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6 REASONS for Investing in Florida Real Estate Investment Property NOW

I invite you to take the next few minutes to learn the truth about the real estate market, how it compares to other methods of building assets and why it is such a lucrative form of investing. Many potential investors will say, ‘I need to get into the Florida Investment Property market’, especially taking into account current stock market fluctuations and the HOT market for investment properties, but simply don’t know the facts about Orlando property investing and how to use sale and leaseback method of property management.

When is the last time your financial advisor or stockbroker tried to convince you that moving a portion of your assets into the Florida Investment Property market might be a good idea? Never Right? The ‘why’ is simple. They don’t earn commissions when you buy Florida Investment Property. It is also likely that you have probably never had an ‘apples to apples’ comparison of stocks versus Florida Investment Property quite like the one you will see here.

Reason 1:

Leverage: Banks will not typically loan money to buy stocks. Banks will however, compete fiercely to loan money to buy Florida Investment Property. Your first question should be, ‘why is that’? It has to do with risk management, which we will discuss later. The fact that banks want to loan you money to buy Florida Investment Property creates a situation which we will call LEVERAGE.

Let’s assume that you have $10,000 to put into some type of investment. If you choose to buy $10,000 worth of stocks, you will own exactly $10,000 worth of stocks. Pretty straight-forward. However, suppose you choose to invest that $10,000 into Florida Investment Property using a 90% mortgage (which in many cases can go up to 95-100% mortgages in today’s market), you will own $100,000 worth of Florida Investment Property. If both of your investments were to appreciate by 10%, your actual gain with your stocks would be $1000 where your actual gain with Florida Investment Property would be $10,000. That equates to an actual 10% return on investment vs. a 100% return on investment. That’s what we call leverage.

Leverage: Florida Real Estate vs. Stocks

The traditional argument against Florida Investment Property Investing (mainly from Stock Brokers) has always been ‘I can get an average of 10% from stocks with little effort so why would I invest in Orlando Investment Property that only appreciates 6-7% per year’? This point-of-view is not taking leverage into account.

If you take the above statement to be true and compare the REAL numbers, the stock investment gained 10% of the initial $10,000 value (or $1000) and the Orlando Investment Property investment gained 6% of the initial $100,000 value (or $6000). That is still an actual return of 10% versus 60%. It is not hard to see which investment provides a greater immediate return on investment. Additionally. these numbers do not take into account any income from your property during the course of the year, or the substantial tax advantages to owning property, which we will discuss later.

Reason 2:

Value: As we mentioned previously, if you invest $10,000 into purchasing stocks, you own $10,000 worth of stocks (a fairly obvious point). If you invest $10,000 into purchasing Orlando Investment Property using the leverage of a 90% mortgage, you own $100,000 worth of Orlando Investment Property right? Well, only if you paid retail for your property. Any savvy investor will tell you that there are excellent deals to be had in Orlando Investment Property, you just have to find them.

What if you purchased a $100,000 property that happened to be worth $110,000 the day you bought it? Does it happen? The answer is yes, all the time. If you have your eyes open and are willing to ‘go through the numbers’ to find good deals, they are all around you. You may be asking yourself, why would anybody sell a $110,000 property for $100,000?

Value: Making money when you buy.

The reasons are endless as to why a quick sale is desired, but just to name a few: job relocation, divorce, an estate is being settled or maybe a current appraisal on the property simply wasn’t done prior to selling. By ‘finding this deal’ you have accomplished two things.

You have added $10,000 to your asset column in the form of equity.

You have created additional LEVERAGE for yourself as the value of your property increases (a 6-10% gain on $110,000 is better than a 6-10% gain on $100,000!) Remember, you make money in Orlando Investment Property when you buy, not when you sell.

Reason 3:

Control: Let’s take our assumption one step further. When you buy your $10,000 worth of stocks, what can you do to increase its value? If we follow the previous assumption, you have invested $10,000 using a 90% mortgage to purchase a $100,000 property that has an actual value of $110,000 because you ‘found a good deal’. So what can you do to further increase the value of your new $110,000 property?

It is amazing what a cleanup, a little landscaping and a paint job can do to increase the value of a property. Only a few hundred dollars well spent can result in huge value gains in Orlando Investment Property. Your $110,000 property with a little effort could easily be worth $115,000, $120,000 or more virtually overnight! Do you have to do any of this work yourself? Absolutely not! If you like to do that sort of thing then have at it, but if not, simply hire it done and accept a little lower net gain.

Reason 4:

Superior Tax Position: The tax code in the United States is geared to reward Investors who make housing and other property available to the population. When you invest in stocks, you are taxed at some of the highest rates in the tax code. When you invest in Orlando Investment Property, you put yourself in one of the best tax positions in the business world. Remember the wealthy that hold substantial portions of their assets in Orlando Investment Property? Tax advantages are one of the main reasons this is true.

Continuing with the above example, let’s say that you have completed your ‘deal’ with the $10,000 invested with a 90% mortgage to purchase the $100,000 property that appraised for $110,000 (because you ‘found a good deal’), which you improved to say, $115,000 by spending another $1000 on cleanup etc. Assume that one year passes and the Orlando Investment Property market grew by 6%, your property would now be worth $122,000. So far, so good right? If you are like most people, you may want to spend some of your hard earned money.

Let’s do the numbers. You have a mortgage at current rates that started at $90,000 and after a year worth of payments (the majority of which are tax deductible) you still owe approximately $89,000. However, your property is now worth approximately $122,000. If you were to refinance at 90% once again, you would take out a new mortgage of approximately $110,000. This will leave you with approximately $21,000 in cash in your pocket. Now, the BIG question; do you have to pay tax on that money? Absolutely Not! You have not sold the property or realized a ‘capital gain’. You have simply borrowed money from yourself. You are able to do what you wish with that money, free from any tax whatsoever. Obviously, a good strategy might be to purchase two more properties just like your first deal!

Also, we have not taken into account the fact that ALL of your interest payments on this property are tax deductible. In addition, you are also able to depreciate the property itself and all of its contents for additional tax advantages if you choose to do so.

Let’s be fair and compare the Orlando Investment Property tax position with the stock scenario. Assume that the $10,000 initial stock investment grew by 10% in the first year, creating a gain of $1000 and you wish to access it. If you draw it out, you will pay from 20-28% (or higher) in capital gains tax in order to have access to this money. This reduces your net gain to $800 (actual 8%) or less, depending on your tax situation. Compare that to Orlando Investment Property and you are beginning to get the picture.

Reason 5:

Limit Your Exposure To Risk

Risk Management: Do you remember at the top when we said that banks would compete fiercely to loan you money on Orlando Investment Property? The answer to the ‘why’ is very simple. Low Risk. Banks incur little if any risk when loaning money on Orlando Investment Property due to the steady, solid growth rate of the property market, as well as the fact that if you default on your payments they will simply sell the property to somebody else. This is in direct contrast to the volatile stock market, which can vary daily with sharp increases and decreases in value. Furthermore, banks realize that a property isn’t going anywhere, whereas many investors know all too well about .com and other types of companies that were there yesterday and gone today.

This is all not to say that Orlando Investment Property markets don’t go down from time to time, however the dips are much less dramatic than that which can take place in the stock market, proven out by the banks’ willingness to loan money on property.

Reason 6:

Protecting your peace of mind.

Finally, Now that we understand the value of leverage and risk management we realize that a 6% Orlando Investment Property gain ‘beats the pants off’ a 10% stock gain in actual return on investment by a wide margin (approximately 50%, not taking into account several factors that can increase this number such as tax advantages, income on property etc.) Owning good, solid Orlando Investment Property allows you to sleep at night, or go on an extended vacation without worrying about your asset column. This is directly opposed to holding a substantial percentage of your assets in stocks.

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Posted by floridian - April 10, 2012 at 6:43 am

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How to Procure the Lowest Rates For Florida Homeowners Insurance

What drives up the rates of Florida Homeowners Insurance?

According to the Florida department of insurance here are but a few of the driving forces:

Increased Reinsurance Costs of insurers
Premium reductions from the full implementation of mitigation discounts
Fraud and Inflated Claims
Erroneous or fraudulent wind mitigation credits at the retail level
Replacement cost methodology
Reported sinkhole claims
Catastrophic Assessment fees applied due to 2004-05 hurricanes

These increased cost and claim payouts by insurers affect the capital and stability that insurers need to remain profitable and stable in order to continue paying claims therefore a necessity that the cost be passed on to insured’s.. Additionally the selections of private homeowner’s insurance companies are rapidly evaporating providing fewer and fewer choices. So what can you do to at least me informed and prepared.

Homeowners Saving Tips to Consider when Purchasing a New Home

Choose a smaller Home -Square feet- size is still king the bigger the home the higher the replacement cost

Choose a Home with Updates - avoid older homes with outdated wiring Knob and Tube, Plumbing and heating, AC

Choose a home with Fire Protection -Distance to fire station and fire hydrant

Consider the age of the roof 10 years or newer for shingle roof can be 15 for tile roof

Consider Construction materials- masonry block built over frame built

Consider Flood Zones- Is the home in a flood zone ( Your lender may require additional flood insurance)

Current Homeowners Seeking Best Rate at Renewal or Replacement

Avoid Claims- Claims are reported to CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) in some instances even if you do not choose to move forward with the claim, example suppose you had water damage from an AC or pipe burst, you filed a claim and the insurer determined to cost to repair or replace was $2000 and you had a $2500 deductible even though the company did not pay out and you covered the cost, this claim could go on the exchange and prevent you from qualifying for the most affordable rate or company.

Manage Your Policy Premium Optional Coverages to Lower Your Premium:

1. Raise your deductibles options are: $500, $1000, $2500,$5000

2. Choosing depreciated personal property over full replacement

Removing optional sinkhole coverage

3. Lower Other Structures Coverage- Detached garage, Fencing, Pool Cages, Pools This is standard at 10% of Dwelling coverage adjustments that affect your premium can be made from 10%,5%,2% or excluded altogether.

4. Lower Personal Property coverage Everything not attached you own- Appliances, Furnishings Standard is 50% of the dwelling amount Some carriers allow you to decrease anywhere from 45% to minimum of 25%

5. Lower Owners Liability Coverage- Can be adjusted either $100,000 or $300,000

6. Lower Medical payments to others- Optional $2000, $3000, $4000,$5000

7. Raise Hurricane Deductible- flat $500, 2%, 5,%, 10%, or Excluded coverage

Research Discounts You May Qualify For:

Ask your agent for discounts up front, some companies don’t offer them or have discontinued them. Discounts can be applied for the following: protective devices, newer home credit, wind mitigation, type of roof.

1. Protective Devices- Monitored Fire alarm, Burglar alarm, Gated community, guard gated community

2. Age of home- all homes built in 2002 or newer will receive a 68% new home discount on the hurricane-wind portion of your premium.

3. Wind Mitigation Credits- insurance companies are required Homes built after 2001 are automatically given the wind mitigation discount due to building code requirements however homes built prior to 2001 which have added a new roof after 2001 can provide a wind mitigation inspection from the roofing contractor or order a “Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection” form (1802 form) about $90-$150 the saving can make a big difference in your homeowners annual premium depending on several factors by law to offer Windstorm Loss Mitigation discounts to homeowners that qualify. WLM is the act of minimizing the amount of loss that is caused by wind damage to your home.

4. Roof Type- HIP roof credit provides a substantial credit for the roof elevation type. Thr roof must not include more than 50% of any other type of elevationon any one side.

5. Multi-Policy discounts- offer your auto to your agent to see if you can get a joint policy discount

6. Retired homeowner- over 55 discount

Shop Carriers

1. Use an Independent who has access to many carrier and let them do the shopping for you

2. Ask your agent for an annual review each year to determine any changes or rate options

3. Stay abreast of current rate hikes and what carriers are filing for them

Avoid Carriers who have filed for Recent rate Increase Approval from the State if possible

Allstate- Castle Key Insurance- Castle Key Indemnity has filed for average 17.9%

State Farm- was granted a 14.8 % increase

Royal Palm- granted 21.7%

Citizens-granted 8.4%

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Posted by floridian - April 10, 2012 at 3:07 am

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Finding Florida Condo Insurance

Prior to 1992, finding insurance to meet the needs of a condo owner was not much trouble. However, after Hurricane Andrew slammed the Florida coast in 1992, causing homeowners and insurers alike millions of dollars, finding adequate insurance for a Florida condo started to get harder. Finding condo insurance in Florida has only gotten more difficult as more hurricanes destroyed property across Florida in 2004 and 2005.

The extensive damage to condos caused by these violent forces of nature and the subsequent expense to insurance companies was enough to drive many insurance out of the condo insurance business altogether. Those who remained drastically raised the cost of coverage. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to get even the very basic insurance you need to meet the requirements of the law and of your condo association as a Florida condo owner.

The Florida Condo Insurance Crises

Condo owners in Florida are coming up against some very substantial obstacles in meeting the insurance requirements for their Florida condos. It has become very difficult to even find a company that wants to cover a condo in Florida. Every year more and more insurance companies in Florida drop their coverage options for Florida condos. Those that do still offer Florida condo insurance only extend coverage to condos that were built to the higher building code standards of post-Hurricane Andrew Florida. At this time, there are only an average of 10 private insurance companies offering condo insurance in any given Florida county.

The Citizens Option

Because Florida owners are required by law to carry insurance on their condo, many are finding that they are forced to settle for getting their mandatory insurance through Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. While having Citizens insurance coverage may be better than having no coverage at all, the state run insurance company has shown itself to be hindered by many of the inherent problems of a government bureaucratic organization.

Because Customers of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation covers so many condo owners in Florida, customers often find that they have to wait a very long time to receive payment on their insurance claims. When your property is damaged, you need it replace quickly. Citizens simply cannot achieve the rapid response that Florida condo owners need and expect.

Even worse, Citizens is currently underfunded to pay out the numerous claims that are continually being filed. This leads to even longer wait times to get the money you need to replace your possessions or repair damage to your Florida condo. Couple this with all around sub-par customer service and many Citizens customers find their insurance experience completely unsatisfactory.

Finding a Private Insurer

Many Florida owners find that, even though Citizens Property Insurance Corporation isn’t a preferable option, it’s the only one they have. As more and more private insurers drop out of the condo insurance game, there simply aren’t enough private insurers to provide coverage for the large number of Florida condo owners. However, if you own a condo in Florida, you can still get coverage. You don’t have to settle for sub-par service and coverage from Citizens. You can get the coverage you need and the service you expect from your Florida condo insurance provider.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 11:21 pm

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Do Stock Plans Contain Everything I Need to Build in the State of “Insert Here”

One question that we receive almost every day is whether or not the plan package for plan 1234 contains everything that a person would need to build the home in the state of “INSERT STATE / LOCATION HERE”… As such, we wanted to provide some additional information to clarify the subject.

In most areas of the country, these stock house plans will be everything you need to build, but not necessarily everything you need to obtain a building permit.

In addition to the house plans you order, you may also need a site plan that shows where the house is going to be located on the property. You might also need beams sized to accommodate roof loads specific to your region. Your home builder can usually help you with this. You may also need a septic design unless your lot is served by a sanitary sewer system. Many areas now have area-specific energy codes that also have to be followed. This normally involves filling out a simple form providing documentation that your house plans are in compliance.

In some regions, there is a second step you will need to take to insure your house plans are in compliance with local codes. Some areas of North America have very strict engineering requirements. Examples of this would be earthquake-prone areas of California and the Pacific Coast, hurricane risk areas of the Florida, Gulf & Carolina Coasts. New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and parts of Illinois require review by a local professional as well. If you are building in these areas, it is most likely you will need to hire a state licensed structural engineer to analyze the design and provide additional drawings and calculations required by your building department. If you aren’t sure, building departments typically have a handout they will give you listing all of the items they require to submit for and obtain a building permit.

Additionally, stock plans do not have a professional stamp attached. If your building department requires one, they will only accept a stamp from a professional licensed in the state where you plan to build. In this case, you will need to take your house plans to a local engineer or architect for review and stamping. In addition, plans which are used to construct homes in Nevada are required to be drawn by a licensed Nevada architect.

It is always a good idea to check with your local city, municipality, and state building authorities to ensure that your home construction will meet all applicable building codes

Hopefully, the above information will provide you with a good basis for evaluatiing your particular house plan situation.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 7:46 pm

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Owens Corning Duration Premium Shingles: Perfect for Storm-Proofing Your Florida Home

When hurricane season arrives, families all across Florida must prepare themselves and their homes for the inevitable, unstoppable forces of Mother Nature. Her highly-destructive winds devastated South Florida with Andrew and Jeanne, both Southwest and Central Florida with Charley, and the Florida panhandle with Dennis and Ivan.

Those storms caused brutal devastation all across Florida, forcing the state to re-examine its building codes. They also prompted manufacturers to create more roofs designed specifically to withstand hurricane-force winds.

Owens Corning, a leading manufacturer in the roofing industry for over 65 years, designed Duration Premium Shingles with SureNail Technology specifically with Florida homeowners in mind. This roofing system was created with 130-mph wind resistance, which is equivalent to a category 3 hurricane or an F2 tornado.

SureNail Technology makes for a wider nailing area, which allows for improved, consistent installation, and tighter bonding, since narrower nailing areas allow for moisture penetration. Extra-wide adhesive bands help secure the shingles. Combined with Tru-Bond sealant, which grips tightly to the nailing strip on the shingle below, Premium Duration Shingles provide maximum safety and stability for your home.

One step below the Premium Duration Shingles are the Duration Shingles. When used with SureNail Technology, this roofing system can withstand 110-mph winds. They are slightly thinner and feature a 30 year warranty. The Premium shingles have a lifetime limited warranty. Both also feature algae resistance, another problem with Florida rain. Both come in a variety of colors and shadow lines.

While it has been a few years since Florida has seen those types of storms, it doesn’t mean homeowners can be lax when it comes to storm-proofing their homes. Those types of storms can very easily happen again, so it’s important that you check and make sure your home is up-to-date on all the latest guidelines. Many professional roofing companies offer free estimates, where they can come out to your home and evaluate your roof. Even if you end up not getting a roof repair or replacement, you’ll have learned something in the process.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 4:41 pm

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The Hurricane Season Is Approaching – A Basic Primer On Hurricane Protection

In mid February a panel of World Meteorological Organization experts released a consensus report (published in the journal Nature Geoscience on 02/21/2010).

What is significant is that the panel consisted of 10 leading experts from both sides of the Global Warming debate. Up to now there has been considerable division between the argument that Global Warming would lead, inevitably, to more hurricanes and tropical storms and those who either do not believe in Global Warming or do not believe in any relationship to increased risk of tropical storms. The consensus report predicts that the NUMBER of storms is likely to decrease but the strength (or intensity) is likely to INCREASE. To some this may be counterintuitive but, given this rare consensus, worth further discussion as to the implications.

First a little background: Our business is exporting hurricane protection to 27 markets in the Caribbean, Mexico and Belize. After a combined 55 years in the region, every one of which has suffered from extensive damage in the past, one would have expected less fatalism and more awareness of the need for protective measures. Arguments we have heard range from “Hurricanes are an act of God, and I dare not defy Him” to ” I am Insured” to the more cynical “I need to remodel my Hotel every 3 or 4 years, so if a hurricane causes damage the Insurance Company will pay and I get the remodeling free” (!)

Whilst we specialize in export the arguments against protecting your property are similar in the U.S.A.

The U.S.A. is a world leader in hurricane protection devices and, more importantly, in strict building codes that often demand hurricane protection, to strict product testing requirements, to the Insurance Industry demanding installed, code compliant, hurricane protection before issuing coverage. Much product development has taken place in the last 10 years and protection is no longer limited to traditional plywood or concertina shutters, both of which have disadvantages, but now offers many new, more economical solutions such as hurricane fabric protection.

One problem hindering greater awareness and up to date product knowledge is that there are literally hundreds of relatively small manufacturers who have not managed to get the word out to the market extensively but tend to rely on customers approaching them. Since most of the retailers only sell one, two or three types of protection the customer, who is usually not aware of the new, code approved and often more economical products, has a limited choice available to him.

The simple fact is that the coast of the U.S.A. from Texas round to at least N. Carolina is in the danger area up to many miles inland. Much as we all (and I include the Government) may sympathize with the victims of hurricane damage there probably will come a point, given our present economic climate, when neither the Government (FEMA) nor the Insurers will continue to cover non protected structures.

There seems to be a general lack of understanding about the various elements of a hurricane that produce the most risk. Probably most people believe that heavy rain (and subsequent risk of flooding) is, combined with high winds, the principle risk factor. Yes, BUT!

WIND:

The most obvious danger is flying debris hitting structures and breaking glass. Once the structure is breached air pressure increases inside the room that was breached and has difficulty “escaping”. Since so many interior walls are drywall, hence intrinsically not very strong, either the interior walls collapse or the air escapes upwards blowing the roof off. What most people do not realize is that NEGATIVE pressures are often greater contributors to damage than positive pressures.

To explain this, picture the wall facing the direction that the wind is coming from. Picture the air as consisting of millions of baseballs. Baseball #1 hits your wall and #2 and #3 etc. are following close behind. When they hit the wall or window some may break the glass and enter the structure. Others do not and are being pushed from behind by more millions of “baseballs”. They have to “escape” so some go left, some go right and some go upwards around and over the structure. On the downwind side there is a low pressure area or partial vacuum and nature hates vacuums! The winds moving round the structure and over the roof speed up to fill that vacuum. This creates lower pressure than the air in the structure which may have been increased by air blowing in through a broken window.

Remember why an airplane can fly. The air going under the wing has less distance to travel than the air going over the wing which creates LIFT. Your house is no different. The air going round and specially over the house create lift. Now we have a combined effect of the PRESSURE inside being added to the lower pressure over the house and greatly increasing the LIFT on the roof, which often flies away.

WATER:

Apart from building on higher ground there is much less that can be done to prevent flood damage. While removable flood barriers are available the maximum practical height is around 7 feet and as we saw from Katrina and Ike this is just not enough to guarantee safety in really low lying areas.

FLYING DEBRIS:

Here the picture is better. Concrete block can usually resist most debris impacts so the effort should be on preventing hurricane winds entering the structure through broken windows by fitting window protection. By the way, duct tape or films will NEVER protect you and are not code approved. If you believe your walls are strong enough it is worth looking at the FEMA website which we reference at the end of this article. You may be unpleasantly surprised!

ROOF STRENGTHENING:

One of the best preventive measures, often overlooked, is to strengthen the roof. Make sure that all tiles are secure and consider some of the new foam products that are installed inside, underneath the plywood base, to “Stick” the roof down. There are some amazing increases in roof resistance by doing this. A second method, especially if replacing or repairing a roof, is to use a quite remarkable new roofing nail from BOSTICH. The Hurriquake nail can double the resistance to up lift of ordinary nails and according to the manufacturer adds only a few dollars to the cost of ordinary nails.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

We all appreciate that protection can seem expensive. It need not be as expensive as you think and in the long run is cheap! What price peace of mind? After all it is your safety we are talking about. Spread the installation of protection over two or more years if necessary. Protect the most exposed part of your house first. Some protection is better than none!

Finally, be suspicious of offers that are too good to be true. Check that all products you might be considering are CODE APPROVED. Anything not approved leaves you at risk and you are wasting your money.

Here are two websites that may be of interest:

First is FEMA: www.fema.gov (Federal Emergency Management Agency). As a suggestion go to the library section and download their publication “Hurricane Charley in Florida” Publication # 488/ April 2005. This has an excellent series of photos of reality.

Second is the Florida building code page: www.floridabuilding.org were you can check code compliance.

Florida has some of the best codes for hurricane protection and you can search for product approvals by manufacturers name or the code number supplied by your chosen vendors. We apologize to those who found this article to be too basic but hope that many will find information to become better informed! Inevitably there WILL be hurricanes in our future and we will be submitting further articles describing each and every available hurricane protection solution.

REPRINT RIGHTS: The author grants reproduction rights to any media provide that the content on the Caribbean Hurricane Stop Ltd. web site URL: http://www.chsexport.com or other works authored by Stephen Goss are credited and the web site is published either as a note or incorporated in the republished text. Extracts, precis, division into parts is also permitted proved full credit is given to the author. Editing/changing text is not permitted without prior authorization.

Copyright 2010 Stephen Goss.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 1:07 pm

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Building a Solarium is a Great Summer Project

When building a solarium or Florida room or sun porch, you must first decide for what purpose you will be using it. For what activities will you use the room? The design of your solarium is dependent upon your planned uses.  It can be a home office, a quiet and bright reading room, a room for entertaining, or even a greenhouse.

Principally, a solarium provides you with outside views while not having to deal with outdoor discomforts like rain, snow, wind, or the pests like black flies and mosquitoes.

Solariums typically are built with hard floors such as stone or tile as most people use them to house plants as well as entertain. Thus, the floor can withstand the water from the plants etc.

Once you have decided the use of the solarium, you now can design it around the function that the room is built for and then determine the size and style for the requirements it must meet. To get ideas on this, browse the online sites of solarium manufacturers and you can incorporate some of those ideas in your design.

You will want to build the room with the primary windows facing the solar south to maximize energy efficiency and this design will produce solar energy in the winter and lowers your utility bill. Concrete, stone and brick for the floor also promotes energy efficiency by absorbing the suns heat during the day, which keeps the room cool, and releases that heat at night, which keeps the room warm.

You will want to use materials like aluminum and pressure treated wood to withstand the changing of temperatures so in other words whatever a full calendar year will throw at the room. Other products would be double glazed windows. In addition, you may need those, which reduce glare, and provide insulation. All the materials however, must meet local building codes and you must inquire about local building regulations and permits.

Now you must decide how much to budget for the project and whether or not you should hire a contractor or do the project yourself. Your do it yourself experience and your budget while play major factors in this decision. If you choose to hire a contractor, be sure to check the builder’s references and make certain the contractor has the licensing and insurance to avoid any costly mistakes.

The construction of a solarium is not very difficult, even for the amateur do it yourselfer. Simply do your homework with reference to the design, the kit, the materials, the contractor should you decide to hire one, and of course the permits. Once constructed, you will then enjoy 365 days per year of healthy, comfortable living both indoor and out. All the while, you will be reaping the benefits of lower utility bills, a brighter home and a warm, quiet room to relax in all year round.

Be sure to utilize your new solarium to its maximum. Often when something is new it gets used for the first while then becomes forgotten about.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 8:31 am

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Orlando Vacation Tips – Choosing Florida Short Term Rentals

Have you looked into the different types of accommodation that Orlando has to offer when you’re planning your vacation, and in particular have you researched all of the options for Florida short term rentals? Single family homes and condos are available to rent on a weekly (or even shorter) basis, so you can enjoy the luxury of staying in your own home-way-from-home, with all the convenience that brings, for little more than the price of a single hotel room.

This is because Orlando in particular is one area where absentee owners have purchased homes and adopted the short term rental approach as a way to recover some or all of their running costs. Intense competition has held back prices. Now more and more families and groups are building this type of accommodation into their Orlando vacation package to make the most of their time away from home.

But can you have confidence that the short term rental property you see on the Internet will live up to expectations? The last thing you want is for all those weeks and months of anticipation to be wrecked because your accommodation is below standard. So how can you make sure you get what you’re looking for?

The simple answer is to be just as rigorous in researching Florida short term rentals as you would any hotel or motel. And to apply just the same sort of thought process as you would with a hotel/motel. So plan your Florida short term rental, particularly if you want to be close to Disney World, Sea World and Universal, around the following guidance:

* It is very easy to think that price doesn’t matter when it comes to choosing a short term rental property for your vacation package. But if you wouldn’t book into a motel offering rooms for $35 per night then you should certainly stay away from the lowest priced rental home. The cheaper a home is there is more chance that it is poorly maintained, lacking facilities and likely to be of poor quality.

* Quality: Hotels and motels are increasingly showing room photos and virtual tours of the room you’ll be renting so you can check the quality. And so too are vacation home owners. Ask for pictures and an on-line tour and limit yourself to those owners and companies who commit to allocating your home at the time of booking. Obviously if you’re dealing directly with a home owner who only has one house, this problem is solved!

* To find the location of the property you are renting, ask the owner or booking company for the address then check it out on Google. If they won’t give you the full address ask for the zip code. Don’t rely on descriptions that state that the home is only “5 minutes from Disney World” because most of the rental homes are two to ten miles away from Disney. Travel times to the parks will obviously vary depending on time of day, season and traffic conditions.

* It’s a good idea to ask in advance how the owner or management company would deal with issues such as the pool not getting hot enough, the air conditioning breaking down or the television not working. If the problem cannot be fixed straight away do they have another property you can move to?

* Most hotel rooms have a guest book to help you find the services you need and the facilities the hotel has to offer. But there is always some service or need these books don’t cover. In a hotel you can ask at the front desk but in a rental home you have to find the solutions for yourself. To find the nearest shopping mall or restaurant you can look on the internet and for anything else ask the management company.

Whenever you venture out of your own home to stay in rented accommodation you are accepting some sort of risk that it won’t live up to your expectations. The last thing you want for that dream vacation is to find that you’re booked into a place that spoils the entire break. But up-front research and an understanding of how things work, whether you’re choosing hotels or Florida short term rentals, should mean that you get exactly what you need for a great vacation.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 5:19 am

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Are You Looking for a Home Owner Insurance Quote in Florida?

Home owner insurance companies take many factors into consideration when coming up with a home owner insurance policy quote. Of course, one of those factors is where the home is located, and since Florida is notorious for experiencing hurricanes, home owner insurance companies are obviously going to take hurricane damage into consideration.

Just because your Florida home is at risk for hurricane damage doesn’t mean you should forgo trying to find an affordable home owner insurance quote. There are steps you can take to better protect your home and its contents before you head out for a home owner insurance quote, and even after you’ve already gotten a home owner insurance quote or even purchased a home owner insurance policy in Florida.

Check the building code for high wind areas. Many locations that frequently experience strong winds have building codes – “standards,” if you will – that are designed to protect homes against winds. If building codes exist in your area, make sure your home is up to par; if it’s not, make the necessary changes.

Take a look at your windows and doors. Your windows should be impact resistant, and your doors should all have at least three hinges. Glass doors, such as patio doors, should be impact resistant as well. You should also consider having any garage doors inspected to make sure they are resistant to high winds.

Climb up on the roof. Or have someone do it for you. Either way, your roof must be high wind resistant, and replaced if it’s not.

Reorganize your landscaping. You shouldn’t have trees too close to any windows or glass doors, nor should you have trees that aren’t indigenous to Florida. Trees native to Florida are better equipped to handle their natural surroundings.

Taking these preventative measures can help you get a lower home owner insurance quote in Florida, whether you’re starting your search or already have a home owner insurance policy.

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Posted by floridian - April 9, 2012 at 2:07 am

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Things to Consider for New Home Builders in Central Florida

Congratulations on deciding to build your new home! Perhaps you have your heart set on the beautiful and sunny state of Florida, so what do you need to know about your region of choice? Like in any other home builder‘s mind, there are a lot of things to consider when building a new home. Not only do you need to have the right plans and financial support for it, but most especially, you must think about the location where you want to build your new home.

Here is some basic information about Central Florida. The region is located on the east coast of the Sunshine State, and has a population of about 4 million. Among the counties included in Central Florida are: Volusia, Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Polk, Brevard, Lake, Sumter, and Flagler. Comparing its climate to North Florida, Central Florida has milder and warmer weather. Although it is said to have stormy weather and is often visited by hurricanes, the winter months are less frigid as compared to northern regions of the state, which makes Central Florida an ideal area for growing many kinds of fruit.

Among the most well-known as well as the largest cities worth mentioning in Central Florida are: Daytona Beach, Palm Coast, Orlando, and Kissimmee. Daytona Beach new home builders will most likely be choosing the location because of the world famous Daytona International Speedway, home of NASCAR racing. The city of Orlando in Central Florida is home to some of the best vacation spots in the country, such as Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios Florida. Also, Central Florida, as well as the rest of the Sunshine State, is recognized for its beaches and ideal weather for fun in the sun.

Having mentioned the climate and known attractions in Central Florida, let’s move on to what you should be thinking about as a new home builder in Central Florida. Now, we all know that building a new home is a major financial hurdle, and that a lot of paperwork needs to be done in order for you to get started on building. For one thing, if you have chosen your lot for your new home, have you already checked out the price of the lot per square foot or square meter? What about materials and contractors? How much do you think it will cost you?

As I said before, finances are as equally important in this endeavor as the location and materials. Think about what kind of loan you will be opting for. Most new home builders would opt for a mortgage loan, home improvement loan, or construction loan to cover for such expenses. Mortgage loans mean that you will be putting up your lot or the house you will be building as collateral. Keep in mind that when you apply for a loan, your credit rating will matter in helping your loaner decide on the interest rate and monthly amortization.

Next, once you have had your finances settled, as a new home builder in Central Florida you should double check the lot you will be placing your foundation on. As mentioned earlier, you need to consider the climate, check to see if the area is prone to floods, check to see if the soil quality is poor, and even check to see if the water supply passes the standards imposed by local authorities. It is also important to check the building codes in the city or country you will be building your new home. There are regulations imposed for structures, finishing, drainage, and others.

After you have done this, it is now time to select your new home builder and/or contractor. Aside from the builder/contractor, there should be a surveyor and an excavator, but all of these additional persons may also be included within the services of the construction company you will be contacting. Along with that, you may also want to consult an architect and a designer for the layout of your house. If you are willing to do a little more research on your own, you can get tons of ideas over the internet to get you started.

When you have your new home builders and/or contractors ready, be sure you are also ready to negotiate a contract with them. This contract should contain the signatures of your builders, contractors, and architects, and should indicate the length of time for the project to be completed, and the agreed upon cost. Also, these contracts may contain details of all materials used in the construction of the house. You can learn more about this by discussing it with a home builder.

As you can see, building your ideal home in Central Florida can now be more than just a dream, but a reality. As long as you are well-informed about what you should be doing, how you should be preparing, and what you are getting yourself into, you will definitely have no problems in this endeavor. Remember, these are steps into realizing your new home, and you have the power to make the best decisions. Enjoy your new home in Central Florida!

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Posted by floridian - April 8, 2012 at 9:58 pm

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