Big Pine Key Homes for sale plus the Lower Keys

1. Not Understanding the importance of  controlling Depth.

When buying waterfront property, both the actual value of the property and it’s usefulness as to boating are governed by controlling depth.

What is controlling depth?

It is the depth at which your boat can safely get to open water at average low tide. Another way to look at it is boating draft.

For example, most sailboats have at minimum a 4 foot draft—meaning they need at least 4ft of water to safely navigate without running aground.

So-If you own a sailboat or are ever considering the purchase of one, the waterfront property you buy has to have at least 4 feet of controlling depth.

How does this affect value?

People that own 50 ft boats and larger sailboats, that require 4 to 5 foot draft, will find that neighborhoods have  controlling depths of 4-5 feet or more are typically more expensive as to real estate prices.

To Consider.

Even if you don’t own a boat, you may want to buy one in the future or will possibly have friends coming to visit that do have a larger boat. So first and foremost take Controlling depth into consideration.

2. Not knowing what types of Boats are allowed.

Generally there is no problem with pleasure craft, however jet skis and commercial fishing boats can be a problem based on neighborhood (subdivision) restrictions (if any)

For example: Many boating communities frown upon Jet Skis due to the noise. If you plan on using jet skis or having friends that use them, look into any restrictions.

The same thing goes for commercial boats.

3. Not paying attention to Flood Zones.

What type of Flood zone is the home you are buying?

For example flood insurance for a home in a VE will be triple that of a home in an AE zone. So one of the first things to find out is the Flood zone and then check with a local insurance company as to costs.

4. Using outside of the area lenders.

If you are buying waterfront property in Florida and are considering a lender in Colorado, you can have a problem.  Why?

Because lenders outside of the state can place prohibitive restrictions on a property.

For example, some lenders will feel that any waterfront home bought in Florida needs to be constructed of Concrete block as opposed to wood frame, due to potential hurricane damage.

Be sure to talk to Local (at least State) lenders, as they will be familiar with the area.

5. Not determining area (county or subdivision) rental Laws.

If you are considering using your waterfront home as a rental, look into the area or subdivision zoning laws as to rental periods allowed.

For example-can you only rent monthly-every 6 months or are weekly rentals allowed. Whatever the law, it will make a big difference in both ease of renting and your potential income.

These are just some of the most important issues to seriously look into. As your Agent, I will help guide you through all of this.

Diane Corliss
REALTOR®GRI
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
29967 Overseas Hwy.
Big Pine Key, FL 33043.
Direct: 305-849-0934
Office: 305-872-5285
Fax: 305-768-0660
Diane@ DianeCorliss.com

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There appears to be a consensus that an urban life style is stressful, expensive and perhaps unhealthy. Cities like New York or Chicago may provide certain economic opportunities, but the question is, at what cost? Most sense that the pace of life in these cities is too challenging and if other living opportunities arise, many are opting for a different (more relaxing) life style. For instance the populations of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and most other larger urban centers has declined over the period from 1950 through 2000, despite the fact that general population within the U.S. has increased.

How Healthy is City Life?

There may be many reasons for this decline, but chief among them are stress, cost, noise and air pollution. All of these factors have taken a toll on not only the total population count, but the overall well being of the city dweller, as well. A recent book, entitled Unhealthy Places by Kevin Fitzpatrick and Mark LaGory zeroes in on the ecology, sociology and general unhealthiness of urban life. Certainly, virtually anyone with a daily newspaper or seeing the evening news can see the number of deaths attributed to crime or traffic.

While these statistics may actually indicate a decrease, the general perception however, is that living or working in large city is either dangerous or unhealthy. Economic factors also play a role in the population decline. Many city dwellers in years past have fled the large urban centers for the “safety” and relative security of the suburbs. However, urban sprawl has also assailed the safe harbor of the suburbanite and many in suburban areas bordering the city are seeing their taxes and crime spiking upward.

The Effects of a Rise in Stress

This is particularly true of the suburbs surrounding cities like New York or Boston with state income and real estate taxes continuing to rise. With a continuing increase in stress factors, it has been pointed out that many other bad lifestyle choices contribute to a decline in overall health. According to Science Daily.com, “When people are under chronic stress, they tend to smoke, drink, use drugs and overeat to help cope with stress. These behaviors trigger a biological cascade that helps prevent depression, but they also contribute to a host of physical problems that eventually contribute to early death.”

A Change in Location Venue Will Help

How best to address these problems? Many are solving the problem by simply moving away from it entirely, mostly to the southern states. Whether they can find useful work or simply retire is certainly a factor. However, with population growth within the southern states continuously rising, various industries will undoubtedly provide employment for many.  This movement away from urban centers to the south has been occurring over the last several years. As indicated below from 1990 through 2000, the populations of the southern states rose substantially compared with New York and Massachusetts:

• • Florida  increase: 3,044,452 a change of +23.5%
• • Georgia               increase: 1,708,237 a change of +26.4%
• • North Carolina    increase: 1,420,676 a change of +21.4%
• • South Carolina    increase: 525,309                a change of +15.1%
• • New York           increase: 986,002                 a change of   +5.5%
• • Massachusetts     increase: 332,672                a change of    +5.5%

Notice that the two northern states listed have the highest overall state taxes. With declines in tax revenues which are tied to the weak economy, these states have imposed even more taxes! So many more northern state dwellers are fleeing southward. Most who have moved southward feel that the move overall was worth it for both health and economic reasons.

Florida’s is a great place to consider.

Many from the north are attracted to Florida for several obvious reasons: no state income taxes, relatively low real estate taxes and the fact that there are real bargains to be found  in real estate. These features makes Florida an ever more attractive place to live and work.

If one is searching for vacation and/or home value, the Florida Keys offer an excellent place to live, work or retire. The Florida Keys, possess a special charm rooted in a history with a perpetual vacation mind set featuring excellent fishing, diving and boating. The Keys is an excellent choice and there are properties to be found whatever your taste and budget is.

Diane Corliss
REALTOR®GRI
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
29967 Overseas Hwy.
Big Pine Key, FL 33043.
Direct: 305-849-0934
Office: 305-872-5285
Fax: 305-768-0660
Diane@ DianeCorliss.com

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There is a lot of hard work that goes into buying or selling a house.

With today’s market and economy, that hard work has become even tougher.

That is exactly why it is critically important that you hire an expert to help you navigate through all the details and negotiations.

Yes, there are lots of Real Estate Agents, but not all of them may be looking out for your best interest. Therefore the first thing you need to do in this process is to find a real estate agent that you can trust, that has experience and importantly has great negotiation skills.

From the experience side of things.

A few things to ask a prospective agent?

How long have you been in Real Estate?

Do you do this full time?

What are your sales stats for the last couple years.

(These may seem like intrusive questions, but any top-producing agent will actually welcome them)

The importance of Negotiation.

Negotiating is probably the most important skill that an agent can possess. The agent could be an excellent salesperson, but without negotiating skills you might not be getting the best deal for your dollar.

A really great agent will listen to the concerns of both the buyer and the seller and then work on something that benefits both parties.

A great negotiator will ask the proper questions to find out exactly what those concerns are, and in addition what each side wants to ultimately accomplish.

The goal being, to turn your transaction into a win-win situation for both parties.

Area knowledge.

An agent should have in-depth knowledge of the area in which the property is located.

From a seller’s perspective, knowing the actual value of the property and how much the sellers could get for it is vital.

From the buyer’s perspective, the agent should know about schools, local amenities and even which local business are in the surrounding area. On the subject of tax rates, building codes, home repairs and insurance costs, an experienced agent can also point out exactly where to get the information.

In conclusion, picking an agent that has the experience and negotiating skills to help with selling or buying a home is an incredibly important step. Be careful to choose a strong partner in your pursuit of either selling or buying.

Diane Corliss
REALTOR®GRI
Coldwell Banker Schmitt
29967 Overseas Hwy.
Big Pine Key, FL 33043.
Direct: 305-849-0934
Office: 305-872-5285
Fax: 305-768-0660
Diane@ DianeCorliss.com

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