled in value. So obviously, the cost of acquiring that land has become increasingly more challenging.” And since it’s Southwest Florida, you can’t cut costs for building your dream home. “Because our homes most importantly need to be safe, need to be able to survive a hurricane be able to survive the storm events that come with living in paradise,” Einstein said. Einstein sees building a home in the Sunshine State as an investment but also thinks shortages are here to stay. “I really think that that is certainly going to last through 2022. All indicators are that is going to spread into 2023,” Einstein said. The cost to build a home has doubled compared to pre-pandemic years.