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Foreclosures creating Health concerns in Florida?

Attention Florida homeowners!

Were your neighbors foreclosed on in the past few months?
Are there houses in the area that are obviously vacant?
Do these vacant home have pools?

Chances are that this could affect your family's health..!! How so? you may ask..

Truthfully, I never considered the idea of a vacant home nearby being a problem or a health issue for myself or my family. After finding some information online, it seems that there are possible dangers lurking nearby.

Vacant homes with pools that are not cleaned, filtered and turning green create an ideal environment & breeding ground for mosquitoes and other arthropods that can carry, amongst other things, the West Nile Virus. It doesn't mean that every mosquito out there has it, but potentially, they can carry it.

quoting The Florida Department of Health's website:

"Arboviral diseases are those that are caused by an arthropod (insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, mites, and midges). These include West Nile virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus, and St. Louis Encephalitis virus, which are all mosquito-borne diseases found in Florida."

So it a major issue in Florida? I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I only see one county in Northern Florida with an alert. (see PDF map)
-Would I buy a few extra cans of 'OFF' next time I go to the supermarket if there are vacant homes in the area? -Yes, it couldn't hurt to have some extra repellent to be on the safe side.

Anywhere there is standing water, there is a potential for mosquito breeding. Abandoned or empty homes can have multiple areas in the backyard that can hold standing water. These include car tires, flooded plant pots and old plastic/decorative ponds jsut to name a few.

How does that saying go? -An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Florida Department of Health Information

Florida Department of Health Website Homepage

Information for Kids from the Center For Disease Control

Center for Disease Control - Frequently Asked Questions about the West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus Prevention - Fact Sheet

Posted by Nick M -Realtor®-Appraiser in West Palm- South Florida Real Estate Appraiser on 08/27/2007 10:05 PM

Comments (24)

cdc, doh, safety, denge, west nile virus, prevention, mosquitoes

24 Comments on Foreclosures creating Health concerns in Florida?

AUG

2007

Very informative post.....thanks for the information

Hi Julie.. I know its not real estate related, but i thought it would be worth mentioning.
hey wait a second, i haven't posted about real estate in forever.. so i guess it ok! :)

thanks for stopping by

Nick, that is good information. I never would have thought of that, but it makes sense.

Nick... this is an excellent post, and like George, I'm sure I wouldn't have thought of it either. I think you're suggesting that you would go into the vacant property and spray... is that what I'm reading?

AUG

2007

Hi George, it would not have occurred to me either, as Jeff also said. Funny how i'm all about making sure buckets are empty and no tires with water, etc.. but a big ol' fat pool in front of me and i'm like duh! I wonder how many other things are right in front of my and I don't see them!!

Hey Jeff, now i feel better. because if you didn't think of it, then i'm safe :^) i'm not sure that i would go into a vacant property without permission (no trespassing).. but if i had a home next to me with an empty pool i would be a little concerned., and maybe some bleach or bug killer or something might just happen to fall in that pool somehow. i dunno!! i know nothing!! :)

I think if you're in real estate in South Florida, you've seen one of those pools. I've actually seen frogs breeding and thriving in an unattended pool. It was officially the largest science project I'd ever seen.

Hi Chris,. ah yes, the over-sized science project. That is some gross stuff. these frog farms are really a sight to see. I wonder if the frog will eat the skeeters? that might make it a little more bearable..!! (i hope that was an abandoned house, and not a listing!!

EXCELLENT blog - I have seen so many homes with GREEN pools!!! And they have been other peoples LISTINGS!! I do not understand how an agent can take a listing and not make sure the pool is kept up! You would think they actually want to sell the place! If I come across a place like that, it immediately goes on my DON'T SHOW list!!!!

This was good to post Nick. At our Bi-monthly neighborhood meetings we get lots of literature and updated information regarding what the City is doing. Our sewers are treated with aspirin-like capsules. I'm kinda guilty though.... got a huge pool with standing water (from the rain).... and if you'd like to add frog legs to your cusine,,,, i can import some fresh live (all size) wiggly ones to ya straight from the town of the RIver Oaks Mall!

HEY! how'd ya do that flashing thing with your pic??? btw - thanks for the note about that link - it's fixed now!

Hi Barbara, i don't get that either. how are you supposed to sell the house with a mud-green pool? as a buyer, i wouldn't even give the place a 2nd look. definitely on the 'do not show' list..!! :)

Hi Diane, that's great to get info every two weeks. i was read a blurb about and started looking in to it. Does the aspirin help the mosquitoes with headaches or when they get hit with a slap! :) no frog legs for me. i'm dieting, thanks!! :) [i did it with my nerd wisdom (a couple of programs), and a little poking around]

Nick! I hate squitos! I do everything I can to keep them away, but they keep a coming! Great post dude :)

BTW, HELP! My cursor has been kidnapped by a Flashing Nick!

I ran into a client with this same issue a few months back
she was set on buying a foreclosure that had no AC and electricity for 6 months
the pool was major funk too

the issue in South Florida is that you NEED AC and you NEED it on! why? because mold grows so quickly and the cooler temps of AC keep it from turning into something viscious

which is what happened in this house
the bank didn't want to pay to put the electricity back on but it had to be done for an inspection!
when the inspector showed up he said Uh Oh... then they called a Mold inspector that said BLACK MOLD

and everyone took off running

it is dangerous for everyone!

One of the agents has some immune system issues and that could have been very dangerous for her!!

Hi Lysa, yeah.. skeeters aren't very fun. btw, only you could get away with saying 'flashing Nick' and not mean it in a 'bad' way ;^) thanks for stopping by. enjoy the flashing nick :))

Hey David, that is a very good point. thanks for bringing that up. people are surprised when they have to provide service for the inspection. your point about the mold is right on.. especially with the humidity we have here in S. FL. its a requirement, not an option. I'll keep it in mind if i ever enter a vacant house that is a 'sweat box'.

also, if i can add.. recently i heard of wood laminate flooring buckling and raising up because of the extreme heat in the house without A/C. i'm sure that would also damage things like seals on the frig if left long enough. it was HOT this weekend, wasn't it!?
thanks for your thoughts and stopping by.

Hey Code Monkey! : ) I read this somewhere and can tell you it scares the living you know what out of me. A good friend lived next to a vacant house and what grew out of the pool was beyond scary....from frogs (I should say GINORMOUS Toads <-------I have a new word) to all kinds of mosquitoes. Does the spray really work?

hey RInes, now you have me thinking of all the things i could do with a vacant / empty pool. 1- skate ramp 2-below ground plant nursery, 3-frog-toad farm 4-skate ramp. oh, did i say that already :^) so you saw ELF too? i didn't know it was a real word, until JT$ posted a link on his blog.

spray? you mean OFF. i guess so.. i cake that stuff on like Paris Hilton and perfume.

AUG

2007

You're all over the place...flashing bald and hair bald and hair. lol! Flashing Nick? Behave yourself.

Skin so soft...that Avon mosquito repellant. It works to keep the buggers off while you clean the mossy pool filled with larvae. YUK that didn't sound so inviting.

Celeste, Avon mosquito repellant. can i be in that commercial? just dont throw me in the pool. i can put the lotion on the lady models :^*

It's squirt thingy and more like an oil based something or other....this is years old info and supposedly they don't like the smell or something...why would I throw you in the filthy pool? Love ya man!

AUG

2007

Nick, This kind of knowledge does help in real estate.

SEP

2007

Wow. Gross. I never really thought of this. We have some of those homes here.

Nick,

Timely information. Whenever there is a foreclosed property in the neighborhood, a host of problems can surface with it. Vandalism comes to mind first, probably. This stagnant water issue is less obvious, but clearly an important one. Pool is one of the first things a distressed homeowner starts ignoring, so a good point.

Hi Sally, I didn't realize what you were trying to say! :)) thanks for explaining. I'll take it!! how much? :)

Hi Ruth.. these are the little things that we may not consider, as obvious as they are!

Hi Susan, yes.. gross!! they are around in our market.. be on the look out! :)

again, i'm late to reply. i need to get my emails organized a little more!! didn't mean to miss your comments.! :) thanks for stopping by.

Hi Esko, i think your absolutely right. I also doubt the foreclosed property owners are maintaing their pools until the very end! this must precede their moving out by many months! :)

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