It's happened to many of us. We've paid for gas at the pump only to later find out that our credit or debit card information has been hacked. The frustration sets in when you have to cancel your card and make a claim to recover those funds. Well, the good news is that all gas stations in Florida will have to install chip readers at the pumps by 2020. However, that is not so good of news for small, independently owned convenience store owners who will bear the upgrade expense of upward of $17,000 per pump. ​

The future is here, and even if it isn't quite like the Jetsons, there lots of ways technology can make our lives better. One of those ways is turning your home into a smart home. A smart home is simply a way of automating several of the things in your home to make your life better. This can be as simple as having a digital assistant to play music, restock on household supplies, or help you keep track of your calendar. Or as complicated as fully automating lights, thermostats, and even your kitchen appliances.

​You may not have noticed, but standard doorbells have come a long way these days. Video doorbells are a relatively new category in the smart home space, but they closely overlap with standard home security cameras. They’re half doorbell, half security camera. With a video doorbell, your guests will ring the buzzer just like normal, but you'll get a push alert on your phone and a live video look at whoever's there (in addition to a regular ol' chime sound). The two of you can then chat via a built-in speaker and microphone in the doorbell. In some cases, they also work with smart locks so you can let the person in without physically opening the door yourself. 

​You don’t have to travel too far to find a body of water in Florida. No one is more than two hours from either coast, but you don’t even have to go to the coast to enjoy the scenic beauty that being on the water brings. In DeLand, there is a beautiful scenic jewel that everyone can enjoy called the St. Johns River. What’s great is that everyone can enjoy this amazing resource, regardless of income. 

​Not all “Realtors” are created equal. Like “Coke” is often used to refer to any soda, the term “Realtor” is often used interchangeably among all real estate agents, but it is really a designation of an agent or agency that is part of the National Association of Realtors. The National Association of Realtors was founded in Chicago on May 13, 1908 as the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges. It became what is now called the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 1972.