Realtor Patti DiMarco's home in Babcock Ranch, Florida.
Courtesy of Patti DiMarco
Realtor Patti DiMarco, 76, moved to Babcock Ranch after increasing concerns over hurricane damage.
She purchased a $480,000 three-bedroom home and moved in two weeks after her first visit.
DiMarco says she felt safe during the most recent hurricane season.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patti DiMarco, a 76-year-old Realtor who splits her time between New Jersey and Florida. After increasing concerns over hurricane damage and rising insurance costs, DiMarco moved to the 'hurricane-resistant' community of Babcock Ranch.
Located 20 minutes north of Fort Myers, Babcock Ranch was built on land 30 feet above sea level. Developers took precautions for extreme weather events, like designing smart lakes to combat flooding and burying utilities underground. Babcock Ranch's field house, designed to withstand 150 mph wind gusts, also serves as an evacuation shelter for surrounding areas during a hurricane.
I used to live in a gated community in Naples, Florida, about three miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The homes were of various types, including condos with carports, condos with garages, and single-family homes. I lived in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home that I purchased for $238,000.
My concerns started with the 2018 Surfside building collapse. After that tragedy, the Florida legislature required all condominium and homeowners associations to modify their accounting. They needed more cash for replacement costs, which would impact owners. I believed I would eventually get hit with a big assessment.
Then, there were the hurricanes. I was on the condominium association board, so I dealt with all the issues and the damage. I started to feel like it was becoming too much to manage. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, seven of our homes lost their roofs, and several people lost their cars. During Hurricane Ian in 2022, 18 garages were damaged.
I started to think, 'Where else do I want to live?' I wanted to stay in Florida but find a better situation. One of my grandchildren studied Babcock Ranch as part of a college course on sustainability. It inspired me to visit.
I visited Babcock Ranch for the first time in December 2023. I moved in two weeks later.
Babcock Ranch is 90 minutes north of DiMarco's old home in Naples, Florida.
Courtesy of Babcock Ranch
Last December, I visited Babcock Ranch, Florida. I toured it, returned the next day, bought the house, and moved in two weeks later.
I've been a Realtor for almost 50 years. When it's right, you just know.
Purchased for $480,000, it has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a den, and a two-car garage. Although I'm in a golf course community and don't play golf, I like the open space.
Settling into Babcock was easy. I unpacked my stuff and went to the pool the next day. The facilities and each of the different neighborhoods are very welcoming, and the people in the neighborhoods are also nice.
There's so much attention to detail in the community. With the utilities being underground, the smart lakes absorbing water, and even the lakes' overflow designed to flow into the street instead of houses, I feel very safe in the event of a hurricane.
My flood insurance costs around $600 per year, and neighbors have told me that I may even be able to abandon it once the final elevation readings are completed.
For the past hurricane season, I didn't worry at all. I was still in New Jersey and hadn't come down yet. Still, there was a Ring camera on my doorbell, and during the storm all I saw in the video was a little palm tree blow. It was just very reassuring.
I was speaking with my neighbors here, and one of them, in particular, was very nervous. She had just moved and hadn't been through a hurricane season. I kept telling her, 'If they didn't think you were safe here, they would be telling you to leave,' but it's the reverse. They're bringing people to Babcock for shelter.
I miss some of the shopping in Naples, but I don't mind zipping around in my golf cart
Babcock Ranch has solar-powered technology that regulates the property's lakes.
Courtesy of Babcock Ranch
The people here are a total variety. There are young families, retired folks, people working remotely, and people working in Cape Coral, about an hour away.
The geographic areas where people are coming from are also very diverse. I've met many people from the Midwest, but I've also met people from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Massachusetts.
I don't miss being closer to the shoreline, but I miss some of the restaurants and shopping I had in Naples. New stores are coming here, though. We have a larger shopping district opening next year.
On the other hand, I drive my golf cart everywhere. I do my errands and then flip back to the pool and restaurants. It's like living in a little village from a Hallmark movie.
Austin made the list of one of the best places to live in 2024.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
US News & World Report created a list of the best places to live in the US in 2024.
Factors such as housing affordability, job opportunities, and quality of life determined the list.
Naples, Florida, tops 2024's list, followed by Boise, Idaho, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Deciding where to live isn't always easy.
Some people move multiple times in a decade, searching for new experiences or better opportunities. Others end up regretting relocating to their new homes.
Every year, US News & World Report ranks 150 big cities based on factors including quality of life, schools, crime rates, employment opportunities, and housing affordability to find the best places to live in the United States.
For 2024's list, the South and the Midwest have the most cities ranked in the top 15.
Booming Boise, Idaho; outdoorsy Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the bustling banking hub of Charlotte, North Carolina, all consistently make the list of the best places to live. Newcomers include Austin, a growing tech hub, and two scenic South Carolina locales: Greenville and Charleston.
In addition to weighing job opportunities and housing costs, US News & World Report emphasizes each area's overall standard of living.
Here are the 15 best places to live in the US, according to US News & World Report. Residents find plenty to like about these cities, including relatively affordable homes, plenty of jobs, and lots of ways to spend their free time.
15. Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky.
Getty Images
Population of the metro area: 320,154
Median home price: $331,000
Median monthly rent: $1,600
Median household income: $66,392
Climate Vulnerability Index: 58th percentile (average vulnerability). This index shows areas of the US most likely to face challenges from climate change.
Known for: Home to over 450 horse farms, Lexington is known as the horse capital of the world. While it doesn't have the Kentucky Derby, Keeneland Race Track holds its own horse races twice a year.
Known for: Wisconsin's capital is also the state's second-largest city. Madison is a college town, offering plenty of chances to see concerts and sporting events.
Known for: With its cobblestone streets and 18th- and 19th-century buildings, Charleston is a dream for historic-architecture buffs. Plus, miles of beachy coastline are just a short trip from downtown.
Known for: Wisconsin's oldest city is home to the Green Bay Packers, a storied NFL team. Nature lovers can make the most of Green Bay's 25-mile Fox River State Trail, even in the winter.
Known for: Sarasota earned the nickname the Circus City because Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus moved its winter quarters to the beachy town in 1927. These days, the weather, leisurely pace of life, and lack of income tax all attract people to Florida. Sarasota, in particular, has become a magnet for workers, according to a January LinkedIn report.
Known for: Not far from the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is known for outdoorsy activities, including rock climbing, hiking, skiing, and cycling. The city's median age is 28.6, giving it a youthful, lively energy.
Known for: An artsy, contemporary city, Austin is known for its vibrant nightlife, live music, eclectic cuisine, and college scene. It also has a long history of attracting tech giants, and even more companies have opened offices there since the pandemic. West Coasters in the industry have moved to the city, lured by the booming job market and comparatively low cost of living.
Known for: Boasting a beloved boardwalk, Virginia Beach has miles of beaches, delectable seafood, and a mild climate. Murals, museums, and shops in the ViBe Creative District give the seaside destination some arty flair, too.
Known for: Since the start of the US space program in the 1950s Huntsville has been a hub for the aerospace and defense industries. Today it's bursting with startups, alongside long-standing workplaces like NASA and Boeing. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin also has a facility for building rocket engines in Huntsville.
Known for: This capital city has a busy downtown, free museums, and miles of hiking trails. Part of North Carolina's Research Triangle, Raleigh has a long history of fostering technology and science companies, creating a strong local economy.
Known for: Second only to New York, Charlotte is a bustling banking hub. Locals can root for the city's professional basketball, football, and soccer teams or soak up the art and food scenes.
Known for: In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville attracts new residents with its moderate climate, burgeoning food reputation, and natural beauty. Greenville is also home to several major corporations, including Michelin, GE, and Lockheed Martin.
Known for: The US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center is located in Colorado Springs, making the city especially attractive to athletes. There are hundreds of miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, and white water rafting is a popular summer activity. From the Garden of the Gods to the iconic Pikes Peak, gorgeous natural sights adorn the area.
Known for: Thousands of new residents flocked to Idaho's capital in the past decade, making it the US's fastest-growing city in 2018. Boise blends sought-after amenities such as microbreweries and cider houses with nearby scenic state parks full of rivers, canyons, and mountains.
Known for: Located on Florida's Gulf Coast, Naples is like a postcard come to life, with white-sand beaches, luxurious residences, and over 1,350 holes of golf. The city has long attracted wealthy residents who can afford the high housing costs. Right now a $295 million compound is up for grabs, the most expensive home for sale in the US.
Sources: Population and income data are from the US Census, median home price from Realtor.com, median rent from Zillow, and climate information from the Climate Vulnerability Index.
This story was originally published on May 15, 2024, and most recently updated on December 4.
Airbnb and VRBO hosts with short-term-rental properties can expect a calmer 2025.
Onfokus/Getty Images
2025 should be a relatively calm year for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, according to a new forecast.
Occupancy rates are expected to remain the same or improve a bit, while supply won't increase much.
Travelers are interested in houses with six or more bedrooms that cost relatively little per night.
Airbnb and Vrbo hosts can expect more consistency in 2025, according to a new report from industry analytics firm AirDNA.
"There's going to be a bit more stability," Bram Gallagher, director of economics and forecasting at AirDNA, told Business Insider. "The market is in a more mature phase compared to where it was five, even 10 years ago."
The short-term-rental market's roller coaster kicked off in 2020, when a surge in travel brought hosts record profits. An influx of new properties opened up, leading to a correction. Hosts have been adjusting their expectations ever since, sometimes lowering prices to remain competitive.
2024 has been an improvement for hosts in some ways. Demand for short-term rentals, as measured by the number of nights booked, grew 7% compared to 2023. Occupancy rates, the number of nights a month a rental is booked, declined from February 2022 to April 2024, but have been relatively constant since.
There are early signs that the more stable climate will translate to better returns for hosts in 2025. AirDNA measures a rental's expected revenue using a measure called RevPAR β or revenue per available rental, which combines a unit's average daily rate with its region's occupancy rate. For two years the average RevPAR declined, meaning hosts could expect to bring in less revenue than the year prior. RevPAR forecasts for 2025 have turned positive.
"We're going to be seeing some gradual improvement from here on out," Gallagher said.
Here are 3 predictions AirDNA has for hosts in the new year.
1. Occupancy levels will stay about the same
Occupancy rates went through a historic whiplash over the past four years. First, a lower number of overall listings following COVID-19 lockdowns met a nationwide surge in stir-crazy travelers looking for more space, which produced some of the highest occupancy rates in industry history β hitting a peak of 61.9% in February 2022.
Then, a flood of new properties spurred by an investor boom intensified the competition for bookings, pushing occupancy rates down to 54% in April 2024.
Rates settled around the mid-50s this year, and AirDNA expects occupancy rates to stay around that mark in 2025.
"It's such a slight increase, but we're going to be holding on to the gains that we've got this year," Gallagher told BI.
2. The number of new Airbnbs and Vrbos has slowed, so there's less competition
The post-pandemic explosion of new Airbnb and Vrbo listings is likely over.
"Supply is going to continue slowing, so you're going to have fewer new competitors next year to worry about," Gallagher told BI.
First, a tight housing market eroded investor appetite for new properties. Increasing regulations on Airbnbs and Vrbos in cities across the US and abroad over the past few years have also dampened new listings.
That's good news for hosts who already manage units.
"It's good for operators that are already in the market, because they've got barriers to entry that are already in place for anyone who wants to compete with them," Gallagher noted.
3. Large homes with relatively cheap nightly rates are likely to keep growing in popularity
One surprising trend from 2024 that Gallagher said is likely to continue into the new year is the exceptional performance of a certain segment of listings: multiple-bedroom homes that large groups can book cheaply.
AirDNA found that the largest growth in both demand and available listings in 2024 was for listings with six or more bedrooms in the "budget" category, orΒ the cheapest 20% of listingsΒ ranked by price-per-night.
AirDNA data showed that for the cheapest listings, there is the most growth in demand for ones with six or more bedrooms.
Courtesy of AirDNA
Gallagher explained that the uptick in interest might be a response to the comparisons some travelers make between hotels and short-term rentals.
"People are looking at the value proposition of renting six rooms at a budget hotel, compared to getting a six-bedroom short-term rental," Gallagher said. "It's been a change to the composition of short-term rental supply."
In recent years, some loyal Airbnb guests have claimed they are opting to stay in hotels more frequently due to issues like fees and chores.
Airbnb has intensified its competition with hotels in recent months, with one executive teasing that the company will soon start offeringΒ "hotel-like" amenities.
The five cities with the biggest drops in pending sales in October β an early sign of the health of a housing market βΒ are all in Florida.
Wicki58/Getty Images
Floridian homeowners face mounting uncertainties following hurricanes Helene and Milton.
One resident is afraid of residents abandoning homes after storms if they can't pay to be fixed.
An inland real-estate agent worries that some snowbirds won't return to buy new properties.
A destructive hurricane season has dealt a blow to Florida's housing market, which was already struggling with surging homeowners' association costs and a home insurance crisis.
In October, the five metropolitan areas nationwide with the biggest year-over-year drops in pending home sales were all located in the Sunshine State, according to a new report from real-estate site Redfin.
Over a four-week period ending November 10, pending home sales dropped 15.2% in Ft. Lauderdale, 14% in Miami, 13.8% in West Palm Beach, 9.5% in Jacksonville, and 7.2% in Tampa.
In Tampa, pending home sales actually fell as much as 32.2% during the month prior, when both Hurricanes Milton and Helene made landfall. The drop has leveled out at 7.2%, indicating the worst impacts may be over.
Pending home sales are deals where a contract is signed, but the sale has not closed. With a typical window of one to two months between the sales of homes and their closings, pending home sales can be an early indicator of market shifts.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton have exacerbated concerns about the future of property values and the cost of homeownership in Florida. After the storms, which made landfall in September and October, the state suffered an estimated $21 to $34 billion in damages, including uninsured properties.
At the same time, insurance experts have raised the alarm that an affordability crisis is likely to worsen. Some Florida cities, like Jacksonville and Cape Coral, saw average home insurance payments for mortgaged single-family residences jump at least 85% since 2019, according to financial services company Intercontinental Exchange.
"Florida represents an outsize amount of risk compared to other areas of the world," Kyle Ulrich, president and CEO of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, told Business Insider in October.
For some residents, the mood on the ground is anxious.
Three Florida homeownersshared their concerns about the cost of rebuilding after hurricane damage, their home values, and the storms' impact on seasonal residents who are key drivers of the state economy.
Retirees couldn't afford to raise their home, then it was hit by a hurricane
In 2021, Jon and Lyn Drake purchased a home in Yankeetown, Florida, which is about two hours north of Tampa and less than 10 minutes from the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
Their 800-square-foot house, located just feet away from a small riverbed, had belonged to a neighbor who died and cost them $190,000.
The dream home soon turned into a nightmare for the retired couple, aged 71 and 69. Last fall, Hurricane Idalia floodwaters reachedwithin a foot of the house, the closest it had ever been, prompting Jon to look into services that could raise the home.
Hurricane Milton flooded this Florida neighborhood's streets.
Associated Press
The Drakes said they were quoted prices to lift the house from around $130,000 to as high as $229,000, which they felt they couldn't afford.
"There's not a lot of companies that do it here, and it's just really price-gouging right now," Jon told BI.
Then Hurricane Helene barreled through Yankeetown. The couple lost their kitchen appliances, washer and dryer, and a new generator. The floors will have to be torn up.
For now, the couple is waiting to see how their insurance claims shake out to figure out their next steps. They want to rebuild, but are worried about how much of the cost they'll have to shoulder themselves.
"We're in a holding pattern right now," Jon said.
A coastal resident worries about his home value
President Biden listens to remarks from the St. Pete Beach, Florida mayor following Hurricane Milton.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
John Adams, a retiree who lives near Yankeetown in Inglis, said hishome was 15 inches away from taking on water during Hurricane Helene.
His home, raised 12 feet above ground, is the highest in his neighborhood, he said.
With the increasing power of storms coupled with skyrocketing insurance costs, Adams worries about homeowners in a pinch walking away from devastated homes. That could, in turn, lower the quality and value of the neighborhood. As Adam sees it, it's in his best interest to help pay for other peoples' homes to be raised.
"I'm in favor of paying for somebody else's fund to raise their homes. Because if we can solve that problem, it helps my values," he said.
Adams thinks either taxes could be raised or a new state agency could be created specifically to focus on raising low-lying homes that are most at risk. Currently, regional authorities like the Southwest Florida Water Management District are tasked with flood prevention and FEMA provides grants to some homeowners after a disaster.
"Nothing is ever going to fix or safeguard homes from flooding except 'elevate, elevate, elevate,'" he said "You can't outrun the water."
A real-estate agent thinks snowbirds could get scared away
In Ocala, located an hour from the Gulf of Mexico coastline, real-estate agent Emily White worries about how the severity of this year's storm will impact the snowbirds.
The annual migration of mostly elderly residents from cold-weather states who flock to the Florida sunshine to ride out the winter months plays a key role in the state's economy.
An estimated 1.5 million seasonal residents make up the snowbird flock, according to the Associated Press, representing a temporary 6.5% bump in the state's population.
"I'm praying the snowbirds come back this year. I need them to come back so I can get some of my listings sold, but we'll see how it's affected," White told Business Insider. "Will they come as hot and heavy as they did before these storms?"
Ocala, Florida.
Michael Warren/Getty Images
White said a potential buyer from Arizona called her after seeing the devastation of Hurricane Milton, wondering if she might need to alter her plans to buy and how the storms would affect home-insurance costs.
Even if there's no immediate impact this winter, White expects the hurricane jitters to leave a lasting impact. Buyers who were looking at coastal properties might move more inland and some prospective buyers may choose to rent instead, she told BI.
Older bathroom styles are back in vogue as homebuyers and renters gravitate toward nostalgia.
Even younger people are opting for patterned tiles, matching sinks and toilets, and pastel colors.
One 24-year-old Florida homeowner paid $900 for a baby blue toilet and vanity from the 1950s.
In August, Miami interior designer Dani Klaric shocked her boyfriend with the new centerpiece of her guest bathroom: a secondhand toilet.
The preowned throne, in a baby blue hue reminiscent of the 1950s, was part of Klaric's plan to "de-modernize" the three-bedroom Miami home she bought in May.
Klaric, a 24-year-old content creator with 2.1 million followers on TikTok as of November 27, fought hard for her used toilet. When she couldn't find the exact shade of blue she wanted in stores, she tracked down a seller on Facebook Marketplace who specialized in saving vintage bathroom fixtures from tear-down projects.
Klaric drove a rented U-Haul five hours across Florida to pick up both the toilet and a vanity for $900.
"It's way more warm and cozy and has so much more personality," Klaric told Business Insider.
Neutral bathrooms have dominated the pages of design and architecture magazines for years, but old-fashioned looks are coming back. A new Zillow report on home trends based on key terms and phrases that crop up more frequently in for-sale listings said, "2025 is set to go full granny." Mentions of "nostalgia" in listings were up 14% from 2023, while the word "vintage" showed up in 9% more listings.
Inside a GLB-owned property in Los Angeles with vintage bathroom decor still intact.
Courtesy of GLB Property
Los Angeles-based interior designer Shannon Ggem told BI that "grandma bathrooms" typically feature pastel pinks and greens, elaborate tile designs, and frilly decorations. Once considered dated, they are driving trends in homebuying and interior design β even among millennials and Gen Zers.
"People are so bored of all white and gray houses," Ggem told BI. "They're so hungry for character."
Even manufacturers are observing the uptick in interest.
In 2023, kitchen and bath manufacturer Kohler reissued two "heritage" colors from its archive, a rose blush called peachblow and minty spring green. It released a limited-edition line of toilets, sinks, and tubs in the hues.
"People are gravitating toward things that pull at those nostalgic heartstrings," Alex Yacavone, head of Kohler's design studio, told BI.
Homeowners are paying to get the look
A Los Angeles pink-tiled bathroom that cost $25,000 to return to pristine condition.
Courtesy of GLB Properties
Interior designers told BI that younger homeowners are turning their bathrooms into time machines.
"I'm really seeing it grow with the younger audiences," said San Diego-based interior designer Rachel Moriarty. "They're taking that grandma aesthetic and running with it. They're making it cool again."
Moriarty recently said a San Diego client spent $5,000 restoring her bathroom's aquamarine tiles with black trim and 1930s Art Deco arches. Previous homeowners had ignored the tiles altogether or tried to paint over them. She and the client shopped for black glass knobs for the cabinets and vintage lights of the era to make the tiles stand out even more.
"The basic finishes didn't feel like they met the luxury level of the community," Ggem said.
A landlord with 30 LA buildings preserves their vintage bathrooms
Forty years ago, real-estate developer Gene Bramson saw historic apartment buildings in Los Angeles being ripped up for the sleek, modern aesthetics of the 1980s. Bramson, who loved the intricate tile work and bold colors found in many of those properties, bought some with the intent of preservation.
"I wanted to take these places and elevate them, bring them back to their original glamour," Bramson told BI. "I just had a great feeling that these locations can't be replicated."
Today, Bramson's company, GLB Properties, manages 30 properties throughout Los Angeles, with rents ranging from $3,250 for a one-bedroom to $11,000 for a four-bedroom.
Biba de Sousa pays $4,000 monthly for a Los Angeles apartment from GLB Properties with carefully restored vintage tiles.
Courtesy of Biba de Sousa
In 2020, Bramson's daughter Ivana, who also works for GLB, noticed Angelenos clamoring for colorful bathrooms. So she started posting photos of ones in the company's buildings on its Instagram account, whichexploded from 6,000 to 40,000 followers between then and mid-2024. Potential tenants started reaching out through direct messages on Instagram, Bramson said.
Keeping up these vintage rooms isn't cheap. GLB spent $25,000 to preserve and upgrade a pink bathroom in a one-bedroom apartment in one of their properties, sourcing vintage tiles, installing a princess tub, and hanging salvaged mirrors. Bramson estimated a renovation with stick-on tiles from Home Depot would have cost about $9,000.
"The bathrooms are the crown jewels of the apartments. I think people can sense it's not a quick vinyl tile cover," Ivana told Insider.
Tenants seem to agree. In 2021, esthetician Biba de Sousa moved into a GLB apartment in LA's Miracle Mile neighborhood. She pays $4,000 monthly for a two-bedroom apartment with a bathroom covered in green tiles and decorative black accents.
"It's just cheerful," she told Business Insider. "It feels like my grandmother left me the apartment."
Many countries worldwide have launched "digital nomad visa" programs to attract tourism and stimulate their economies.
Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61
29 countries offer residence visas for remote workers, or "digital nomad visas."
Spain and Italy have joined the growing list of countries offering digital nomad visa programs.
Governments hope the visas will help develop more sustainable tourist economies.
In the lead-up to the election, Business Insider reported millions of Americans were considering leaving the country if former President Donald Trump won his 2024 campaign. After his victory was announced, searches for the phrase "moving to Canada" spiked βΒ along with inquiries about international digital nomad visas.
The specialized visas allow remote workers to live and work in countries like Malta, Portugal, and Costa Rica β as long as their income comes from outside the country.
And as some American tourists consider moving abroad, dozens of countries have, in recent years, launched special visas designed specifically for remote workers to drive tourism in their countries.
In some countries, the visas have become so popular that they've had to start turning people away. As of October 2024, for example, Cyprus is no longer accepting digital nomads after it filled the 500 slots it had available for its visa program.
Nonetheless, there are still plenty of options elsewhere. Here are 29 countries that offer visas specifically for remote workers, the minimum income required to apply, and how much they cost.
Malta, an island south of Italy, allows nomads to legally stay in the country for one year with a chance of renewal.
Yuriy Biryukov/Shutterstock
Malta, an island south of Italy, has a permit that allows nomads to keep their jobs elsewhere and legally stay in the country for one year with a chance of renewal.
To be eligible, you must be from a country outside the EU and EEA and have a minimum gross annual income of 42,000 euros.Β The Nomad Residence PermitΒ requires applicants to have health insurance, hold a valid travel document, have a rental or purchase agreement, and pass a background check. There is noΒ application deadline, but there is a 300-euroapplication fee.
Latvia introduced its digital nomad visa in February 2022, allowing applicants to spend up to a year in the country with the opportunity to renew for another.
Digital nomads must either work for a company based in a member state of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe) or a company registered in one of those countries for at least six months.
They must also have health insurance and make at least 2.5 times the country's average monthly salary of the previous year, which the government website reports is about $4,043 (β¬3,843). There's also a $63 (β¬60) state fee for the visa application.
Digital nomads in Romania must make three times the gross average monthly salary in the country.
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
To apply for Romania's digital nomad visa, digital nomads must show proof they can work remotely, either as freelancers, business owners, or employees of a company registered outside the country.
Applicants are also required to have a clean criminal record, medical insurance for the duration of the visa with a minimum liability of $31,580 (β¬30,000), make at least three times the average gross monthly salary in Romania, around $3,467 (β¬3,300), and pay an application fee of $126 (β¬120).
Digital nomads must make at least $3,146 to get Hungary's remote worker visa.
Tanatat pongphibool ,thailand/Getty Images
Known as the White Card, the digital nomad visa in Hungary requires applicants to be employed by a company outside the country, have shares in a company outside the country, or work as a freelancer.
In addition to providing proof of health insurance and proof of accommodation, those keen on getting a White Card must earn at least $3,146 (β¬3,000) a month. Application fees can cost as much as $297 (β¬284).
Digital nomads can move to Croatia under the country's temporary residence permit.
Ian.CuiYi/Getty Images
Croatia allows non-EU citizens to apply for its digital nomad visa program, which grants up to one year of residency for remote workers.
The program also allows residency for close family members of the visa applicant so long as the family meets the country's income requirements. To be eligible, applicants must make a minimum of 2,870 euros a month (or $3,035) or have a minimum of 34,440 euros (or $36,430) already available in their account.
Iceland's long-term visa for remote workers can grant residency for 90 to 180 days while working.
Talia Lakritz/Insider
In Iceland, a long-term visa for remote work can grant you 90 to 180 days while working. The program requires that you are from a country outside the EU and EEA and also from a country that does not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area (US citizens can travel to Iceland without a visa).
Applicants must also have a monthly income of 1,000,000 Icelandic krΓ³na (or $7,156) or 1,300,000 Icelandic krΓ³na if they bring a spouse.
Greece's Digital Nomad Visa program lets non-EU digital nomads with a 3,500-euro monthly income stay in the country for up to 12 months.
Maglara/Getty Images
Greece started its Digital Nomad Visa in 2021 and is still operating today. The program lets non-EU digital nomads, with a 3,500-euro monthly income, stay for 12 months.
The application fee is refundable at 75 euros, and there's also an administration fee of about 150 euros.
Portugal offers temporary residency to digital nomads who meet income the country's requirements.
proslgn/Shutterstock
Portugal has been kind to digital nomads. With its "Temporary Residence Visa for the Exercise of Professional Activity Provided Remotely Outside the National Territory," or D8 visa, launched in 2022, non-EU nomads can still freely work there.
Applicants must be over 18 years old, prove income over 3,280 euros a month, and show proof of accommodation for at least 12 months. The application fee ranges from 75 to 90 euros.
Digital nomads can apply for a visa to work remotely in Estonia.
Pavel Tochinsky/Getty Images
Estonia launched its Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) program in 2020, offering up to a year of residency for eligible workers looking to live in the Northern European country bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland.
Eligible remote workers must prove they earn at least 3,504 euros a month (or $3,706) and apply in person at their nearest Estonian Embassy or Consulate. Application fees range between 80 and 100 euros ($84 and $105).
Spain's Digital Nomad Visa Program allows remote workers to reside there for one year.
Sina Ettmer Photography
Spain's Digital Nomad VisaΒ Program allows remote workers, their spouse or unmarried partner, and dependent children to reside in the country for one year.
Applicants must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a "University, College, or Business School of prestige" or have at least 3 years of work experience in their current field, in addition to earning at least 200% of the monthly Spanish national minimum wage βΒ currently set at 37.8 euros/day ($39) or 1,134 euros/month ($1,199).
Italy's digital nomad visa lasts up to one year for the applicant, their spouse, and dependent children.
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Italy'sΒ Digital Nomad VisaΒ is available to non-EU citizens who are highly specialized workers with careers that require post-secondary degrees or at least three years of professional training or experience.
The visa lasts up to one year for the applicant, their spouse, and dependent children. To be eligible, the applicant must prove that their salary is at least three times the annual minimum wage of 24,789 euros (or $26,221) and that they have at least 30,000 euros (or $50,000) worth of medical insurance coverage.
Bali is a province of Indonesia that allows foreign workers to live in Bali for up to a year.
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In April, Bali introduced a Remote Worker Visa (E33G), which allows digital nomads to work from Bali for a year. Foreign workers in Bali must be employed by a company outside Indonesia and receive a yearly income of at least $60,000.
The application fee for a standard single-entry visa costs 12,900,000 Indonesian rupiah, or about $810.
The Destination Thailand Visa allows digital nomads to stay in Thailand for up to 180 days per visit.
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The Destination Thailand Visa allows digital nomads to stay in Thailand for up to 180 days per visit, on a multiple-entry basis, within five years. The visa fee costs 10,000 Thai baht, or $284.
Applicants must be at least 20 years old and have at least THB 500,000, or about $14,400 USD, in their bank. Employed workers are required to have a foreign employment contract, while freelancers need a professional portfolio.
Japan introduced a visa that authorizes remote workers to work in the country for up to six months.
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Japan introduced a new digital nomad visa in April. This visa allows holders to work remotely in the country for up to six months. Visa holders must be nationals or citizens of selected regions, including the US and UK.
Applicants must have an annual income of at least 10,000,000 Japanese yen, or $65,000, and submit their applications in person or by mail to the nearest embassy or consulate general of Japan. A single-entry visa costs $22, while a multiple-entry visa costs $43, but some countries, including the US, are exempt from this fee.
Dubai is a hot spot for expats, and its virtual work residence visa allows holders to live and work remotely in the country.
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UAE's virtual work residence visa allows holders to live and work remotely in the UAE β including Dubai and Abu Dhabi β for up to a year. Applicants must make at least $3,500 a month and have sufficient health insurance coverage within the country.
The service fee to apply for the visa is 300 United Arab Emirates Dirhams, or about $80.
Remote workers can stay in Cabo Verde, a country comprising islands in the West of Africa, for up to six months.
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Cabo Verde's Remote Working Program allows remote workers to stay for up to 6 months, with the option of renewal after. Individual applicants must have an average bank balance of 1,500 euros, or $1,570, in the past 6 months.
The visa fee costs 20 euros, and applicants must submit an online form to indicate their interest.
South Africa's remote work visa allows holders to stay for at least 3 months and up to 3 years.
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South Africa recently launched a remote work visa, which allows holders to stay for at least 3 months and up to 3 years. While details are still being finalized, the latest visa requirements state that applicants must have a salary of at least 650,796 South African Rand, or about $36,000, and a valid foreign-based employment contract.
It costs $2,000 for a family of four to apply for a digital nomad visa in Grenada.
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To receive a digital nomad visa from Grenada, you need a valid passport, an annual income of at least EC$100,000 a year, or about $37,000, full COVID-19 vaccination, and valid health insurance.
There is no application deadline. The fee is $1,500 for individuals, $2,000 for a family of four, and $200 for each additional dependent.
St. Lucia's Digital Nomad Visa program has no income threshold.
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St. Lucia's Digital Nomad Visa program, "Don't Just Visit, Live It," has no income threshold. The one-year visa is available to remote workers, freelancers, and students.
The application fee costs $125 XCD (about $47) for a single-entry visa or $190 XCD (about $70) for a multiple-entry visa.
Curaçao's Digital Nomad Visa has no salary requirements.
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Curaçao's Digital Nomad Visa, the At Home in Curaçao program, has no salary requirements. Still, you must be employed, own a business, or have freelance clients outside the country.
Health insurance, a clean criminal record, and proof of accommodation or a lease on the island are also required. The visa application fee is about $294.
To qualify for Dominica's Digital Nomad Visa, you must be 18 years old and have a clean criminal record.
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To qualify for Dominica's Digital Nomad Visa, the Work in Nature (WIN) Program, you must be 18 years old and have a clean criminal record.
You will also need an income of at least $50,000 or have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during a 12-month stay.
The application fee is $100. The individual visa costs $800, and the primary applicant can also apply for their spouse and dependents for a total fee of $1,200.
The digital nomad visa in Anguilla has no income requirements.
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The digital nomad visa in Anguilla has no income requirements, but interested travelers must fill out an application at least 7 days before arrival.
Digital nomads also need proof of a negative COVID-19 test 3 to 5 days before they step foot on the island and proof of a health insurance policy covering COVID-19 complications.
Applicants to Antigua and Barbuda's two-year digital nomad visa must earn at least $50,000 a year.
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To nab Antigua and Barbuda's two-year visa through theΒ Nomad Digital Residency Programme, applicants must be 18 or older, earn at least $50,000 a year, and have a clean criminal record.
Their employer must be outside Antigua and Barbuda as well. Application fees range from $1,500 for a single person to $3,000 for a family of three, plus another $650 for each additional dependent.
The Barbados 12-Month Welcome Stamp offers a one-year visa for digital nomads.
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Introduced in June 2020, the Barbados 12-Month Welcome Stamp offers a one-year visa for digital nomads interested in the island and the opportunity to renew.
Applicants must make at least $50,000. Fees are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a family bundle and must be paid within 28 days of application approval.
North, Central, and South America digital nomad visas
The Work from Bermuda certificate was created for remote workers.
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The Work from Bermuda certificate was created for "remote workers, self-employed digital nomads and university students engaged in remote learning," according to the program's web page. It lasts for 12 months and is renewable on a case-by-case basis.
The application fee is $275, and interested applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a clean criminal record, and have valid health insurance.
There is no official salary requirement, but applicants must demonstrate that they "have substantial means" or a "continuous source of income," though no official range is provided.
Colombia's program allows expats to work remotely in the tropical country for up to two years.
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Colombia's "Visa V Digital Nomads" program allows expats from more than 100 countries to live and work remotely in the tropical country for up to two years. Applicants must make a minimum income of three times the current legal monthly minimum wage in Colombia, which currently equals about $885 a month.
The application costs $54, and if approved, the Visa itself costs another $177. People hoping to become digital nomads in Colombia must also provide a contract or employment letter detailing their employment agreement and compensation details. Entrepreneurs may alternatively submit a letter outlining their business project and financial resources.
Applicants to Belize's program can secure a six-month visa by proving they make a minimum annual income of $75,000.
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Belize offers citizens of the European Union, the United Kindom, the United States, and Canada the chance to live and work in the country via its "Work Where You Vacation" program. Applicants can secure a six-month visa by proving they make a minimum annual income of $75,000 or $100,000 if applying with dependants. Kids under 18 are eligible to enroll in the country's school system.
Applicants must submit a notarized banking reference, a police record, and proof of travel insurance. The visa costs $500 per adult and $200 per child.
Costa Rica's digital nomad program offers residency for a full year.
Gianfranco Vivi
Costa Rica's digital nomad program extends the country's 90-day tourist visa to a full year with the option to renew for an additional year. Applicants must be foreign nationals who earn a minimum of $3,000 a month or $4,000 a month if applying with dependants.
All application materials must be submitted in Spanish. The application costs $100, while the visa is an additional $90.
Brazil's digital nomad visa allows foreign nationals to work remotely in the South American country for one year.
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Brazil's digital nomad visa (VITEM XIV) allows foreign nationals from more thanΒ 100 countriesΒ to work remotely in the South American country for one year andΒ to renew for longer.
The visa is available to remote workers who can prove a monthly minimum income of $1,500 or an available bank balance of at least $18,000. Applicants must submit a background check, a copy of their birth certificate, proof of valid health insurance in Brazil, and documents proving digital nomad status.
The visa costs $290 for US applicants and between $100 and $215 for UK applicants. Expats from all other countries will pay $100 for the visa.
Jason and Jennifer Remillard connected two Amish sheds with a custom-built hallway to create their off-the-grid house.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
Former Illinois residents Jason and Jennifer Remillard dreamed of living a simple, debt-free life.
The couple purchased a $50,000, 58-acre property in Maine in 2019 near the Canadian border.
They turned two $12,000 Amish sheds into their home, connecting them with a custom-built hallway.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jason Remillard, 49, and his wife Jennifer Remillard, 55, who left the Chicago suburbs to retire on a Maine homestead.
They built their dream home out of two $12,000 Amish sheds, which are built one at a time using traditional techniques instead of mass-produced. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My wife Jen and I lived in a small town called Wauconda just outside of Chicago. Jen was a supervisor in the photo lab at Costco, and I was the director of quality and operations for a touchscreen manufacturer.
The Remillards saved for 10 years to make their Maine homestead a reality.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
We were the typical American family. We'd sit down on the couch and we'd watch TV. Then we'd go to bed, and wake up. Rinse and repeat every day.
In about 2010, we decided that once all six kids were graduated and out of the house, we wanted to live an off-grid lifestyle and homestead. We spent 10 years preparing for the transition.
The Remillards dreamed of a simple life after living in the suburbs for years.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
In January 2019, we found a piece of property in Maine on LandWatch.com. We flew up a week after we saw it, and hiked a mile and a half in knee-deep snow with our real-estate agent to look at it. We fell in love with it.
It's in the Houlton area of Maine, about three and half hours north of Portland. We're at the end of an unmaintained road on the Canadian border.
We paid $50,000 for 58 acres.
I loved the privacy of it. We only have a few neighbors within a mile of us.
We dreamed of a debt-free lifestyle off the grid
The back of the Remillards' home.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
In June 2021, we sold our Wauconda home. We packed up our trailer and U-Haul, dropped our son off at the Marine Corps, and drove out here.
When we left Illinois, we wanted everything paid off. The property was $50,000, the vehicles were $40,000, the two Amish cabins were $24,000, and the solar panels were $12,000. Over four years, we put all that money aside so that when we stepped on the property in 2021 we didn't have to worry about anything.
It allows me to work two and half hours a day on the property and maintain this lifestyle without worrying about heavy debt. It's about being able to work on your home, work on improving your life, without spending two-thirds of your day at a job that you don't like.
It was really just a mad dash to figure out what the game plan was. We had no experience with this lifestyle. We made hundreds of to-do lists.
The first thing we had to do was mow the lawn. Then we worked on rebuilding the fence and had a gravel pad β a foundation for our homes β installed. We had to clean out the old shed that was on the property and fix up a temporary storage building.
It was just a lot of busy work. We installed solar panels so that we weren't running on a generator 24 hours a day. We had to cut enough firewood for the winter.
Being at the end of an unmaintained road, the Border Patrol informed us that our property was used as a "lovers lane," a place for young people to go and just mess around. So, we put up a fence along the road section of our property, just to let people know that we are actually living here now.
The Amish sheds give us flexibility for a permanent home
The Remillards got the idea to build a home out of Amish sheds from their neighbors.
Courtesy of Jason Remillard
In 2020, when we had the property but were still living full-time in Illinois, we met one of our Maine neighbors on a trip. They were kind enough to invite us over and they showed us the Amish shed they had for their home.We weren't really sure what route we wanted for our forever home, but we saw theirs and just thought, "Hey, we could do this, too."
We reached out to Sturdi-Built Storage Buildings in Smyrna, Maine. We designed our own cabins, everything from where the windows are to where the doors are.
We're so glad we didn't go the log cabin route because these buildings are so incredibly versatile. Since we've had them, we've built a porch on one side. We're going to add a sun room to another side next year.
My first thought was to put them in an L shape. But then my concern was that the snow here in the winter. If I had my two cabins in an L shape, inside the L there would just be a massive pile of snow when it all slid off the roof.
If I were a professional carpenter, I could connect the two buildings at the roofline and make them look seamless like one building. But I'm not that guy. So, I built a small 5x5 hallway between the two buildings. It was the extent of my abilities, but it works fantastic.
When the cabins were delivered, they were just shells. The floor had insulation, but wasn't finished, and the walls were just 2x4s. There was no electrical, plumbing, or siding. We went through our first winter with no siding on our walls. We had to do everything. We spent around $10,000 making the two sheds into our home.
All of the hard work that Jen and I have done β I wouldn't trade that for anything.
If someone wants a big, elaborate place, the Amish shed probably isn't for you. This is for someone who wants a small footprint for their home. But they're adaptable to any environment, down south in Texas, out in Appalachia, up in Oregon, the Midwest, and, of course, here in Maine.
We've documented this journey on YouTube. It's to show people out there who aren't in their 20s that no matter how old you get, you can still follow your dreams.
The developer of Hunters Point β a community near Tampa Bay β has taken extra steps to protect its homes from hurricane-force flooding and winds.
Courtesy of Hunters Point
Some Florida real-estate developers are building what they call hurricane-resistant communities.
Techniques used include tying homes down with steel straps and reducing flooding with "smart lakes."
While no home can be hurricane-proof, these strategies can minimize potential damage, experts said.
Hurricane Milton was barreling toward William Fulford's front door. The mayor of nearby Tampa, Florida, was pleading on television for area residents to leave or die. Still, Fulford, a 76-year-old retired homebuilder, was staying put.
"A lot of people would say I'm crazy," Fulford told Business Insider by phone on October 8, as the storm gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico. "But my house is great."
In 2022, Fulford bought a $1.25 million home in Hunters Point, a community in Cortez, Florida, where properties are raised 16 feet above the ground and tied together with steel straps. Fulford, whose home suffered minimal damage from Hurricane Milton, told Business Insider he believes his home is "hurricane-proof."
More than a few developers are betting on Florida's future by building hurricane-resistant communities like Fulford's. Hurricane season officially ends on November 30, but the movement toward resilient homes has increased as the climate crisis drives fiercer storms.
A home in Hunters Point similar to Fulford's.
Courtesy of Hunters Point
The prospect appeals to Florida homeowners grappling with stress and uncertainty as home insurance premiums and homeowners' association, or HOA, fees rise and the risk of severe storm damage mounts. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton in September and October, respectively, the state suffered an estimated $21 to $34 billion in damages to commercial and residential properties, including uninsured properties, according to real-estate analytics site Corelogic.
About two hours southeast of Hunters Point is a development called Babcock Ranch, which bills itself as "The Hometown of Tomorrow." Its builders made efforts to protect its 4,000 homes on about 17,000 acres from storms, including moving utilities underground and avoiding paths of natural water runoff.
A rep said that in the days before Hurricane Milton, Babcock Ranch saw a 390% increase in daily visits to its website. Hunters Point's developer said that two new homes have sold since last month's storm.
Babcock Ranch is a new residential development near Punta Gorda, Florida.
Courtesy of Babcock Ranch
Three building experts told Business Insider that no home can be hurricane-proof. However, Leslie Chapman-Henderson, the president and CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, said that Hunters Point and Babcock Ranch are good examples of what hurricane resiliency can look like.
Building entire resilient communities β instead of one home with beefed-up protections on a block with regular homes β can protect neighborhoods and property values against Florida's unsettled future, she added.
"Our wish is to see all developers do this because they're on the leading edge," Chapman-Henderson said.
Hunters Point homes are high off the ground and air-tight
Living spaces begin on the second floor of the homes in Hunters Point.
Courtesy of Hunters Point
Hunters Point is in Florida's last working fishing village an hour south of Tampa.
The resiliency of its homes begins with their height. Located on a peninsula jutting out into Sarasota Bay, the development is just feet away from the coastline and vulnerable to storm surges like those seen during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which reached almost seven feet.
To counteract that risk, Hunters Point homes βΒ which were developed and tested in a warehouse for 18 months βΒ are built so that the bottom floor is a garage and storage, the middle floor is the home's first floor, and another level above has bedrooms β all connected by an elevator.
"You don't step into the house until you're 16 feet above the flood zone," developer Marshall Gobuty told Business Insider.
Currently, 31 of the 86 planned units at Hunter's Point have been built, with homes ranging in price from $1.45 million for nearly 1,700 square feet to $1.69 million for over 3,400 square feet.
Hunters Point homes are built with metal straps throughout the structures.
Courtesy of Hunters Point
Another feature of the homes is an extra-fortified base, in which the slab and foundation are poured together as one piece. The homes' walls are built with 2x6 beams instead of 2x4 beams to increase resiliency and allow for more insulation. The sides of the walls, the ceilings, and the roof are then filled in with closed foam to make the home airtight.
Every level is reinforced with metal straps all the way down to the foundation to hold the home together.
These connections β roof to walls, walls to each other, and walls to foundation β are fundamental to building a house that can withstand hurricane-force winds.
Chapman-Henderson said the real innovations built into these homes are the fortifications against the wind: the walls bolted into the foundation and the sturdier wood in the frames.
Any vulnerability in those structural connections could doom the whole house. When that happens, "usually roofs blow off first because they're not connected well to the walls, and then the walls don't have any lateral support, and they go, and you've lost the whole building," Mike O'Reilly, a licensed engineer and construction instructor at Colorado State University, told BI.
In Hunters Point homes, though, "everything is connected. There are no seams," Gobuty told BI. "Every house is built like a Yeti cooler."
Babcock Ranch uses "smart ponds" to manage flooding
Babcock Ranch in Punta Gorda, Florida, is built on land 30 feet above sea level, far from the coast.
So far, 3,752 homes have been built out of a planned 19,500 units. The development functions like a city, with an elementary school, a middle school, a high school, a shopping district, a recreation lodge, and dozens of hiking trails. Homes on the market range from a two-bedroom condo for $255,000 to a four-bedroom single-family home with its own pool for $1.695 million.
Babcock Ranch in Florida currently has about 3,750 homes completed out of a planned total of 19,500.
Courtesy of Babcock Ranch
When developer Syd Kitson purchased the land in 2006, his team spent hours poring over maps dating back to the 1940s to find the property's natural flowways, which are how excess water naturally runs out of the area during flooding.
The team intentionally sacrificed building thousands of units to leave that land untouched.
"That's part of working with Mother Nature, rather than working against Mother Nature," Kitson told BI.
Babcock Ranch also has "smart lakes," or man-made bodies of water throughout the development. These lakes have solar-powered pumps with predictive analytics that raise and lower the lake's height when a storm nears. If the area expects major flooding, the smart lakes will lower to prepare for the increased rainfall.
"Our philosophy is to do everything in our power to be as resilient as we possibly can," Kitson said.
Babcock Ranch welcomed its first residents in 2018. It faced its first major test in 2021 when the eye of Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian brought 150 mph wind gusts to the development. The property only sustained minimal damage, including fallen trees and a few broken solar panels, Kitson said.
Babcock Ranch put all of the community's utilities underground to increase storm resiliency.
Courtesy of Babcock Ranch
Downed power lines and dayslong blackouts often affect large swaths of the state following major hurricanes. Babcock Ranch placed all utilities, including water, electricity, and wastewater, underground to prevent that.
"You won't see a single utility pole in Babcock Ranch," Kitson said.
The submerged power poles are built in concrete tubes designed to withstand 165 mph wind gusts.
Chapman-Henderson, of the nonprofit that advocates for safe homes, called the smart lakes and buried utilities "innovative" and added that recent storms have proven these strategies are effective.
Babcock Ranch is so well regarded for its safety during a storm that the elementary school's fieldhouse serves as a state- and county-designated evacuation center. Built to withstand 150 mph wind gusts, the fieldhouse provided shelter for 1,300 Floridians during Hurricane Milton.
"We're not a place where you evacuate. We're a place where people being ordered to evacuate come," Kitson said.
Hurricane resistance is the future of Florida homebuilding
Hunter's Point and Babcock Ranch are part of a growing movement for more resilient homes.
Chapman-Henderson warned, however, that residents shouldn't let their home's sturdiness make them complacent. They should still evacuate if authorities call for it.
Babcock Ranch is an evacuation area for surrounding residents in the event of a major storm.
Courtesy of Babcock Ranch
"We can build to withstand these events, but we should never say it's absolute without fail," she said.
Calling a house 100% hurricane-proof is "like calling the Titanic unsinkable," O'Reilly said.
Though there isn't a single national standard for hurricane-resistant buildings, Fortified β a program run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry-backed research group β evaluates one of the most critical structures for a home's resiliency: its roof. Fortified grants certifications to homeowners who strengthen their roofs through different methods, such as using grooved, ring-shank nails instead of traditionally smooth ones.
More homeowners are requesting to have their roofs certified as stronger-than-average, Fred Malik, managing director of Fortified, told BI. Fortified certifications have risen from less than 1,000 in 2016 to nearly 12,000 last year, bringing the grand total to nearly 70,000 over the program's lifetime, Malik added. The program anticipates adding another 17,000 by the end of this year.
Though Hunters Point and Babcock Ranch have not yet participated in Fortified, Malik said the measures their builders are taking seem effective.
"I get really nervous when anybody refers to anything as something 'proof,'" Malik told BI. "But they are making some really good decisions."
Dating apps are increasingly turning to matchmaking.
Janina Steinmetz/Getty Images
Would you trust your friends to curate your dating-app matches?
Several new "matchmaking" dating apps have launched in the past year, addressing dating-app fatigue.
Startups like Sitch and Cheers are using AI and social connections to match users.
Matching and matches are everyday phrases in the online dating app lexicon. But matchmaking? Less so.
That may be changing.
A slew of new startups have launched in the past few months centered around matchmaking in the age of swipe fatigue.
Sitch, an AI-powered matchmaking app launched in New York in November. Cheers, an app that lets friends play matchmaker in a social-media feed, launched in October. Facebook Dating even launched a matchmaking feature last month.
Matchmaking is by no means a new invention. People have relied on matchmakers for centuries, and have sometimes been willing to pay thousands of dollars to be paired by one.
Tinder's cofounder and former CEO, Sean Rad, told Harry Stebbings on a September episode of the 20VC podcast that he had always imagined the dating app moving beyond swiping and into matchmaking. Rad described an ideal version of Tinder where the app was trained well enough to suggest the right "person for you," he said on the podcast.
Big dating apps have previously dabbled in matchmaking. In 2017, Hinge (just before it was acquired by Match Group in 2018) launched a stand-alone app called Matchmaker that let friends swipe for each other. It appears to have since shut down. Tinder, also owned by Match Group, launched a similar feature in 2023.
The current trend of new matchmaking apps generally splits into two categories: Either the users themselves are doing the matchmaking, or the app (typically built with AI) is matching users directly.
Friends and family become matchmakers
Handing over the reins to your dating profile to friends and family may seem daunting, but several startups are betting on this form of matchmaking.
Loop, founded by siblings Lian and Adam Zucker, is a "matchmaking app where everyone can set up their single friends," Lian said. Only two-thirds of the user base are singles, though, Lian told BI, explaining that the rest are friends and family members β or even professional or hobbyist matchmakers. Loop launched in 2023 and is currently free for all users.
An app that's set to launch in December, called Arrange, is built around a similar premise. Developed by former Fizz staffers Ram Chirimunj and Zoe Mazakas, the app will let users link their profiles with a "scout," likely a trusted friend or family member, who can talk with potential matches ahead of time and vet for compatibility.
"I thought back on all my relationships and realized that they were all made by friend introductions," Chirimunj said. "I wanted to see how we could bring that authenticity from the real world onto a dating platform."
But some startups that offer matchmaking tools, like Cheers, recognize many people don't want to spend all their time matching on behalf of their friends β no matter how much they love them. Sahil Ahuja, an ex-Instagram engineer and founder of Cheers, is trying to bridge the gap between dating and social media with a friend-of-a-friend social graph. The app, which he describes as a crossover between Hinge and Instagram, is free and currently invite-only.
On Cheers, if a user spots someone they may want to go on a date with, they can send a request to their mutual friend on the app to make the introduction. Non-dating users can also send profiles or start group chats with mutual friends to kick off a connection.
"Because it's more social, it lends itself well to solving this more organically and feeling more like how you would date in real life through friends," Ahuja told BI.
Let AI do the matchmaking for you
Some newer dating apps (like Hawk Tuah Girl's app called Pookie or Rizz) are riding the tailwinds of the AI hype with chatbots that help people flirt, troubleshoot dating conundrums, and connect.
Sitch, for example, offers an AI chatbot experience where users can ask questions about dating. Users can also answer a series of intimate questions about their interests, values, and backgrounds that contribute to a profile within the app. The app then offers users potential "setups," where the AI will introduce two users.
Sitch uses AI to power its matchmaking tool called "setups."
Sitch
"We've tried to replicate the exact human flow of matchmaking," Sitch cofounder Nandini Mullaji β who has experience in matchmaking friends of friends IRL β told BI.
Sitch launched in November exclusively in New York βΒ but there's still a waitlist to get approved. Users can then pay for "setups," which cost $150 for three pairings.
Amori, a dating-advice app with characters users can chat with, is also experimenting with its own form of matchmaking using a personal assistant (though it isn't live within the app yet).
"We're trying to nail down the dating advice side of it with the coach," Amori's founder, Alex Weitzman, told BI. Down the line, Amori's AI dating coach will help users find potential matches through the app.
Will it really work?
Despite the string of new apps, New York City matchmaker Nick Rosen said he thinks it won't be easy for friends and family to find users a perfect match.
Rosen said he typically works with a roster of 20 to 30 people at a time and keeps a rolodex of 3,000 available singles in New York City for his clients to meet.
When he starts working with a client, he does an extensive intake of a person's romantic history, which he says is an advantage of a professional matchmaker. Friends and family know you well, but maybe they don't know the entirety of your dating history and scars.
"People open up to me like a therapist," Rosen said.
Though friends and family might be excited at first to play Cupid, the exhausting reality of helping someone find love can wear off, Rosen said.
Still, he thinks matchmakers need to change with the times.
"If we want to make matchmaking more approachable and cooler to people, we need to go and start having our own apps," he said.
Arkansas resident GT Hill purchased a missile silo, decommissioned in the 1980s, for $90,000 in 2010.
He spent $800,000 over 10 years converting the space but doesn't recommend others try it.
Initially hoping to make it a primary residence, Hill has made it into an Airbnb, hosting authors, acrobats, and YouTubers.
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with GT Hill, a 49-year-old former director of technical marketing who lives in Vilonia, Arkansas. He bought a $90,000 decommissioned missile silo and turned it into an Airbnb. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
I grew up in eastern Oregon, in the middle of nowhere, so I did welding and many other mechanical things. I was a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force and spent my primary career in technology. I worked for a handful of Silicon Valley companies as a director of technical marketing.
One day, I was getting my haircut in Searcy, Arkansas. These old guys were talking about the missile silos that were around Arkansas. I had never heard about these places that housed nuclear missiles, so I started researching.
Probably 20% of my interest was in the doomsday prepper aspect or the idea of preparing to survive in the case of a catastrophe. I'm not a full doomsday prepper, but I like the idea of being prepared for the unknown, including having food storage and some survival skills.
If you talk to the hardcore preppers, which I'm not, missile silos are not that great, depending on what you think is the worst-case scenario. If it's a Walking-Dead-style apocalypse, you don't want to be in a missile silo because then you're trapped inside.
Another 30% of my interest was in the modern archaeology aspect of owning something like this. I really wanted to dig it up and see what was in there. Initially, I intended to make it a house for my family.
Lastly, I was interested in owning a missile silo because it's just kick ass. The place has 7,000-pound doors. Its three floors are made out of a steel structure nicknamed "the birdcage."
It's on eight springs and actually hangs from the ceiling. And the reason is if it gets hit by a bomb, it allows the structure to shake to try to preserve the equipment and the people inside.
Thanks to the rattle space or the gap between the floors and walls, I can put my back against the wall and push the structure to get it to move.
I bought the historic silo for $90,000. It was decommissioned in the 1980s as part of an international treaty.
The silo can turn into a nightclub that hosts parties, charity events, and even acrobats.
Courtesy of GT Hill
I found my missile silo, called Titan II, online. I started talking to the previous owner in January of 2010, and by August, I owned it.
Titan II was denuclearized after the US and Russia signed a 1979 treaty to limit each country's nuclear weapons. The US disarmed Titan II as part of that negotiation, called the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II or SALT II.
They had to destroy the silo in very specific ways. They actually had to blow up the top of the structure and fill it in. So it was an underground structure, but completely buried.
I bought the nine-acre site in Vilonia, Arkansas, for $90,000, which was about a $30,000 premium over the land's value alone.
There were three main components. There's the silo itself, a 57-foot diameter structure or basically a 15-story building, which sits underground at 150 feet deep. Then there's a long tunnel connecting the silo to the center area that's 35 feet underground. The last part of it is the launch control center, which goes as deep as 50 feet underground.
The whole process was risky and expensive. I don't recommend people try to copy me.
The middle floor of the control center is available to rent.
Courtesy of GT Hill
Some people look at an old house and think, "There's no way I want to rebuild that." I liked the challenge. I knew we could build a pretty cool place. It just took a whole lot more money and time than I anticipated.
I finally got money and time together in October 2010. I rented a large bulldozer and an excavator, and then we started digging.
The whole facility was full of water. We could see water pouring out on top of us, so we had to figure out how to open the front door of the control center without dying. When the door popped open, a huge wave came over us. It was scary.
The main bedroom is in the livable portion of the silo.
Courtesy of GT Hill
There were other challenges. The place had asbestos and methane gas at the top of the control center, where the crew quarters were. I recorded videos of the whole process, and you can actually hear my voice change because of the methane in the air.
I had much more time than I did money. It's not that I didn't have the money to do it, but when you get the money, how do you prioritize using it? Do you throw it in a hole in the ground or spend it on a vacation for your family? Or upgrade the current home you live in? I had to make many of those decisions over the 10-year renovation period.
After spending $800,000, we're probably netting $80,000 a year in revenue from the place now that I rent it out on Airbnb.
People ask what the hardest part about doing this was, and it has nothing to do with the work. It's the mental side. You're spending money on a hole in the ground, and you have nothing to show for it. It ended well for me, but the average person shouldn't do it.
It's not a great way to spend time or money.
We've turned the missile into an Airbnb and have hosted YouTubers, acrobats, and a writer who lived cut off from the world for 10 days.
The main kitchen.
Courtesy of GT Hill
We still live on the property, but we never moved in full-time. We'd spend some nights as a family there, either for fun or as a shelter from big tornadoes.
There are no walls and doors, so there's no real primary bedroom. The top floor has a king bed, a large, open shower, and a free-standing bathtub. The middle floor has two queen beds that we can move to make more space. Then, the kitchen and the living room are on the bottom floor, which also doubles as a dance floor and can turn into a club.
We host anything on the property, including meetings. If it's semi-legal and people want to do it there and pay for it, we're fine with it.
The first booking we got was in November 2020. It was a couple coming for their honeymoon, but they got a little too intoxicated at their wedding to make the trip. They sent their best man instead.
Our initial rate was $275 per night with a $75 cleaning fee. Since then, we've raised prices a few times, so now we're in the $400-$700 range for a one-night stay, depending on whether it's a weekday or a weekend.
Inside one of the bathrooms.
Courtesy of GT Hill
COVID was obviously still going on when we started to list it, and I marketed the silo as the ultimate social distancing. There was this YouTube couple, Kara and Nate, with like 3 million subscribers, who came to stay in 2021. They were travel influencers who started doing van life during the pandemic.
I would say 70% of our bookings for the next year came through the video they made about their stay. Today, I would've paid an influencer couple like that $5,000 to stay for that kind of exposure. With them, it was just a coincidence.
I once intentionally locked a woman in there for 10 days straight. In 2021, an author named Lynne Peeples called me and said, "I'm doing a book on circadian rhythm, and I need a place that has absolutely no indication of time whatsoever." She wanted to see what would happen to her sleep cycle. Before her arrival, I had to ensure everything that told the time was covered; even the Netflix account couldn't show the time.
We've had acrobats down there for a charity event. We've had bands perform. We've had birthday parties and even some swingers. I'm a pretty open guy. Just treat each other and the place well.
The only thing we haven't had yet is a wedding. And a lot of the reason for that is because of the stairs. It's five flights down, and typically, everybody's got at least one older relative in attendance.
It's been a pretty terrible investment, any way you look at it, but it's become more than that. It's now part of my identity.
Sean Combs' home was searched earlier this year by the feds, who found "freak off" supplies there.
MEGA/GC Images
There's been a $30 million offer on Sean Combs' Los Angeles mansion.
The home, listed for $61.5 million, was searched by the feds, who found "freak off" supplies there.
The lowball offer comes from the same real estate investor who purchased Kanye West's Malibu house.
After more than two months on the market, Sean "Diddy" Combs' Los Angeles mansion has received an offer β and from someone who seems to have a penchant for buying up the homes of hip-hop moguls.
Bo Belmont, the founder of Belwood Investments, offered $30 million for the Holmby Hills mansion, according to a press release. That's less than half of its $61.5 million asking price. The firm has plans for "major renovations," it said in the release.
The real-estate agent representing Combs declined to comment about the offer to Business Insider.
Combs purchased the house in 2014 for $39 million. It is 17,000 square feet, sits on 1.3 acres, and features a wine cellar, gym, theater, basketball court, sauna, and swimming pool, according to the listing. The listing does not show any interior photographs of the home.
The home was searched in March by federal agents, who "seized various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant" from his residences, including this one, the indictment against Combs says.
The mansion is in one of Los Angeles' richest neighborhoods, known for its proximity to Beverly Hills and large lots. The Spelling Estate, just down the road, is on the market for $137.5 million.
The home was put on the market just weeks before Combs' September arrest on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty and repeatedly denied committing sexual assault.
"I want to remove the stigma and focus on the charming elegance of this remarkable property," Belmont said in the release.
Belmont's low-ball offer may not be entirely related to Diddy's legal woes. Luxury real estate in Los Angeles is currently experiencing a major slump, Beverly Hills agent Rochelle Atlas Maize told BI.
"Homes between $15 and $60 million are having a really difficult time," Maize said. "The list at $61.5 million is already kind of high."
Given Diddy's home's "dated" features, Maize estimates it is probably worth between $40 million and $50 million.
Still, the home is one of Combs' largest remaining liquid assets.
Since a series of civil lawsuits was filed against the musician last year, Diddy's business empire has taken hit after hit.
That makes his real estate assets increasingly important. In addition to his Los Angeles home, Combs owns a mansion on Miami's Star Island worth about $48 million, according to assessments submitted as part of a bail package. The home has been offered as collateral in Combs' requests to be released from jail.
Belwood made headlines earlier this year for purchasing Kanye West's gutted Malibu home, designed by starchitect Tadao Ando. The firm bought the house for $21 million, a significant discount on the asking price of $39 million.
The company allows individual investors to provide capital through an app to purchase properties. They become trustees on those properties until the homes are flipped and resold, at which point they get a piece of the profits. Through the app, individual investors can comment on the renovations.
Combs' home's reputation won't sink its value long-term, Maize said.
She pointed to another scandal-ridden Los Angeles home, the Menendez brothers' seven-bedroom Mediterranean-style villa in Beverly Flats, where the infamous 1989 murder of their parents took place.
The home languished for years on the market before finding a buyer in 1991. Maize, who was personally shopping for homes in Los Angeles at the time, said she wouldn't step foot near it.
"You couldn't give that house away, and now it's like the hottest ticket in town," Maize said, adding that crowds have formed outside the home following the release of Ryan Murphy's Netflix show "Monsters," which depicts the famous trial.
She predicts that the same turn-around will eventually happen for the Diddy mansion.
"It's all negative now, but the smart money knows it's always 'location, location, location,'" Maize said. "Somebody savvy will take the opportunity. It's not a bad play."
