Things to Watch Out For When Purchasing Your Florida Home!

Thinking of moving to Florida? Let's talk about some things to watch out for when choosing your next home. 

 

1. Insurance- Yes, homeowners insurance is likely a little more expensive that what you are used to. Being in hurricane prone territory automatically places all of Florida in high risk territory. Event though there are places that haven't seen a hurricane in decades, the whole state must pay. Certain homes can have less cost than others though. From my experience new homes tend to cost less on the insurance side of things. But what else can be done? Newer roof and if install a roof have the secondary water resistance in place. Impact rated windows and doors. Hurricane shutters for all windows. Some homes will not have some or all of these. This is where talking with your insurance company to decide whether economically it makes sense to go through the effort to add these goes a long way. But if you are choosing a house to buy, these are considerations that play a factor if choosing between 2 homes.

2. Wetlands- Maybe you are thinking to build a home. If this is the case and you are choosing your own lot, pay attention to the amount of wetlands present. Before purchasing a lot, always ask for the wetland study. If wetlands are present, this could present a significant hurdle financially to get your build going. Lot choice is vital so if the lot seems cheaper than normal, a red flag should go up and you should find out why. Maybe they know something you don't. A hidden cost. If purely purchasing a new construction home through a builder who already owns the lot, they will have already gone through this process. Also check the zoning for the lot. This usually can be found on the county's property appraiser site. If ask a realtor, they can easily find this info for you as well. Zoning plays an important factor if you are planning to use the land for something other than just a straight forward residential construction home. Do you want to only have a manufactured home? Do you want to have horses? Do you want to run a business? Do you want to build a duplex? Check with the lot zoning!

3. Mold- If walking through a home and there are signs of potential water damage or signs on the wall or air vents of black mold, definitely get these checked out before signing on the dotted line. You will have an inspection period to check things out after your contract is signed. Not only should you get a general home inspection, but if you have a hint of potential mold, get a specialized air & duct company or mold remediation company to come take a look. 

4. Septic- Many homes are on sewer but if you happen on an area with homes on septic, always ask for the homeowner to do a septic cleanout before purchasing unless one has been done recently. If you are looking at an older home, I would suggest as part of your inspection period, to get the drain lines inspected as well. Maybe if deciding on whether or not to have this done, find out from the homeowner how often their tank has been drained/cleaned out in the last 10 years. If only once, I would check the drain lines. Typical suggestion is once every 3 years. Most homeowners like myself take this suggestion lightly and go with the mantra of "I'll fix it when it starts giving me problems". I personally tried this and I found out the hard way. This step, of course, is not a must, but could save you $$ in future if you can catch any problems now.

5. Termites- Yes, if you live in Florida you will need termite protection. These pesky bugs can do some major harm to your home's infrastructure. Ask the homeowner whether they have been using a termite treatment service. If not, what have they been doing? Self treatment? Did they ever have a service? These services charge an annual fee so for some people on a budget, this is an easy thing to let go. So be aware and definitely get a WDO (Wood destroying organisms) report from a local pest control company within your inspection period. Did you know there are levels of termite protection?

 

This sounds like a lot of negatives, but what are we gaining?

 

6. Beautiful scenery- How often do I drive across a bridge and see the beautiful ocean and it takes my breath away?

7. Beautiful weather- Our warm weather follows us deeper into the fall months than most of the county. Soaking up the warm weather in November sounds pretty awesome to me.

8. A well run state- Do we have problems to overcome? Yes we do, but without getting political, we have leadership that is trying to make life better for its population.

9. Plenty of Nature- We do not have mountains but we do have oceans, hiking trails, freshwater springs, palm trees, and an abundance of wildlife.

10. Location- Living in the Florida Panhandle allows you to enjoy Florida life and still be within driving distance to others who may live in another state!

 

Come visit and see if it could work for you! Home ownership with our antennae up sets us up for success!

 

Looking to buy in the Florida Panhandle? Pensacola, Milton, Pace, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Niceville

 

Let's shop for homes! Jen@floridasaltwaterhomes.com