Andre's Blog

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Drywall homes: bargain or bind?

by Mary Wozniak

Florida homes tainted by defective Chinese drywall are popping up on Realtor.com at bargain-basement prices. Although it is not required by law, many brokers have readily adopted a new drywall disclosure form developed by the Florida Association of Realtors® to use in sales transactions.

There currently are nine drywall properties listed for sale on the site - all of them fairly new and for under $50,000 - but there also are questions about whether the low prices are worth the hassle the real estate could bring in the future.

It reportedly costs about $100,000 to clean up a property contaminated by bad drywall, which leaves an offensive smell, corrodes metal components in the home, and causes respiratory problems and other health troubles for occupants. Remediation typically involves gutting the home and replacing the affected materials, but it is not yet known if that is the final solution.

"What if they say every porous material in the home, including concrete slab, absorbed enough stuff to consider it a health risk," poses Jeff Tumbarello, president of the Southwest Florida Real Estate Investors Association. "Then what? Then you're done. (Investing in a Chinese drywall home is) just a big wild card. Somebody is going to look brilliant, somebody is going to look stupid. We just don't know who they are yet."

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=221337

Call now to ask about our home buying and rental rebate rewards program.

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs...Experience is Priceless!  Andre'Shambley & Miami's Best REALTOR® Team, 786-704-8482. MiamiBestTeam@AOL.com. www.OnePlaceOpenHouse.com

 

Ready to refinance or looking for a better rate?  For your complimentary rate quote visit Jacinta Shambley, APEX Lending, Inc. JShambley@ApexLending.com.  www.JShambley.ApexLending.com      

2 commentsAndre Shambley • August 19 2009 07:12AM

Women love to shop—for real estate!

The demographics of the typical first-time homebuyer are changing these days. More and more women today can afford to purchase a property on their own to build up valuable equity and are no longer waiting to find a life partner before they pursue the financial and lifestyle benefits of home ownership. One in four buyers these days is a single female, and new home marketing is actually starting to reflect that. We may be ready to jump into the commitment of home ownership but not all of us are willing to give up our valuable free time to outdoor chores. Single girls tend to look for homes that require little or no maintenance with an option to plant container gardens. Sound familiar girls?

The easiest and most popular way to hold on to our maintenance free lifestyle is to purchase a condominium. Its problem-free upkeep and unencumbered lifestyle is an obvious benefit to people who don't want to be tied up every weekend with chores-there are no lawns to water and mow, and no leaves to rake. No yard means there's no fence or deck to repair, and no driveway to shovel in winter. Choose a condo and you'll never have to worry about this stuff. Condominium members are charged a flat monthly fee to cover maintenance of the common areas as well as provide prompt service by reliable tradespersons if there are maintenance problems in your individual unit. Heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical problems are handled by maintenance staff or service agreements set up by the condo association, so good help is available at a moment's notice.

Security is also an important consideration for single women living alone, and the condo lifestyle can offer such measures as restricted access, a concierge on duty screening visitors, closed circuit TV monitors, patrolling security guards and panic buttons in garages to add to peace of mind.

Some single women still prefer a more traditional home as their first property. The appeal of having an outdoor space of your own to entertain, putter about in a garden and relax in can be inviting. A single family home sometimes offers more privacy and is also better suited to larger pets. Make sure to check if your pet will be warmly received by the condo board-they uphold the rules that the condo owners have set in place.

Call now to ask about our home buying and rental rebate rewards program.

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs...Experience is Priceless!  Andre'Shambley & Miami's Best REALTOR® Team, 786-704-8482. MiamiBestTeam@AOL.com. www.OnePlaceOpenHouse.com

Ready to refinance or looking for a better rate?  For your complimentary rate quote visit Jacinta Shambley, APEX Lending, Inc. JShambley@ApexLending.com.  www.JShambley.ApexLending.com      

2 commentsAndre Shambley • August 17 2009 10:50AM

Cash Back Rebate Program is alive in South Florida...for home buyers and (renters too)!

Although the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit program ends in just four short months. South Floridian home buyers can still take advantage of the Cash Back Rebate program offered by Miami Best Realtor Team.

What is the home buyer Cash Back Rebate program? It is a cash refund for 1% of the property being sold purchase price.

Who is eligible to receive the credit? Home buyers who close escrow/proceed to finak settlement in the purchase of real estate in South Florida.

Do income limits apply? No.  The cash rebate is given to the party or parties named as the "buyer(s)" or "borrower(s)" on the HUD-1 closing statement and fully disclosed in writing to seller and buyer(s) lender.

If you want to take advantage of the Cash Back Rebate program , contact Miami Best Realtor Team today to learn more.

Herman Group Real Estate

2875 NE 191 St, PH4

Aventura, FL 33180 

 

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs...Experience is Priceless!  Miami's Best REALTOR® Team, Office: 305-396-9106, Direct: 786-704-8482. MiamiBestTeam@AOL.com. www.OnePlaceOpenHouse.com

Ready to refinance or looking for a better rate?  For your complimentary rate quote visit Jacinta Shambley, APEX Lending, Inc. JShambley@ApexLending.com.  www.JShambley.ApexLending.com      

 

1 commentAndre Shambley • August 12 2009 09:41AM