John Boehner buys Florida vacation condo

In a move sure to provoke speculation about his future in Congress - and a fresh round of jokes about his superhuman suntan - House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, purchased a condo in Florida, his office confirmed to CBS News.

The condo, located in the posh coastal enclave of Marco Island in southwest Florida, was purchased this month at a cost of $835,000, according to Collier County public records. Boehner and his wife put $185,000 down and mortgaged the remainder.

Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel cautioned against reading too much into the purchase. “This area of Florida has been the Boehners' family vacation spot for many years, and rather than continue to put money into vacation rentals year after year, they decided to buy a condo,” he said. “Their home is in West Chester, Ohio, and will continue to be.”

While Boehner wouldn’t be the first member of Congress to buy a vacation home, the move comes at a time of increased speculation about whether the speaker intends to retire after the current Congress. Though he has said he plans to stick around, Boehner’s recent jousting with outside conservative groups - and his devil-may-care attitude about the feud - has some wondering if he’ll head for the exit.

Then again, Boehner may be just as tired of the winter weather as the rest of Washington, D.C., jumping at the opportunity to catch some sun and practice his golf game.