Alligators on the Golf Course? I Think I’ll Just Leave My Golf Ball…
My husband was recently out one Sunday afternoon golfing with a couple of his friends. As they were rounding the 14th hole, his friend Trevor hit his ball way over by the lake. When Trevor went to find his ball, this is what he found instead…a Florida gator, out sunning himself. Needless to say, Trevor never found his ball, nor did he even attempt to look for it.
These gators should be left alone under ALL circumstances.
When buyers come in from out of town, they always ask about alligators. Often times we tell them if there is a body of fresh water around there may be an alligator living in it. It really depends on where you are. I have only seen 1 or 2 of these gators out sunning themself in the 34 years I have lived here in Brevard County, except, of course, for the ones that we have at our local zoo.
Different people have had different experiences.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
Should A Home Inspection Be Done on a Brand New Home?
I am currently working with a buyer that signed a contract to purchase a brand new home from a local reputable builder. The home is complete and ready to move into.
While we were out looking at properties, new construction, as well as resale homes, we began discussing inspections.
Should a home inspection and a termite inspection be done on a brand new, never lived in home, purchased directly from the builder? The builder is offering a full new home warranty on the property.
Obviously, it is the buyer’s decision.
Could the builder have missed something?
Could there be improper wiring in the house?
Could there be shoddy construction?
Are there any number of items that could be wrong, that the buyer may not be aware of?
Isn’t a home inspection for the protection of the homebuyer?
Isn’t a home inspection an extra security net, even on a brand new home?
Absolutely.
Home inspections are done so the new homebuyer can be made aware of problems or see potential problems, before they purchase a home. And these items can be brought to the attention of the builder, and be fixed, prior to closing.
What about a termite inspection?
The termite inspection is also for the protection of the homebuyer. Termites do hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage each year.
Remember, when hiring a home or termite inspector, be sure they are licensed, insured and reputable. You may want to consider a certified general contractor for the job.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
World Famous Ron Jon Surf Shop
I think that everyone that has heard of Cocoa Beach, Florida has heard of Ron Jon Surf Shop. I marvel at how ginormous (that would be giant and enormous all in one) it has become.
Ron Jon has become the Worlds Most Famous Surf shop. The multi level store, which is open 24 hours a day, is over 52,000 square feet. And sells beach wear, surfboards, bikinis, and anything else you can think of that you might need for a day at the beach.
Ron Jon is a tourist attraction in and of itself. It has become so popular that over 2 million people from around the world visit it each year. Now that’s pretty amazing!
Ron Jon often boasts community events with bands, music and often big name surfers.
Ron Jon is located at the corner of Highway A1A and State Road 520. It’s hard to miss.
A visit to Cocoa Beach must include a visit to Ron Jon Surf Shop.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
The World’s Largest Cruise Ship is Coming Home to Cape Canaveral Florida
Having been working in Cape Canaveral this week helping a buyer purchase a condo, I just heard that Royal Caribbean will be bringing in the world’s largest cruise ship on May 4, 2009 and Cape Canaveral will be it’s home.
The Freedom of the Seas will be 1100 feet long, and hold over 4300 passengers. It will house over 1300 crew members. The ship features a skating rink, a surfing simulator machine, and a boxing ring.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
A Visit to Cape Canaveral Florida
He is currently here in the states for 10 days to purchase a property and then he will go back to England. We have spent several days looking at properties in Cape Canaveral Florida.
It’s funny as I talk to him, so often his comments are, ” I know, I read that in your blog online.” He indicated that he’s been reading my blog for sometime now, from over in England. I LOVE IT!
So, I wanted to share some pictures of some of the beautiful sights we have seen during his visit here.
This was taken at the Costa Del Rio Condo Complex in Cape Canaveral. This is what you would have to look at every morning when you get up.
We got a kick out of this sign at a local pond.
No trip to Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral would be complete without a visit to the World Famous Cocoa Beach Pier. This is where surfing contests are held and contestants come from all over the country to compete.
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We spotted about 10 of these manatees in the backyard of a Cape Canaveral Condo complex that we visited. In my 35+ years of living here, I have never seen so many manatees in one spot.
We saw alot of momma manatees with their babies.
This was the view out the balcony of one of the condos we looked at.
This was the same Cape Canaveral Complex as the sun was setting.
These complexes sit on the Indian River Lagoon and are just blocks from the Atlantic Ocean.
So, many great reasons to live in Cape Canaveral Florida.
It is absolutely breathtaking!
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
Stay Away from the Man ‘O War or Jellyfish You May See
Some can have tentacles that are several inches long.
If you do step on one of these, wash the area with salt water or fresh water quickly.
If the pain continues you can apply heat or cold whichever works better.
Try to stay away from these as some people are severely allergic to them. They can cause difficulty breathing and can cause large welts.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News
Yes, You Can Buy A House today…Wait, No You Can’t!
I had a situation with a buyer in the past couple of weeks that had spoken to an internet lender they were not familiar with, to get preapproved to buy a home. This is not to say that all internet lenders are bad, however you must know who you are doing business with.
The buyer received a good faith estimate with an interest rate that was 1/2% higher than the going rate. And, the estimate had a $2895 mortgage broker fee attached to the loan! Ouch! There aren’t many buyers in this market than can afford a fee like that tacked onto their loan.
I always recommend buyers talk to more than one lender to be sure they are being quoted the best rate and terms on their mortgage. I also recommend they talk to a local lender, as they work in and understand the Brevard County Real Estate Market.
So, I recommended to this buyer that she contact another couple of lenders, here locally that she could speak to about getting a mortgage. She did. The first lender she talked to is reputable and has been working for the same company for many years. He advised this buyer that her ratios were too high and he wouldn’t be able to do the FHA loan for her at this time. He told her what she needed to do to fix her problem areas.
Both lenders were going to do FHA financing with 3.5% down!
She was completely confused as to why one lender told her it would be no problem to get an FHA loan and buy a house and the other lender told her that she needed to get some items on her credit in order, before she could proceed ahead. Well, I explained to her that it would be the difference between whether she would actually be getting to the closing and actuallly buying the house.
One lender is going to tell you upfront there’s no problems. He will collect upfront fees, the buyer will pay for inspections, credit report, appraisal, etc. only to find out that halfway through the transaction her ratios are not in line with FHA guidelines. So, then she will be denied, after she has spent a good bit of money.
The other lender played it straight from the hip. He told her right upfront, that there are things that must be addressed before she can purchase a home. He told her today she cannot qualify for an FHA loan. This lender will save all parties involved from signing a contract to purchase with a seller, paying exorbinant fees, and wasting everyone’s time.
Basically, the third lender she spoke with gave her the same info that the second one did. She would not qualify today to purchase a home today, until she cleared up a couple of issues.
Give me the lender that’s going to tell me today that it’s just not going to work out for the buyer right now.
And, stay away from the shady internet scammers that are still making their monies off of upfront application fees.
She has decided to address her issues immediately, and hopefully will be back in the market, after talking to a local lender, within the next 6 months.
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News
50% of Contracts Fall Anyway…What?
trying to remain educated to the ever changing market. I recently received an offer on one of my listings from another agent. There was no preapproval letter attached to the offer. I thought perhaps I had missed it amongst the paperwork. Not seeing it, I put a call into the buyer’s agent. I thanked her for the offer to purchase. And, I asked if she could send me a preapproval letter.
She indicated that her buyer was not preapproved. She said the buyer had not talked to a lender yet.
Okay, I thought. Well, I know things have been changing quickly, but was this something new? Presenting an offer with financing from a buyer, without them talking to a lender first?
“They haven’t spoken to a lender yet? They’re not preapproved for a mortgage?” I asked.
“No,” she responded. “They want to see if the seller will take their price first, before they talk to a lender.”
I was stumped at this point.
She continued, “well, you know, 50% of contracts fall anyway.”
Our current market is crazy, but tell me that’s it’s not getting this out of control!
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate
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