Yesterday, I had a first time homebuyer close on their new home. They were tickled. They purchased a cozy house that has been lovingly maintained by the same owner for over 30 years.  They were happy to find an affordable property in an area of well maintained homes.

Prior to closing, the buyers visited the neighborhood and walked the perimeter of the property several times to envision their plans for a garden, picnic area and perhaps a new fence.  They were kindly greeted by the next door neighbor.  He was cheerful in providing his name and his occupation (as he works in a division of law enforcement). 

With his powerful demeanor he was careful in pointing out that he has been in the neigborhood for a long period of time, and he likes things to be a certain way.  As he carefully pointed out his likes and dislikes of each of the neighbors, he was specific in going over his rules in this non deed restricted neighborhood. 

The buyers were informed that he likes to go to bed by 9:00, so there will be no noise after 9:00. 

He was gracious in informing them that the well on the property line (that was put in by the seller of the property they’re buying) is a shared well, but he will be kind enough in allowing them to use it. 

A fence between the properties would not be a good idea, as there has never been a fence between the properties in prior years.  A fence would mean that he would have to remove his garden or lose access to the garden that he planted in the neighbors yard (of their new house).  He would also lose access to the controls on the well if a fence were in place. And he’d be watching if they considering putting a fence up.

The seller’s daughter told us that he pushed her 80 year mother around every chance he could. Now this is really sad.

It reminds me of the big bad bully on the  playground. I thought all that silliness stopped in grade school!

Ugh!

Some people don’t like change. They become set in their ways and they grow accustomed to things being a certain way.  They are happy to have things stay the way they’ve always been.  I understand that.

But, my goodness, what a warm welcome to the neighborhood!

The buyers for this property are dear people!  In their excitement, they laughed off their conversations with this belligerent man.  One of them told me that he has no problem in telling this neighbor what he thinks. Since I have known him for years, I have never seen him not speak his mind.  And, I’m certain that sometime, someday, he is going to have to do just that.

Well, congratulations to the buyers in the purchase of their comfortable new home!

But, unfortunately I can see some head butting coming in the near future.  And please, no fist fights!

Best of luck!

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

When people sign a lease to rent a property of mine, I always remind them to get renter’s insurance.  I explain that my insurance policy covers the building itself, the applicances and liability issues that may arise.  However, my policy does not cover their belongings in the event of fire, theft, and natural disasters.

Renters insurance typically covers your belongings in the event of:

fire or lightning strikes or smoke

wind or hail storms

explosion

theft

vandalism or theft

damage from vehicles or aircraft

riot or terrorism

falling objects

faulty plumbing, air conditioners, heating

These items may vary depending on what part of the country you are in.

Floods are usually not covered in a renters policy. This requires a separate flood policy. Also, in hurricane regions you may need an additional rider to cover wind damage.

Many tenants that move into a property tell me that they don’t have enough things to lose should something happen.  Well, not so fast, if you have a fire and you lost everything, how would you manage without insurance to help you cover the cost of buying everything from the start? So many people think that it will never happen to them. Well, unfortunately it does and it’s too late then.

A renters policy with contents coverage and liability can cost anywhere from $180 a year to $250.  Now that’s cheap to replace everything that you have, should you have a catastrophe.

So before you say “no” to that renter’s policy, talk to someone that has suffered a loss, and see what their feelings are on the subject. It’s $20 a month for the peace of mind it can bring. I know two different families that lost everything they owned in two different fires, (they were not both my tenants) and neither had any insurance. They both have insurance now and always will.

NOTE: In checking on policies, be sure to talk to your insurance agent and find out whether they are quoting the policy with actual cash value or replacement coverage on your items.  Actual cash value allows you the amount the item was worth on the day of the loss. The items value has been depreciated over time.

Replacement coverage pays what it costs to replace the item today. Find out which is best for you.

On every lease my tenants sign there are three different places in which I remind them to get renters insurance, and it is explained in detail.  They are required to sign off in all 3 places.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Today, it seems that we have passwords for everything. On some days it feels like I have about a hundred of them, and I can’t always remember what they all are. 

So what do you do?

According to talk show host, Clark Howard, there are some passwords to avoid. 

The top 10 are:

 1.  password

 2.  password 1

 3.  123456

 4.  abc123

 5.  letmein

 6.  monkey

 7.  qwerty

 8.  blink182

 9.  myspace 1

10. your name

These are the first passwords that a hacker tries, when they are attempting to access your account.

Clark also recommends that you don’t use your birthdate, or a family members birthdate. Don’t use the names of your children or your spouse.

Try to come up with something that is completely unrelated to you. And, be sure to have separate passwords for different accounts.  Then, the trick is to remember them all.

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

I love blogging here . 

But, I have been busy working with first time homebuyers that are hoping to get in on the $8000 tax credit that I really haven’t had a chance to write an article.

This picture was taken at the top of Sheikra at Busch Gardens, Tampa Florida.

I take pictures as I enjoy sharing them with others. (Just for the record, I didn’t take this one, as I really don’t like heights.) If you would like to use one of my photos, please ask, I am usually happy to oblige, however I would like to receive mention of having taken the picture.

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Click on the check my ID score banner. It will ask you to enter some of your personal information. Entering your social security number is optional. You may get a more accurate reading if you do.

Scores range from 1 to 1000. 1 is the lowest. 1000 is the highest.  Anything over a 500 means you can be at high risk of having your identity stolen. Clark Howard says that if your score is over a 750 then freeze your credit report asap.

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

This week I have been out showing properties to several different buyers.  They are looking at homes under $125,000. And, and they are hoping to get in under the November 30 deadline for the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit.

All are preapproved, FHA buyers, and two of them are getting bond money.

We have seen some beautiful properties on the MLS.  And, my buyers were excited to get out to these homes to go inside and take a look.

But, I had to keep checking the addresses on the houses we were pulling up to.

Surely, this couldn’t be the house described in the MLS listing. And, surely this must be a picture of a different property.

Now, I know that in the MLS it’s important to present a house in the best possible way, to make it appear as attractive as possible, so that buyers want to go out and look at it.

That’s the key, isn’t it? To get the buyer in the house? Right?

A buyer makes a decision to purchase a property once they are inside a home…  the minute they walk through the front door.  They ‘know’ if that’s the house for them. They don’t make a decision to buy while sitting in their living room, searching the internet.

So, my buyers and I pulled up to this nice home that had attractive pictures in the MLS and was described as, “needs a little cleaning.”  When I opened the front door my buyer immediately grabbed her mouth.

“Oh my …! We stood on the front step, frozen. 

Every window was broken out of the back of the house and shattered into a million tiny pieces.  The house was filled with piles and piles of leftover debris, from a previous occupant.  “This is the filthiest house I have ever seen in my life,” my buyer gasped.  We hadn’t even stepped inside yet. The house was disgusting. We were scared to walk on the carpets. The electricity was off and I did not care to go in. I didn’t know “who” or “what” could be living in this property. Needless to say, we left, without entering the property.

I wondered, again,  if I read the property description correctly.

“This cannot be the house that I saw in the pictures,” the buyer insisted.  That was the second time in 2 days that a buyer made a comment about the pictures online, looking completely different than the house.

“Who takes the pictures for these homes. They look so good online.” my other buyer prodded. A couple of the homes we looked at had no interior photos online.

We later pulled up to a home described as “a real gem.”   I had to double and triple check the house number to be sure we were at the right place. I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘how long ago had the exterior picture of this house been taken?’ The exterior picture looked attractive. But on the house itself, the shutters were falling off. We could barely see the front of the house for the overgrown bushes, trees and shrubs.  The roof was missing oodles of shingles.  We trudged our way up the walk. We stepped inside the living room and the stench was sickening! We wondered what had died inside this house. The walls and carpets were covered with black grease and grime.

“This one is a real gem, alright,” the buyer said.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have no problem with homes that are fixer up specials.  We work with investors that would welcome the opportunity to purchase a property that needs work for the right price. I have investment properties of my own.

But, tell me in the listing that it’s a fixer up. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time for these buyers to look at these places. These types of homes would never be approved under FHA guidelines.

With as busy as we are today, it would be impossible to preview each property, prior to viewing it with a buyer. I tell my buyers to do a drive by, if they have a chance, so they can see if they like the area, first. Often times this rules out many properties. Having seen so many of them with other clients, this helps to rule them out ahead of time for particular buyers.

I looked at 9 properties with two buyers in 2 days. All of the listings indicated that they would accept FHA/VA financing. With my guess, 4 of them would have qualified for FHA or VA.

In our area, right now, houses under $125,000 are selling quickly! Attractive homes, at good prices are selling within days, with multiple offers. Investors, first time homebuyers, out of area buyers and international buyers are scooping them up!

So, we know that the pickins’ are slim right now. There are not a lot of clean houses to choose from.

I have to wonder, when I look at a listing and see, “Needs a little TLC, does that mean the house needs a bulldozer, instead!

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Hurricane season is upon us. And some homeowners haven’t spoken to their insurance agent in years, nor have they updated their coverage!

Do you have enough coverage on your home?

This is an important question at this time of year for the southeastern part of the country.  Hurricane season began June 1 and ends November 30.

The tropics have been busy this past week with 3 named storms.

The cost to rebuild has increased over the years and the insurance company typcially determines how much coverage you should need based on this figure.  But what if you haven’t spoken to your insurance agent in years?

Does your policy cover flooding? Or do you have a separate flood policy?

Does your policy cover mold and mildew?

Does your current insurance policy adequately cover the belongings in your home?

All of these questions are so important at this time of year. 

If there is a named storm within specific demographic boundaries your insurance company cannot issue a policy nor can they make any changes to an existing policy.  Here in Brevard County Florida the box is at 70 degrees longitude and 33 degrees latitude. In Florida this includes any storm in the Gulf of Mexico. This can include a named tropical storm or a named hurricane, either one.  This precaution is in place so people cannot call their insurance companies when a hurricane is upon them.

Yesterday, there were about 3 hours that the insurance companies could not bind or change insurance coverage for their customers because of hurricane Claudette in the Gulf.

Most companies will allow you to make a coverage change midterm in your policy. But, typically they will not allow you to make another change again until your policy anniversary date.

And remember, it takes 30 days for a flood insurance policy to go into effect. And changes to a flood policy take 30 days.

Don’t wait, call your insurance agent today to be sure your property is adequately covered this hurricane season. Some people found they didn’t have the coverage they needed in years past.

NOTE: These pictures were taken this morning of Hurricane Bill. Bill’s projected path currently pulls it off to the North and well away from land.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

We receive so many inquiries about the quality of our schools here in Brevard County Florida. We have a number of excellent schools to choose from, and often times buyers make their home purchase decision based on which school district they would like to live in.

There is so much information available online regarding schools. The Brevard County School Board Website is a great place to start your search.  There you will find the Brevard Public School Scorecard, where you can input the school of your choice, and view their rankings and see how well they did in key areas.

Type in a street address and find out which school the area is districted for.

Or visit the school page of my site and you can perform your own search, find a preschool, private schools, homeschools, or you can compare different schools. 

Whether you are considering a home purchase or are already situated in a home, check online for help in answering your questions about our local schools.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

My family and I just came back from a visit to the West Coast of Florida, about 2 hours and 20 minutes from our home in Melbourne. Busch Gardens opened more than 42 years ago and is the home of Anheuser Busch and the World Famous Clydesdale Horses.  I hadn’t been to Busch Gardens in 25 years.

It rained the entire drive over to Tampa, and the prediction was that there would be 80% chance of rain for the day. But, we had already prepaid for the hotel and the park. So, we figured we would just get a little bit wet.

There are 4 steel roller coasters; Sheikra, Scopion, Montu and Kumba and one wooden one, Gwazi. There are 3 water rides, a couple of children’s sections in the park. There is a full day of things to do there.

There are some great shows that you shouldn’t miss: Katonga, Dance to the Music, Creative Critters, Pirates 4D.

  There were so many gorgeous sights to see and the grounds are impeccably maintained.

Busch Gardens sits on 335 acres and is Florida’s largest zoo.

It is home to hundreds of species of animals, and birds,

Many are on the endangered species list.

We visited the re creation of King Tut’s tomb.

We saw the World Famous Clydesdale horses that pull the Budweiser beer wagon.

This underwater sleeping hippo reached up every 3 to 5 minutes for a breath of air.

Sheikra was the first vertical drop roller coaster in the United States.

It is tied for being the tallest coaster.

This is at the top of floorless Sheikra.

Passengers are held at the top for 3-5 seconds, hanging over the edge.

  Then they take a 90 degree, 200 foot drop.

No thanks, I don’t like huge drops, so I just watched and took pictures.

All of the animals were out, because it was such a cool day.

The girls always love the Carousel.

Feeding time for the African Elephants.

This lion was trying to stay out of the rain.

The park is also home to Montu, the largest and fastest inverted steel roller coaster in the world.  This was the only roller coaaster that I went on. But, I had to be a trooper and go on at least one of them. 

I’m not much of a coaster fan, but my husband, oldest daughter, and the 2 friends we brought with us, can’t get enough of them. 

On our first day in the park we got pretty soaked. It rained alot. The rides had to be shut down frequently throughout the day due to inclement weather.  The park had to be closed early so we asked for rainchecks.  The park extended our tickets until the end of the year, for unlimited admission. We were tickled!

We headed back the following day, for a much better day, with the sun peeking from behind the clouds. It stayed nice and cool all day, with just a few sprinkles of rain.

We will get back over to Busch Gardens a couple more times before the end of the year.

If you plan a trip to Busch Gardens, and have never been there before, there’s a lot to see. So spend a couple of days there. 

Busch Gardens was one of the most beautiful theme parks I have ever visited.

And the animals were magnificent.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.