Barbara Arnesen of Lake Placid Won A Million Dollars On A Florida Lottery Scratch Off
What a great way to start the new year. I wonder if this was her New Years Resolution? 67 year old Barbara Arnesen of Lake Placid, Florida claimed a $1 million prize from the $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR Scratch-Off game at the Lottery’s Fort Myers District Office. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000.00.
The store she bought the ticket at? It’s a store I’ve driven past many times. The Sunshine Food Mart, 134 U.S. Highway 27 North, in Lake Placid. I have friends with a condo there, it’s possible I’ve been to that store to buy beer. Guess I should have picked up some scratch offs, too. The game she was playing is a $50 card that has a grand prize of one million dollars a year – for life. That’s probably what Barbara was dreaming of, but $640,000 is still a pretty good day.
Barbara Arnesen got one. There’s more out there.
On November 20th of last year, someone in Fort Lauderdale won a million dollars a year for life. After forming an LLC to stay private, they took the cash option of 16 million. That ticket came from a Publix in Fort Lauderdale. The $1,000,000 A YEAR FOR LIFE SPECTACULAR ticket still has lots of big prizes available. Specifically, one of the big ones. There’s still one of the ‘million dollars a year for life’ grand prizes out there, with a cash option of around 16 million. There’s also 135 ‘one million dollar’ winning tickets remaining. As we learned from Barbara Arnesen, the cash option on that ticket is $640K.
Good luck everyone, and play responsibly. $640,000 is enough to buy a house in some places.
The Most Affordable Cities In Florida to Buy a House
First of all, I hope you didn’t click on this story thinking you’re going to find a huge bargain. Housing affordability in Florida is a big issue. That saying, there are some slightly more affordable cities in Florida to buy a house. But before we get to that, let’s look at some places outside of Florida, especially South Florida, where you’re likely to find the biggest bargain. The number one city on the list isn’t too far from Florida, and is about half the size of Orlando. But without the theme parks.
The Most Affordable City To Buy A House
Let’s go to the experts. The Homebuyer.com research group built an algorithm that calculated the relative cost of homeownership based on public and private data. The data includes the home’s sale price, mortgage interest rates, and property taxes. They also take into account transportation, getting to and from work, schools, and errands. Lastly, the part that hits Florida hard. Insurance. Homeowner’s insurance is really hitting Florida residents. They then created this list of the 800 largest cities, with more than 50,000 residents, in the United States.
So which city tops the list of most affordable? It’s just up the road in Macon, Georgia. The study gave Macon a 100% on their affordability scale. Here’s the numbers.
| Category |
Monthly Cost |
| Mortgage Payment |
$871 |
| Insurance Costs |
$187 |
| Property Taxes |
$94 |
| Transportation Costs |
$1,021 |
| Total Cost of Homeownership |
$1,892 |
Additional factors that put Macon, Georgia on top includes their college. Mercer University is one of the best value colleges in America. The college even has a down payment assistance program. Up to $20,000 in home buying assistance is available to qualified faculty and staff. There’s other programs available for homebuyers including tax freezes for people who purchase historic properties. The city has a rich history dating back to 1809, and it looks like they are incentivizing people to help maintain the historic homes.
Macon is located about 84 miles south of Atlanta. As for the weather, sure, it’s not as warm as South Florida. The temperature will drop below freezing in the winter. You’re also nowhere near a beach. Florida transplants will need to adjust to that elevation of 381 feet, but you’ll be ok. They call Macon “The Heart Of Georgia.” But now, let’s get to Florida.
The Most Affordable Cities In Florida To Buy A House
Joe Winner spends his days combing through memes and off beat stories to bring you the side of Florida not always seen.
