(Stacker) —It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has sparked a wave of uncertainty across myriad industries, and not other market has quite felt its impact like that of real estate.

The pandemic has become a driving force behind the continued real estate boom, with high demand for vacation homes and a limited supply of housing that has prompted buyers and investors to bid up prices for affordable properties, causing home prices to skyrocket. The ability to work remotely played a role in the vacation home demand in mid-2020, as affluent Americans opted to ride out the pandemic with more amenities and space outside dense urban areas.

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#30. Dover, FL

– 1-year price change: +$106,979 (+31.4%)– 5-year price change: +$217,277 (+94.2%)– Typical home value: $447,991 (#24 most expensive city in metro)

#29. Gibsonton, FL

– 1-year price change: +$108,145 (+40.1%)– 5-year price change: +$189,956 (+101.0%)– Typical home value: $377,996 (#45 most expensive city in metro)

#28. Greater Northdale, FL

– 1-year price change: +$108,720 (+30.6%)– 5-year price change: +$216,667 (+87.7%)– Typical home value: $463,759 (#21 most expensive city in metro)

#27. Safety Harbor, FL

– 1-year price change: +$110,396 (+27.9%)– 5-year price change: +$243,693 (+93.0%)– Typical home value: $505,817 (#18 most expensive city in metro)

#26. North Weeki Wachee, FL

– 1-year price change: +$111,078 (+38.6%)– 5-year price change: +$210,124 (+111.3%)– Typical home value: $398,983 (#38 most expensive city in metro)

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#25. Riverview, FL

– 1-year price change: +$111,616 (+36.9%)– 5-year price change: +$197,155 (+90.9%)– Typical home value: $414,124 (#35 most expensive city in metro)

#24. Wesley Chapel, FL

– 1-year price change: +$111,868 (+34.1%)– 5-year price change: +$201,406 (+84.3%)– Typical home value: $440,205 (#26 most expensive city in metro)

#23. Weeki Wachee Gardens, FL

– 1-year price change: +$113,331 (+34.0%)– 5-year price change: +$254,589 (+132.6%)– Typical home value: $446,654 (#25 most expensive city in metro)

#22. Valrico, FL

– 1-year price change: +$113,337 (+33.4%)– 5-year price change: +$212,072 (+88.1%)– Typical home value: $452,725 (#23 most expensive city in metro)

#21. Wimauma, FL

– 1-year price change: +$115,168 (+38.2%)– 5-year price change: +$184,985 (+79.9%)– Typical home value: $416,636 (#33 most expensive city in metro)

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#20. Land O Lakes, FL

– 1-year price change: +$115,721 (+33.9%)– 5-year price change: +$210,555 (+85.5%)– Typical home value: $456,944 (#22 most expensive city in metro)

#19. Lutz, FL

– 1-year price change: +$124,543 (+33.2%)– 5-year price change: +$228,186 (+84.2%)– Typical home value: $499,216 (#19 most expensive city in metro)

#18. Pebble Creek, FL

– 1-year price change: +$131,595 (+36.0%)– 5-year price change: +$233,249 (+88.5%)– Typical home value: $496,669 (#20 most expensive city in metro)

#17. Apollo Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$133,101 (+35.5%)– 5-year price change: +$231,406 (+83.5%)– Typical home value: $508,504 (#17 most expensive city in metro)

#16. Westchase, FL

– 1-year price change: +$141,158 (+32.5%)– 5-year price change: +$245,361 (+74.3%)– Typical home value: $575,795 (#16 most expensive city in metro)

#15. Saint Leo, FL

– 1-year price change: +$154,700 (+33.5%)– 5-year price change: +$264,072 (+74.9%)– Typical home value: $616,685 (#15 most expensive city in metro)

#14. Belleair, FL

– 1-year price change: +$162,617 (+31.4%)– 5-year price change: +$306,048 (+81.6%)– Typical home value: $681,039 (#12 most expensive city in metro)

#13. Harbor Bluffs, FL

– 1-year price change: +$165,457 (+30.9%)– 5-year price change: +$324,322 (+86.0%)– Typical home value: $701,259 (#10 most expensive city in metro)

#12. Odessa, FL

– 1-year price change: +$175,364 (+33.6%)– 5-year price change: +$311,529 (+80.6%)– Typical home value: $698,024 (#11 most expensive city in metro)

#11. Treasure Island, FL

– 1-year price change: +$180,586 (+36.6%)– 5-year price change: +$320,811 (+90.7%)– Typical home value: $674,600 (#13 most expensive city in metro)

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#10. Hernando Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$187,557 (+41.6%)– 5-year price change: +$338,178 (+112.7%)– Typical home value: $638,230 (#14 most expensive city in metro)

#9. Indian Shores, FL

– 1-year price change: +$188,415 (+35.3%)– 5-year price change: +$338,814 (+88.4%)– Typical home value: $722,001 (#9 most expensive city in metro)

#8. Saint Pete Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$190,312 (+34.7%)– 5-year price change: +$346,034 (+88.2%)– Typical home value: $738,472 (#8 most expensive city in metro)

#7. Redington Shores, FL

– 1-year price change: +$214,557 (+32.6%)– 5-year price change: +$394,192 (+82.4%)– Typical home value: $872,628 (#6 most expensive city in metro)

#6. Madeira Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$218,545 (+36.2%)– 5-year price change: +$399,328 (+94.3%)– Typical home value: $822,821 (#7 most expensive city in metro)

#5. Indian Rocks Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$228,977 (+35.3%)– 5-year price change: +$430,521 (+96.2%)– Typical home value: $877,855 (#5 most expensive city in metro)

#4. Tierra Verde, FL

– 1-year price change: +$235,598 (+34.6%)– 5-year price change: +$430,689 (+88.7%)– Typical home value: $916,055 (#4 most expensive city in metro)

#3. Belleair Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$255,856 (+35.1%)– 5-year price change: +$459,506 (+87.4%)– Typical home value: $985,016 (#2 most expensive city in metro)

#2. Redington Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$284,869 (+41.0%)– 5-year price change: +$500,551 (+104.3%)– Typical home value: $980,286 (#3 most expensive city in metro)

#1. North Redington Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$288,571 (+37.6%)– 5-year price change: +$497,471 (+89.1%)– Typical home value: $1,056,082 (#1 most expensive city in metro)

Before I-75 traversed the Sunshine State from north to south, and before a mouse and wizards arrived in Orlando, a roadside attraction along U.S.-19 allured passers by with a different out-of-this-world experience: mermaids.

Weeki Wachee in central west Florida was named by the Seminole Indians, and means "little spring" or "winding river." More than 117 million gallons of fresh, clear, 74-degree water flow daily, just has it has for ages.

In 1946, Newton Perry, a former member of the U.S. Navy who trained Navy Frogmen to swim underwater in World War II, came upon Weeki Wachee and had an idea for a business. After he cleared the spring of haphazardly discarded debris, he developed an underwater breathing system using an air hose and compressor instead of a tank to give the impression of people breathing effortlessly underwater. Next, he built an 18-seat theater into limestone, submerged six feet below the water’s surface, so an audience could look right into the crystal clear water.

Next, he looked for mermaids.

Mermaids Were Born

Dianne Wyatt McDonald, 92, was a senior at St. Petersburg High School in the late 1940s and had joined her school's swim team at the start of the school year. Until she saw a note about a call for synchronized swimmers, that is.

“About two or three days after school started I saw a note from The Spa (an indoor saltwater pool in St. Pete) that said any girl that would like to become a synchronized swimmer to come down,” McDonald tells Southern Living. “We had to show them a few things we could do in order to be on the team, and we all made it."

"I always wanted to be like Esther Williams,” says McDonald. “And that’s the kind of swimming we did. It was just wonderful.”

The Aquabelles, by which McDonald and her synchronized swimming team were known, caught the attention of Perry.

"Perry happened to hear about us, and that's why he invited us up to put on a show," says McDonald. That first performance was on October 13, 1947.

“We put a 45-minute synchronized swimming show for him,” she says of the first show. “And when it was over, he said, ‘Girls, that was beautiful, but that is not what I need. I need underwater swimming.’ We told him that we'd be back the following week, and we would be doing an underwater show."

McDonald recalls that the following week she and another girl on the synchronized team got together and drew stick figures of different poses to do underwater. They also trained to hold their breath underwater for up to a minute and 30 seconds at at time.

“Our director liked the one [pose] so well he would have one girl and I, Mary Dwight Rose, her name was, do the pose at the end of every show after we’d go back up to Weeki Wachee,” she recalls. “He just thought the pose was beautiful, and then I guess Newt Perry decided he liked the pose, too, and the next thing you know they’re making a statue of it.”

The pose that McDonald and Rose created is known as the adagio, and the statue still stands outside the entrance of Weeki Wachee today.

Claudia R. Buzby of Madison, Alabama, remembers visiting Weeki Wachee with her grandmother on a roadtrip from her hometown of Thomasville, Georgia to Lakeland in the early 1960s. She was a teenager and vividly remembers her visit.

“It was a magical experience,” recalls Buzby. “It was like seeing Esther Williams, the mermaids were so graceful.”

In 1956, the American Broadcast Co. (ABC) bought Weeki Wachee and built a new, 400-seat theater in which today’s audiences still watch the mermaid shows. In its heyday, mermaids performed eight shows a day, and as many as half a million people traveled annually to Weeki Wachee to see the mermaids, including Elvis Presley, Don Knotts, and Esther Williams herself. Weeki Wachee became part of the Florida Parks Service in 2008.

Introducing the Mermaid Tail Trail

In celebration of 75 years of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and its mermaid shows, in January the park unveiled 28 mermaid statues that were hand-painted by juried artists. Twenty-six of the statues can be found on the brand new, public art Mermaid Tale Trail that winds through Hernando County. One statue named “The Spring” remains at Weeki Wachee, and another can be seen at the Visit Florida I-75 Welcome Center in Jennings, Florida.

McDonald was on-hand for the statues’ unveiling.

“The statues are beautiful,” she says. “They had 24 of them, 12 lined up on one side of the sidewalk and 12 lined up on the other. It was the most beautiful sight I think I ever saw. They’re absolutely gorgeous.”

Unsurprisingly, McDonald watched the mermaid show when she was at the park last month, too.

“I love to see the show and see the girls,” says McDonald. “They all use their hoses now and fancy tails and the whole works.”

And when the mermaids recreated the adagio pose she created 75 years ago as they do in each performance, McDonald’s face lit up.

From the NFL to maple syrup pancakes, there are some things that are just quintessentially American. But when it comes down to the individual states, from Ohio to Michigan, a lot of our perceptions can often be based on more falsehood than fact.

For example, you might think Detriot, Michigan, is a modern-day ghost town, but it still houses up to a third of its peak population. The U.S. is home to incredibly diversity, from the midwest mountains to west coast beaches. Although some of these assumptions and mistruths are widespread, they’re still far from the truth.

1. California is Always Sunny

California is famous for the visuals of its scenic beaches and towering palm trees, but it’s hardly like that all-year round. Apart from the Death Valley, which holds the record for being the hottest place on earth, the rest of California actually has a Mediterranean climate.

This means that the weather is fairly moderate, with cooler winters and warmer summers. It also varies depending where you are along the coast. The north, for example, gets a lot more rainfall because of the mountains. Extreme weather conditions – most often wildfires – occur during the fall, but overall, this sunny state has weather as unpredictable as any other part of the U.S.

2. Hawaii is All about Surfing

Surfing, thought to be the sport of kings in ancient Polynesia, is primarily what this island state is famous for. But Hawaii actually boasts an incredible amount of natural diversity, with canyons, volcano craters, and mountain ranges. Two active volcanoes, Maunaloa and Kilauea, are a part of the National Park.

On the other hand, Iao Valley is an example of the rich history and folklore attached to the region, as this was the battle site where the first ruler of Hawaii won his victory in 1790. On Hawaii's tallest mountain, stargazing tours are a popular option for tourists wanting to look at a clear starry sky.

3. Texas is just Cowboys and Oil

Cattle drives and the petroleum industry have been a major part of Texas's history and economy, but the state is also home to rich natural geography. The coastal plains along the Texas Gulf Coast are home to multiple beaches and immense biodiversity, while the route past San Antonio boasts some beautiful chaparral scrubs.

Texas also has three major cities (Austin, Dallas and Houston), which have a number of interesting cultural spots, like museums, lakes and breweries. Lastly, Texas also has a growing tech landscape, with companies like Dell, IBM and Texas Instruments having a significant presence in the state.

4. Nevada is all about Las Vegas

As one of the few U.S. states where gambling is legal, Nevada has some great casino-resorts – but that’s not all. Virginia City, a town that has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, houses churches and saloons that offer a glimpse of the Old West.

Nevada also has incredible natural diversity, including North America’s largest alpine lake. Lake Tahoe offers great opportunities for hiking and camping in the summer, and when the weather’s cooler, for skiing and snowboarding. Even in Las Vegas, the Arts District boasts a variety of art galleries, antique shops, bars and bistros.

5. Florida is Just for Retirees

While Florida is widely regarded as the best state for retirees, it also provides an unparalleled range of cultural attractions. The famous Dali museum contains stunning pieces of surrealist art, while the Bok Tower gardens are a gorgeous natural beauty. An iconic American author, Ernest Hemingway, also lived in Florida. His house has been preserved as a historical landmark.

The state also has a rich history of art and theatre, as seen in the Miami City Ballet or the classic Florida Theatre, where Elvis once performed. Even the mermaid show at Weeki Wachee, located on Florida's Adventure Coast, has delighted audiences since 1947.

Not everyone's Valentine's Day is going to be filled with candle-lit cocktails and romance; some couples will inevitably meet their end moments before love day. Whether the reason for the split was them being a mega-cheapskate not wanting to drop what they considered to be way-too-much cash on a heartfelt card and dinner for the Hallmark Holiday, an amicable agreement between two adults that just don't have the same vision for the future anymore, or someone cheated and one of you left in a fiery rage, Florida has a unique way for Americans to get their revenge for Valentine's Day 2023. And an opportunity put their ex on blast to the world, anonymously.

In the event dubbed Hiss & Tell, The Florida Aquarium in Tampa has given jilted exes a healthier outlet for their heartbreak than taking a key to the side of the last loser's 4-wheel drive — an opportunity to name a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach after your ex for a small donation towards the facility's conservation, education, expansion, improvement, and community event efforts.

Instead of costing you potential jail time, and possibly even a restraining order against you, you'll only have to shell out $10 for this vengeful endeavor. If you're already sold, complete the form on The Florida Aquarium's website, adding your cockroach's name and any vengeful words you have for your ex. The form also requests some personal details to contact you about your donation, as well as to be able to ship your commemorative goodies to you.

If you weren't already sold at the prospect of naming a cockroach after your ex, knowing you'll also get a photograph of your pest sent to you, along with a certificate etching the momentous occasion in history, might just be enough to entice you.

In addition to all of the above, any family-friendly vengeful words shared in the form will be posted anonymously, alongside the photo of your roach to The Florida Aquarium's Instagram page. The only people who will know you put your ex on blast will be you...well, and all the besties you decide to send and cackle over your post with, of course.

While the event was announced via an Instagram post to the aquarium's page on February 1, the event will run through Valentine's Day on Tuesday February 14, so you still have a couple days to throw some shade on their name.

Although this event was made with exes in mind, couples that enjoy a good comedic moment can get in on the fun too. One commenter on the announcement post said that she named one after her husband because she thought it was hilarious. We can only imagine how funny would it be if she made the photo his contact picture in her phone for a while too!

In the United States and have an ex in mind or wanna prank your partner? Hiss & Tell The Florida Aquarium all about it here.

Article by Rachael Volpe

The global self-storage development pipeline continues to be extremely dynamic. Inside Self-Storage regularly covers new projects being planned and approved as well as zoning and other municipal issues. Following is activity taking place in March 2023.

2225 Route 88 Realty LLC is requesting a zoning change to build a three-story self-storage facility in Brick, New Jersey. The property on the corner of Jordan Road and New Jersey Route 88 formerly housed a Lukoil gas station, which has been demolished. Several variances would need to be granted including one for building height and another for setbacks. The zoning board was expected to discuss the project this week. 2225 Route 88 is operated by the Daibes Family of Wayne, New Jersey.

Central Lakes Area Storage LLC received approval to build a self-storage facility in Brainerd, Minnesota. Plans for the 2.5-acre property

at 15770 Dellwood Drive include two buildings, each 130 feet in length. The project still needs to be confirmed by the city council.

Ryan Chadwick and Michael Forrest opened Snowmass Self Storage in Snowmass, Colorado, near Aspen. The 50-unit facility at 26870 Highway 82 includes two buildings, with some spaces large enough to accommodate boats and vehicles. It was built on land that once housed a junkyard.

Cycle Street Redevelopment LLC intends to build a self-storage facility on a vacant, 15.6-acre parcel in Westfield, Massachusetts. The site at 0 Cycle Street would include 10 storage buildings comprising 63,780 square feet in up to 500 units, plus a separate, 800-square-foot structure to serve as an office. A portion of the site will need to be rezoned from residential to industrial. Some neighborhood residents opposed the project during a Feb. 21 public hearing.

DXD Capital, a data-driven real estate and private-equity firm, is building a five-story self-storage facility in Allapattah, Florida. The $18.7 million project will offer 865 climate-controlled units. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, DXD has offices in Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Mexico.

Fairview Storage LLC opened a new self-storage facility in Fairview, Oregon. The property at 20920 N.E. Sandy Blvd. comprises 108,856 rentable square feet in 509 units, some of which can accommodate boat/RV storage. It was designed by Portland, Oregon-based VLMK Engineering + Design and constructed by Boise, Idaho-based Forge Building Co. The site will be managed by West Coast Self Storage Group (WSSG), an Everett, Washington-based property-management, acquisition and development company. WSSG operates 110 managed and owned locations in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Haggar Group opened a new StorWise Self Storage facility at 5874 Sheep Drive in Carson City, Nevada. StorWise operates 28 locations across Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas.

InSite Property Group opened its newly constructed SecureSpace Self Storage in Surprise, Arizona. Built on 25 acres, the facility at 13930 W. Sweetwater Ave. comprises 144,535 rentable square feet offering 196 covered and 125 enclosed boat/RV-storage spaces. Based in Torrance, California, SecureSpace operates more than 35 self-storage facilities in 11 states.

Kingdom Storage Partners is nearing completion on a new self-storage location in Weeki Wachee, Florida. Built on 4 acres, the unmanned facility will comprise 54,000 square feet in 429 units. Scheduled to open this month, it’ll be managed by Copper Storage Management, which specializes in automated self-storage operation. Kingdom Storage Partners is an affiliate of Kingdom Storage Holdings, which focuses on the acquisition, development and syndication of self-storage facilities nationwide. The company’s portfolio comprises 4 million square feet.

Latch-iT Self Storage completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of its facility in Opelika, Alabama. Gated access, LED floodlights and 20 security cameras were added to the property at 2200 Steel St. The project also involved updates to the building exteriors, new standing-seam roofing and roll-up doors equipped with smart-entry technology. Founded by CEO Floyd Hubbell, Latch-iT also operates two facilities in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Metro Storage LLC, which operates more than 135 self-storage properties in 14 states under the Metro Self Storage brand, is building a new location in Spring Hill, Florida. The development will comprise 62,856 square feet in 543 units. The site will also include 83 covered and 31 uncovered vehicle-storage spaces. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., Metro operates a portfolio comprising about 9.1 million square feet of storage space.

Orbit Developments intends to replace the Armadillo Self Storage facility that was destroyed by fire last year in Stockport, England, with entirely new construction. The company plans to build a multi-story, 140,000-square-foot building at the Earl Road site. Though two stories taller than the single-story structure that originally occupied the 4.3-acre lot, it’ll have a smaller footprint. A portion of the site will remain clear for future development. Orbit is part of The Emerson Group, which specializes in commercial and residential development.

Safe & Secure Self-Storage is under construction in Coral Springs, Florida. Plans for the 1.1-acre property at Coral Ridge Drive and Northwest 41 Street include 77,000 square feet of leasable space.

Trunk Space LLC received initial approval to convert a Providence, Rhode Island, building into self-storage. The property at 50 Branch Ave. formerly served as the home of the state board of elections. It was sold in 2020 for $1.6 million to real estate holding company RAB Properties. Plans call for five stories containing 1,400 units. The developer initially proposed razing the complex, but planning staff requested preservation of the façade. The new design keeps the front of the structure intact, appeasing zoning commissioners.

Trunk Space is also seeking permission to convert the Colonial Traveler Inn in Saugus, Massachusetts, to self-storage. The 24-room motel at 1753 Broadway is currently serving as a homeless shelter operated by the state. Plans include razing the existing structure and building four stories comprising 121,000 square feet in 1,000 units. The planning board will discuss the proposal at its March meeting. Trunk Space is owned by Jumbo Capital, a Quincy, Massachusetts-based commercial real estate firm. The company owns three self-storage facilities in the state, in Everett, Norwood and Quincy, that operate under the CubeSmart and Extra Space Storage brands.

Phoenix-based U-Haul International Inc. is expanding its facility in Dilworth, Minnesota. The $10 million project at 50 County Road 9 will be completed in three phases. U-Haul purchased three adjacent parcels last year. One includes the former Weivoda Carpet building at 1101 Center Ave. W., which is being converted to storage and is expected to open next month. Plans also call for a new three-story structure comprising 100,000 square feet in 1,100 interior storage units. Construction will begin this spring. Work is already underway for another 17,000-square-foot building to house the company’s U-Box containers. The building is expected to be complete in May.

Sources: The Providence Journal, Providence Approves Initial Plans for 5-story, 1,400-Unit Self-Storage Complex The Providence Journal, Company Plans Self-Storage Facility at Site of Former State Elections HQ Item Live, Saugus Motel Could Become Self-Storage Facility Inforum, U-Haul Investing More Than $10 Million in Major Expansion of Dilworth Facility Brick Shorebeat, Developer Seeking to Turn Former Brick Gas Station Into Self-Storage Facility Yahoo Finance, DXD Capital to Launch Self-Storage Project in Miami's Allapattah Submarket Brainerd Dispatch, Storage Unit Application Prompts De-Annexation Discussion Tap Into Coral Springs, New Self-Storage Facility Under Construction on Coral Ridge Drive in Coral Springs Opelika Observer, Latch-IT Self Storage Brings New Technology to Opelika REBusiness Online, Associated Bank Provides $8.6m Construction Loan for Self-Storage Facility in Spring Hill, Florida Aspen Daily News, 50-Unit Storage Facility Opens in Old Snowmass Carson Now, New Climate Control StorWise Self Storage Facility in Carson City Opens Wednesday Investors Observer, SecureSpace Announces Opening of New Self-Storage Facility in Surprise, Arizona Marketing Stockport, Cheadle Self-Storage Facility to Be Rebuilt After Fire Mass Live, Westfield Neighbors Oppose Self-Storage Units at Cycle Street Industrial Zone North West Place, Orbit to Replace Fire-Destroyed Self-Storage in Stockport PR.com, Kingdom Storage Partners Reaches a Milestone of 4,000,000 Square Feet and 25,000 Units PR.com, Self-Storage Facility Opens in Fairview, Oregon