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Archive for July, 2009

Check Out The Hoa Of Your Florida Condo Before You Buy

According to several reports 2008 may be the year to buy into the sunshine state of Florida. Approximately 35000 new condo units are either completed or about to be completed and so far the number of units sold is down 29 from last year.

If you have toyed with the idea of being a condo owner and moving into the relaxed yet stimulating areas in Florida now is surely the time to make your move.

Understanding how the Home Owners Associations HOA works in each condo unit is an important and often a previously unknown part of the lifestyle when buyers first move in.

For many new condo owners the thought of having someone to upkeep and repair most parts of your home is a dream come true. Husbands can relax and not have to keep checking their sweetie’s ‘to do’ list and women living alone can rest assured that the maintenance needs of their home will be taken care of.

To a new condo owner the fact that the grass will be magically cut and the pH balance in the pool will always be correct without them worrying is enough to stop any further questions.

However while an efficient HOA can be blissful one that is inefficiently or unfairly run can be a source of discontent.

Asking a few established condo owners in the unit about the HOA may help to eradicate some doubts. From experience they will be able to tell you whether or not rules are enforced or whether there is a weak board running the HOA.

It is only when things go wrong that we start asking how the rules are interpreted etc. For instance the term “unreasonable” is used often in the clause about noise.

Unreasonable noise will not be tolerated between the hours of 10p.m. and 6.a.m. Perhaps the interpretation is different between the man who has a new motorbike and leaves for work everyday at 5.30 and the retiree who wants to sleep past six o’clock.

It seems reasonable that you should be able to use your own vehicle to get to work. It also seems reasonable to expect to be able to sleep in a little when you are retired. Who decides? Is there a board that will deal with this or is it something you have to work out for yourselves?

Another area for mediation is replacements. It is obvious when the pool pump stops working or the fencing falls over but what happens when the common area carpet gets worn? Who decides and how is it decided that this needs replacing?

There is such a thing as the field of Reserve Studies and they split the maintenance and repair situations into five categories. These are:

Benign: This would include the clubhouse trash compactor it can wait.

Catastrophic: Such as the elevators these should be replaced before breakdown.

Obsolescence: Old fashioned decor in the entrance hall low priority as still functional.

Regular: Paintwork and wood sealants must be regularly attended to in order to keep costs down.

Watch and decide: fence posts that may last longer if the weather is mild this type of thing must be an ongoing observation item.

Armed with this type of information about categorizing HOA board members would have an easier task. Of course one way to ensure that rules are strictly adhered to and fairness is meted out to all members is to become a new board member yourself.

About the writer:  Let Jim Hirschman Realty guide you professionally through your Sarasota real estate purchase. Check SarasotaLandAndHomes.com to view all the Sarasota community listings including Longboat Key real estate.

Champaign Urbana New Home Builders
Champaign Urbana New Home Builders

Building a home is an exciting time in your life. ChampaignUrbana can be a great area to choose to build a new concrete custom home. ChampaignUrbana new home builders can provide you with the most up to date materials and quality for your new home.

There are several advantages to building an ICF concrete home. ICF insulated concrete forms are reinforced to be able to accept the necessary concrete. They have been around since the late 1960 s. They have increased in popularity in the last several years. One of the many reasons for the increase popularity of ICF homes could be the end result. It gives you high performing walls which provides you structurally insulated sound walls.

Comfort of an ICF home is defiantly can be a major advantage. The thick insulated concrete walls cut down on drafts and cold spots in the home. The extreme outside temperatures are evened out to give you a constant interior temperature. ICF concrete homes tend to stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Another advantage is the flexibility in the design. Concrete homes are strong enough to support floor and roof systems. This leads to a large range of design capabilities.

Are you looking for a home that is energy efficient and quietness. Outside noises are reduced compared to traditional wood construction. If your lot is near a highway train tracks or even airports than an ICF home may be what you are looking for. Also using 3244 less energy than a frame house. Not only will you may use less energy but you maybe able to downsize the HVAC systems.

The last advantage is the health and safety of the building materials. There are no CFCs HCFHs or formaldehydes. Also the increasing mold concerns in frame houses are not there in an ICF home. There would be no wood to rot or mold. In case of a fire they have a 2hour fire rating. Icf concrete homes are pest and termite resistant. High winds will not effect the structure in a storm.

There are several advantages to building an ICF concrete home. And no better place than Champaign Urbana. Do not settle for a traditional frame home when an ICF home has several important advantages.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Quality built homes Dowling Custom HomesGo to Champaign Urbana new homebuilders

Celebrating Halloween While Trying To Sell Your House

Sometimes selling your house comes at an inconvenient time like your favorite holiday. In the case of Halloween there are some easy and fun ways to decorate and celebrate without detracting from your home’s appearance during showings. If you are planning to dress up your place for Halloween night or for a Halloween parties this article can give you some hints and tips.

Even if you love it avoid all really scary gruesome decorations or ones designed to give an unsuspecting person a shock. Keep things light and removable. Despite the urge to decorate for the season avoid cobwebs spiders rats and other “haunted house” paraphernalia. Try for more of a “harvest” theme and smiling ghosts pumpkins etc. This promotes a positive atmosphere instead of one that might turn some buyers off.

If you are setting up your house for a party or trickortreating do it the day of the event if at all possible and try to avoid having a showing that day. If your Realtor can’t negotiate a different time try to keep the decorations to a minimum until after the showing. Ideally your decorations will be able to be set up and taken down in a short period of time.

Stick to decorations that can be quickly taken down or that can blend in with a fall themed staging. Some ideas are removable window decals orange and purple lights wrapped around a railing fall flowers such as mums Halloweenthemed signs or posters no thumbtacks please! and decorative lanterns that can double as guides to your front door.

Jackolanterns should have candle substitutes burning in them and be watched carefully for signs of rot if you carve them some time before the Halloween holiday. You don’t need potential buyers being turned off by a “dead” pumpkin! Bowls of apples and nuts are also great fall accents.

If you have the time and inclination attaching a small card that says “Home for Sale!” and gives the name and address of your Realtor to bags of Halloween candy can be a great way of getting information about your home out in the neighborhood. Who knows people in the neighborhood could have friends looking for a place!

Decorating for Halloween when you have a home to sell can be somewhat harder if you’re accustomed to going “all out” but with a little flexibility you can decorate in a way that both acknowledges the season and doesn’t turn off any buyers!

About the writer:  Vox Real Estate is a popular source for information about Austin real estate. Visit VoxRealEstate.com to search Bouldin TX real estate listings and find information about local schools and neighborhoods.