Orlando's busy intersections just got a whole lot more - well, big brother-ish. Ten new cameras have been installed and are being used to catch red light runners. Our map shows the location of seven of them. Take note of their locations - they seem to be very popular intersections. How do they work? Well, according to Central Florida News 13, "the cameras snap pictures of any car that runs the light. After being reviewed by code enforcement, a ticket will be sent by mail." This map is interactive, so you can scroll around it and zoom in or out of it. I've marked the seven intersections with a blue pin. View Larger Map Here's the list of intersections according to CF13 West Orlando Conroy Road and Vineland Road Turkey Lake Road and Wallace Road Downtown Area Westmoreland Drive and South Street Magnolia Avenue and Concord Street Kaley Street and Division Avenue East Orlando Michigan Street and Dixie Bell Drive Lee Vista Boulevard and Goldenrod Road Have you received a ticket from any other Orlando intersection? Tell us about it in the comments.

With Hannah now being upgraded to a hurricane, Orlando is bracing for a double hit. Well, the locals aren't - we're just sort of sitting here watching everyone else panic and buy all our water and batteries...just when my remote stopped working. But I started wondering if there's more affected by hurricanes. Yeah, I know everything is affected if a hurricane hits. I was here for Charlie and all his friends, and things were pretty bad, but I'm talking about the days before a hurricane, when Scary Terry, and Tom Sorrells start telling us to "hunker down." What I found might surprise you. First, Disney goes into hurricane mode, meaning they will refund you for any tickets you purchased for the week of the storm. Not a big deal, but Orlando's economy strives on tourism, and Disney is the daddy of all destinations. Next, I pulled up the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, where Realtors list properties for sale, and this week I noticed that prices were lowered on about 19% of the active listings. My numbers may be off, but it seems like an increase in reductions versus the 8% price decreases the week before. Could this be hurricane related? Not sure. I searched ...

It was like it happened over night. Orlando and Saint Cloud went from having those plain-old boring traffic lights to what can now only be described as a Blue Light Special at every intersection. Confused? Yeah, we were too. Turns out, those blue lights that sit atop our traffic lights now are an easier way for law enforcement to catch red-light runners. According to Orlando's Wesh TV2, "Little blue lights on traffic signals alert authorities from all angles that the signal below it has turned red." So there you have it. The Blue Light mystery has been solved. In case you're wondering, those blue lights should last longer, and use less energy than the traffic lights. Guess Orlando's trying to go green....with blue (sorry, had to say it).

We all know how bad the real estate market is in Orlando, but have you ever stopped to think who else it might be affecting? Turns out, "shelter" magazines are taking a huge hit. Shelter magazines are magazines that feature homes, home decor, decorating tips, and anything else related to your living space. According to the Wall Street Journal Real Estate section, Home magazine is having its plug pulled. This isn't the first shelter magazine to get the axe. Condé Nast Publications Inc.'s House & Garden magazine and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.'s Blueprint have also closed shop as a result of publishers scaling back on their investments in these magazines. Have you seen anything else feel the ugly wrath of the current real estate market? We'd love to hear about it in the comments section.

With Orlando area schools getting ready to start up for the year, Orange County is offering free immunizations starting Monday, Aug. 4. (today). So where can you go to get in on the free action? We've got you covered. Here's a list of the locations and times: Orlando Health Center 832 W. Central Blvd Orlando, FL Monday, Wednesday, Friday : 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday : 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. * Location will be open Aug. 16 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Winter Garden Health Alliance 1210 E. Plant St. Winter Garden, FL Monday, Wednesday, Friday : 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastside Health Center 12050 E. Colonial Drive Orlando, FL Aug. 9, 23 & 30 from 8am- 6pm If you hear of any other locations offering free shots, let us know in the comments section below.

What do you do when the Orlando real estate market is in the crapper, gas prices are through the roof, and the overall economy is suffering? Well, if you're Disney, you raise ticket prices. If you're planning a trip to mouse land tomorrow, bring a few dollars more, as this price increase will be effective tomorrow morning. According to the Associated Press, "tickets for those aged 10 and older to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, will rise from $71 to $75, while tickets for children aged 3 to 9 will go from $60 to $63."Related articles by ZemantaWalt Disney World ticket prices to increase tomorrowDisney World bans young kids from fanciest restaurantDisney World preparation 2.0

So it's pretty common knowledge that people rank Realtors right up there with Doctors and philanthropists car salesmen and lawyers, and boy does this story just bring it all home. According to a story in the Orlando Sentinel, Garry S. Martin, a licensed real estate broker (yay, just like me), was arrested this week, and charged with mortgage fraud and grand theft. Oh joy. According to Orange County Sheriff's detectives, Martin forged signatures on various documents and wired home-sale proceeds to bank accounts that he controlled. In case you're wondering, the net amount Martin made off of these transactions is $426,288.

Image via WikipediaThis is such welcomed news. Orlando is now the largest metropolitan area in the COUNTRY without a VA hospital, but all that's about to change, thanks to a 407-4 vote to pass a massive spending bill that will pay for various military construction and Veterans Administration projects in Orlando, in the Lake Nona area. According to Local 6, the bill was passed Friday morning after spending hours late Thursday night debating numerous amendments to the measure. The new VA hospital will provide relief to more than 75,000 veterans living in Brevard County since the closest in-patient care facility is more than a two-hour drive away. This is all part of Lake Nona's planned medical center, including the new UCF College of Medicine, and the Burnham Institute. We'll be discussing the developments of this project as they happen, so keep checking back for more information.

You wouldn't know it by watching the local news (or national news, for that matter), but according to a recent post by our good friend Marcus Burke over at Condo Metropolis, Orlando real estate inventory is finally levelling off. This is great news for sellers, and probably luke warm news for buyers. Inventory is the largest problem in the Orlando real estate market. We have too many homes for sale, and it's forcing sellers to lower their prices to compete with the 10 other homes on their street for sale. Don't believe me? Take a drive through Avalon Park, and you'll get the picture. Marcus has a great breakdown and explanation of the inventory, so header over to the story on Condo Metropolis and have a read.

Ok, yes this is a serious post, and yes, I guess you COULD stage your home for free, but it might not look the way you were hoping. Here's the deal. Home staging is a common practice of adding furniture to a house you're trying to sell to show how it looks furnished. Problem is, hiring a stager costs money, and doing it your self means you have to leave your furniture behind, or dish out for furniture that you probably won't need in the future. Enter Orlando's Craigslist. There's a section in the Orlando Craigslist called Free Stuff - seriously. Many times, you can find furniture, and other home items. Currently, the top 3 "Free" items are Dark Wood Study Desk, Wood Swingset with Slide, and Shitzu. We do NOT encourage staging your home with free dogs...for obvious reasons, but the other two items might work. So what else could you do with this free stuff? Well, you could probably grab some of it and sell it on ebay. Might make for a unique business opportunity. One tip - keep an eye on this list, and if you see something you like, call immediately. Free stuff is free, so it usually goes ...