Daily Briefing: Homeowners warn others, share stories of contractor as trial postponed

They came for the "good life of Florida." They lost thousands and were left with partially built homes. Now, they're warning others. [Read in browser]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Mon Jan 30 2023 [For subscribers] [Homeowners warn others, share stories of contractor as trial postponed]( [From left, Harriet Zimmerman, Evelyne Peters, Lynn LeBoutillier and Robin Cyphert were complete strangers until they met on social media and found out they all had hired the same contractor, HD Custom Homes, and that the company had walked off the job, taking their deposits and leaving them with unfinished homes. Now the women say they are all good friends. ]( They came for the "good life of Florida." They lost thousands and were left with partially built homes. Now, they're warning others. [READ MORE]( [The current Sarasota County Commission, which includes (from left to right) Joe Neunder, Mike Moran, Ron Cutsinger, Nancy Detert and Mark Smith.]( [For subscribers] [What Sarasota County commissioners have to say about commission expansion]( State Sen. Joe Gruters has proposed that the Sarasota County Commission be expanded from five commissioners to seven. [READ MORE]( [Dan Graue's family has rented the garage apartment on their property for years, not knowing it was considered a commercial rental property and they were not allowed to claim homestead exemption on it. The Sarasota County Property Appraiser has hit them with a large fine and bill for back taxes.]( [For subscribers] [Sarasota couple face big fine after renting out portion of homesteaded property]( Florida's homestead exemption has some of the strongest protections in the country, but beware if you break it. There's harsh penalties if you do. [READ MORE]( [Read Today's eNewspaper]( [Read Today's eNewspaper]( [Downtown Wellen as seen from Preto Boulevard, opposite the 80-acre man-made lake. About 55,000 square feet of commercial, retail and restaurant space is nearly built out in the fully leased Phase One, which will begin opening in early 2023.]( [North Port tapped as second fastest growing city in the U.S.]( Population grew by 3,000 to 80,000 in just 15 months [READ MORE]( [This preliminary master plan for North RIver Marketplace shows the location of potential commercial and residential sites on the 51.52-acre parcel. About 13.41 acres in the southwest portion of the site is the location where as many as 285 market rate multi-family homes would be built.]( [Group forms to oppose large commercial development on North River Road]( Realtor Ray A Westbrook fears parking lot runoff would do more harm to Myakka River than runoff from residential development [READ MORE]( A Better Daily Briefing We've redesigned your favorite newsletter to have a cleaner look and feel. Let us know what you think about it. [SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ➔]( [SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ➔]( IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [For subscribers] [Restaurant reviews: Best things to eat in Sarasota-Manatee this week]( Dining reviews of select items at Meliora in Sarasota's Southside Village and Ford's Garage at University Town Center. [READ MORE]( [For 'Sleeping Soundly' investment portfolio,' a relatively restful year]( The $120,000, 12-stock portfolio was designed to potentially lag the S&P 500 when it rises but perhaps outperform it when it falls significantly. [READ MORE]( [Best lessons for next-generation investors? Real stocks, real money]( The days of pensions are mostly over. Since younger generations will be expected to fund their own retirement, stock market know-how is crucial. [READ MORE]( [Stop hiding under the bench, Gov. DeSantis: Speak out on Dana White]( Gov. Ron DeSantis loves to meddle in sports, but not if it means calling out the disgraceful behavior of his good friend, UFC President Dana White. [READ MORE]( Sign up for the news you want Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don’t miss out! We’re always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. Your Stories. • Full access to subscriber-only content on all devices. • Share bonus subscription with a family member or friend. • The universal eNewspaper, the digital version of our print paper , plus bonus monthly magazines and hundreds of local papers. • Original reporting of our hometown teams, from high school sports to the pros. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Newsletters]( | [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( Follow Us Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback](