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12/12/2018

What are Setbacks and Why are they Important?

Setbacks are defined as “the distance from the property that within which building is prohibited.” These setback distances are created by local governments through ordinances and building codes.

Plainly speaking, you cannot build any above ground structure within these limits. For example driveways are typically okay. But a concrete wall is not. The setback requirements can also vary depending on the type of structure being built. In some cases, if you want to build a shed or garage the setbacks are less stringent than say building a mother-in-suite. In the photo shown the setback requirements are for Residential lots zoned AR. These are lots that are greater than 2.5 acres. Smaller lots have different setbacks requirements.

If you are looking to buy a piece of property or want to add on to your existing home, you must first do your due diligence. So before you pay your architect/engineer 1000’s of dollars to create plans for your perfect addition make sure you can build it. It happens all the time.

The building departments are a wealth of information. A property I looked at recently in the Jupiter area turned out to be part of unincorporated Palm Beach County.

These requirements were created to provide equality for all property owners. There are few ways to be exempted from these. One such way is to be granted a variance. A variance is granted when a property owner can show why the enforcement of a code deprives them of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same area.

On a final note it is very important to obtain permits prior to construction. I have seen many properties here that I know have illegal garage conversions and additions. If the municipality wanted to, they could make you remove it

10/09/2018

If you'd like to know more about this listing in Lake Clarke Shores, call me at 561-444-8668

MLS # RX_10468950 — This 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom Single Family for sale is located at 1405 Beta Ct, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. View 33 photos, price history and more on century21.com.

09/18/2018

Which Air Conditioner is right for your home.

Recently we needed to replace our air conditioner and like most people we did a furious search of the internet for the best air conditioner for our home. We reviewed Seer ratings, warranties, brands and so forth. Some of the larger companies are Carrier, Bryant, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, York and Maytag.

We had 5 different people give us quotes and recommendations. The decision was unanimous we had no idea. We got quotes from 4k to 14k. The 14k bidder told my that me ductwork could not handle a new A/C system and it had to be replaced. Sure.....

A Consumer Reports survey of 14k respondents showed that at year 5 the rate of air conditioning breakage was between 15% (best) and 25% (worst). A 10% difference only. Which makes sense as a lot of the internal components are made by only a few suppliers. Also 5 of the major HVAC companies make 24 brands of air conditioners.

Our conclusion was this:
1. The unit should be a 16 Seer (most economical).
2. Get one with at least a 10 year Manufacturer
warranty (mom and pop a/c companies come and go
but manufacturers tend to stay).
3. Have it installed by a Licensed Professional. A good
installation is what will prolong the life of your A/C.

If you are wondering what system we went with. The photo should help. We had been leaning towards a Bryant initially and then our unit gave out. The Bryant's were on back order for two weeks. We found out some companies its hard to get the parts immediately and because Goodman has such a large market share, the parts are easier to get. Which is important in South Florida.

09/15/2018

I just wanted to say thank you to everybody for liking my page. We hit 50 page likes as of today. Have a great weekend everyone.

We are a dedicated real estate team helping clients achieve all their real estate needs.

09/13/2018

How far $1 million goes towards that dream home varies widely. Here’s some on the ground info on what your money buys today.

09/12/2018

I finally cut the cord, well sort of. If you are like me you are probably at the point where you look at the cable bill and think what is going on. How did it get so high? Its all the add-ons. You want to record shows, you need a DVR box you want a DVR box you need HD. You want HD thats gonna cost and on it goes. For years I said this was it, but never did anything. This past year my bill was going up even more. I found out Comcast was giving me premium channels for a month for free. They don't tell you about it and the second month they start billing you. By time I realized it I was paying for HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. THANK YOU COMCAST!

Today there are a number of online options. Sling, Hulu, PSVue, DirectTV Now, YouTube TV and others I am forgetting. They all have differing lineups and features.

We evaluated all the shows that we watched/recorded and it turned out we only watch 11 TV stations. Three of which are Disney.

We got rid of Comcast TV and kept the cable which of course went up in price. Even with the increase in price we are saving $70 a month. That's a huge difference. We now have AT & T fiber in our town and I am going to see what kind of discount I can get with them for internet.

08/31/2016

Selling a home is never easy, cleaning, prepping it for sale, not to mention all the memories. Once you decide to sell you have to look at your home as a commodity. Here are 5 tips to sell your home quickly and maximize profit:

5. Price it right for the market, too high = no sale.
4. If you have pets try to conceal the food bowls and litter boxes,
most, but not all are pet lovers.
3. Minimize what makes your house unique to you, think Better Homes and
Gardens, not Grandma's house.
2. Always be ready to show, today might be the day a buyer makes you that offer
you want. Make sure its clean.
1. Curb Appeal, the first thing a buyer sees is your front yard, don't
make it the last.