buying homes: The Seller's Disclosure Failed To Mention A Rusted Through Fire Box
- 11/26/13 07:56 AM
You read it correctly, the seller's disclosure failed to mention that the fire box in the fireplace was totally rusted through! The owner of the home was telling my buyer how they rarely used the fireplace but it kept the entire home warm when it gets really cold. The first time my buyer would have started a fire, the entire home would have burnt down! Thank heaven for home inspections! I find it amazing that a homeowner would not put something like that on the seller's disclosure, especially when he later mentioned that he had been getting prices on getting it (8 comments)
buying homes: Palm Harbor Florida - Great Oaks Of Ozona & San Marino Townhomes
- 06/27/12 10:43 PM
Palm Harbor Florida - Great Oaks of Ozona Townhomes for Sale Greak Oaks of Ozona Townhomes is a small community of townhomes in Orange Street in bohemian Ozona Florida (which is incorporated into Palm Harbor Florida). Located just blocks from the shores of St Joseph's Sound and minutes from Honeymoon Island State Park, these beautiful townhomes were built in 2007 and offer 2638 sq ft of living space on the second floor. The first floor is home to a five car garage, large storage area and patio room.
Palm Harbor Florida - Villas of San Marino Townhomes for Sale (5 comments)
buying homes: Palm Harbor FL Homes for Sale - Highlands of Innisbrook & Indian Bluff
- 06/26/12 07:20 AM
Palm Harbor Florida Homes For Sale - Highlands of Innisbrook Highlands of Innisbrook is a private, gated golf course community located in beautiful Palm Harbor Florida. What is today Highlands of Innisbrook was once rolling hills covered with orange groves. Those orange groves were cleared back in 2001 and the breathtaking community of Highlands of Innisbrook came into being! There are currently 16 fabulous homes on the market in Highlands of Innisbrook, ranging from just under one million to around two million dollars. Beautiful landscaping, large lots of a quarter acre or more and the fairways of Innisbrook await you (7 comments)
buying homes: Palm Harbor Florida - Homes For Sale - Eniswood & Indian Trails
- 06/21/12 11:36 PM
Palm Harbor Florida -Homes for Sale - Eniswood Eniswood subdivision is located west of US 19 and north of Aldermann Rd in beautiful Palm Harbor Florida. It is here that you will find spacious three to five bedroom homes. Minutes to the Gulf Beaches and Honeymoon Island State Park, Eniswood is close to the Pinellas Trail and Palm Harbor University High School.
Palm Harbor Florida - Homes for Sale - Indian Trails Indian Trails subdivision is just south of Aldermann Rd and east of Alternate 19. This beautiful tree lined community has 3 to 5 bedroom homes. The entire (9 comments)
While out for my morning walk, I was able to snap a few great photos of stingrays feeding in the shallow waters off shore.
From these photos, you can see how clear our waters are here in the Gulf of Mexico! When you can get shots like these of stingrays in the water while you are up on a pier, that certainly indicates clear water! Crystal Beach Florida - a (14 comments)
This is what life is like here in Crystal Beach - taking early morning strolls with camera in hand, enjoying the unity with Mother Nature and the fantastic birds and other tropical animals and fish that share this community with us humans!
A quiet little community where you have to stop and remember that you DO have appointments and a life beyond strolling along the seashore......that is why those who live here in Crystal Beach Florida (9 comments)
The Dunedin Causeway connects the mainland out to Honeymoon Island State Park and is a local favorite to launch boats and kayaks, do some wade fishing, enjoy the sun with a good book or take a nice long walk along the water. With views like those available on the Dunedin Causeway, it is no wonder that locals flock to these shores. Right now the Oleander bushes are in full bloom, making this fantastic area even more beautiful! A little bit of heaven for the photographer! Dunedin Florida is a (14 comments)
buying homes: Homes With Repaired Sinkholes - Are They Safe?
- 05/18/12 05:31 AM
Sinkholes are a rather common problem here in Florida. They are caused by water being pumped up from the aquifers. Some sections of certain counties are more prone than others but clients often find properties that once had sinkhole issues and ask if they are safe to purchase. My recommendation is that the buyer get all information from the seller regarding the repaired sinkhole and that includes the engineering report. Sellers are required by law to provide this information in the seller's disclosure and if there has been repair work done, most sellers have the engineering report on file somewhere. I (15 comments)
Nobody has a crystal ball and can tell you for certain IF prices will get lower. What I can provide is exact data that you can use to compare the local market and make your own INFORMED decision! Let us look at the data for Pinellas County Florida (that includes St Petersburg, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and all the towns in between). Here are the average sale prices for single family homes and in the second category for condos/townhomes/villas from 2004 thru and including (53 comments)
buying homes: Right Place At The Right Time - Thank Heaven
- 07/04/11 08:02 AM
Yes, it was certainly a case of being at the right place at the right time yesterday! If things had not transpired as they did, the seller would have had some MAJOR repair costs! I was out showing home in Tarpon Springs Florida on Saturday with clients that had flown in for the weekend specifically to see their short list of homes. We made a day of it, viewing a dozen homes. Somewhere in the middle of that list we found THE home that they have made an offer on. A beautiful 4 bedroom 3 bath home with an enormous pool, (15 comments)
buying homes: Pinellas Realtor International Council
- 06/20/11 01:04 PM
This morning I attended a meeting of the Pinellas Realtor International Council that was held at the local board of Realtors. Deborah Boza Valledor, a Miami based Realtor, was the guest speaker. Deborah calls herself an Island Girl, since her roots stem from the Florida Keys as well as from Cuba and other Caribbean Islands. During this informative session I learned many interesting facts about the international market. For example, Florida leads in percentage of international sales over all other states in the country. These are the latest statistics out and cover March 2010 - March 2011. Florida has captured 31% (2 comments)
buying homes: Problem Solved............SUPER GIRL To The Rescue!
- 06/14/11 03:19 AM
What is going to happen now? How do I get all of my belongings out of the home from this distance? Do I have to fly there for this? I really don't have the time right now! Those are the questions and thoughts so many homeowners express when they are absentee homeowners heading toward the closing table. Who is going to get all of their 'stuff' out of the house? Where is it going to go? OMG, the homeowners go into panic mode,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,or........................
Tada.........enter SUPER GIRL! Or their listing Realtor, which is the same as having Super Girl on their side! (That is what (11 comments)
buying homes: Too Many Contingencies Can Kill The Deal
- 04/26/11 01:59 AM
Too many contingencies in an offer can really kill the deal! We got an offer on a listing of mine. It is a single family home in a great community and the buyers really are willing to negotiate - within reason! We got an offer over the weekend that had so many contingencies I knew it wasn't going anywhere even before I presented it. First of all, the offer was 56k below the asking price but that is not the end of the world, we can go back and forth and attempt to negotiate the price. That is pretty much expected. (7 comments)
buying homes: The Importance Of Home Inspections
- 04/20/11 02:02 AM
Having a home inspection is something that you should consider a MUST! I cannot over emphasize the importance of having a home inspection! Even if you think you know the house well and can tackle any repairs on your own, you want to be sure you know WHAT you are getting! The home inspector comes with tools that you do not normally have at your disposal. The inspector can check for mold that may be behind walls that you cannot possibly know about without having the proper equipment. There is an enormous list of things that could be wrong with the (5 comments)
buying homes: Help Buyers Narrow Down That LONG List Of Homes!
- 04/12/11 02:03 AM
Help buyers narrow down that LONG list! With so many homes on the market and buyers wanting to see just about everything out there that meets their criteria, it is up to the Realtor to assist them in the process. There are a few basic things you need to do to get your buyer through this process. First of all, never show them more than 6 or 7 listings in a day! It is just too overwhelming! Second, when you give them their printout of what you are going to see also give them a pen! Instruct them to make notes (5 comments)
buying homes: Two Weeks Later My Offer Still Hasn't Been Presented? Are You Kidding???
- 04/08/11 07:46 AM
It has been one of those weeks! I had a client in from Rhode Island that made a cash offer on a short sale. We knew up front that this would take time before the bank responded, she expected that. What BOTH of us did NOT expect was a listing agent that is turning out to be impossible to work with! We submitted a written offer TWO WEEKS AGO! My client has since returned home and is awaiting confirmation that the seller has accepted the offer and it has been sent on to the bank. Unfortunately I can't give her that (14 comments)
buying homes: Why Work With A Realtor When Purchasing Property?
- 04/05/11 11:52 AM
Why should you work with a Realtor when purchasing property? Are you one of those people that think they can do this on their own? Did you know that it is the seller that pays all Realtor commissions? Did you know that not all real estate agents are Realtors? Did you know that all Realtors are regulated by a Code of Ethics and the National Association of Realtors? If you need to have a tooth extracted do you do it yourself? How about if you need to set a broken bone? Are you going to wing it? Purchasing a home is (4 comments)
So glad to hear that I am not the only one that does not understand why people use Zillow - a program with old information and no local knowledge!
I Am A Local Real Estate Expert - Zillow is Not Whether you are thinking of buying a home or possibly selling your home you more than likely have stumbled upon Zillow and thought you hit the mother-load of real estate information! It's a fancy site with Zestimates, has homes marked on a map that are either currently listed or have recently sold, and you can spy on your best (4 comments)
buying homes: Built In 1948 And NOTHING Done Since!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- 07/12/10 09:38 AM
While out showing homes today I can across a home that was built in 1948 and from the condition it is in, I would say NOTHING has been done since it was originally built!!!! I have not seen a kitchen that looked like this in many years!
I actually had to kick the bottom of the front door to get it open since the wood floor in front of the door had awollen up so that I could not get in!!!!
I was checking this out for an out of state client, together with her nephew. After I spoke (77 comments)
buying homes: Melting Out Showing Homes
- 07/12/10 09:29 AM
I was out showing homes all morning and was absolutely MELTING in the heat!!! It is that time of year, humid everywhere, from Maine all the way down to Florida, summer is here!!! At least after a day of showing homes I can change and hop into the Gulf of Mexico for a swim to cool off!
Those are the advantages of living here in the Sunshine State!!! Blue skies and fantastic beaches!!!
Having grown up in south Tampa and lived here in Pinellas County for the last 30+ years, I know the area well! I am here to assist you in all of your real estate needs.
Give me a call today at 727-755-3292 or send an e-mail to barbarajo@barbarajo.com. Be sure to visit my web site: www.barbarajo.com
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