4 Serious Warning Signs To Look For When Buying A Home

Buying a home is one of the most stressful things a person can go through. But for some people the stress doesn’t end when they finally close on what they thought was there dream home. Occasionally there are instances where new things to look for when buying a homehomeowners find major issues with their home that were not known by the previous owner leaving them stuck with even more expenses and frustration. Well we want to try and prevent that from happening to you! There are some specific warning signs you should look when searching a home that may save you from the above situation.

There are items that may seem to be “warning signs” but in reality are things that are just unappealing and can, for the most part, be overlooked such as outdated appliances, cabinets and what I consider “misguided” paint selections.  What we are going to focus on in this post are more serious problems that are much more costly to fix.

The first line of defense and probably one of the most important things you should do when buying a home is to get a home inspection! The home inspection needs to be completed by a licensed professional and they will be able to point out most problems but you will still need to go through the inspection reports and determine whether you are comfortable with the problems or if you would want to walk away from the deal.  Keep in mind some of the issues may be great opportunities for negotiating a lower price but some of the issues could be REAL deal breakers.

1. Roof replacement – although roofs can last for many years, the weather is very harsh particularly in the state of Florida where the heat is extreme and the rain and storms can be even worse.  Even if the report shows the roof is not leaking nor has no history of problems it is wise to potentially get a second opinion from a roofing contractor.  Even if the roof has a 30 year shingle on it does not mean it will hold up for 30 years.  Oh and for the record the replacement cost could range anywhere from $8,000-$30,000 depending on the size of the house and type of roof.
2. Flood Zones – Even though the entire state of Florida is pretty much right at sea level does not mean you are in a flood zone….technically.  The biggest issue with being in a flood zone besides the water potentially coming into your house is the previous damage that could have already happened that you may never know which could cause mold and rotting wood.  Just remember you can’t predict the weather but if you are buying a house in a flood zone you could be setting yourself up for problems in the future.
3. Electrical system – It doesn’t take an electrician to know if the electrical system is old, your first clue will be the age of the main panel box and the age of the house.  Typically if the panel looks as old as the house and the house is close to 30 years old, there is a huge chance you could have a fire hazard on your hands.  Replacement cost is in the thousands of dollars.
4. Plumbing system – This is just another part of the infrastructure that will be thoroughly inspected by the home inspection.  Some plumbing issues could be easily overlooked by the inspector for instance if the toilet flushes slowly, this goes the same for any of the sinks or baths if they don’t drain properly.  The inspector could make a note of the minor issue they noticed and you may find out later on that drain-o isn’t the solution and there could be a larger issue with pipes and plumbing system.  If there is any question I would hire a professional to further investigate.

Bottom line is, if you don’t ask you will never find out.  It seems like a lot of work but do as much due diligence as possible, remember you are making a huge investment and we want to make sure you make the right decision!

Above and beyond issues with the house itself you will also want to do some research on the neighborhood and community that your potential new house is in…That’s where MoversAtlas comes into play! Our interactive MoveMap shows you all sorts of useful information that will help you determine whether the Florida neighborhood or community that your potential house is in is right for you!

5 Fantastic Reasons To Move To Miami FL

If you’ve never been to Miami, Florida, you owe yourself at least one visit.  Miami is a beautiful, vibrant metropolis that bridges the divide between north and South America both culturally and geographically.  Miami is an economic heavy-Shoudl I Move To Miami floridaweight with a bustling port, and thriving finance, commerce, media, entertainment and tourism trades.  Miami is also the only major American city founded by a woman – Julia Tuttle, bought hundreds of acres back in 1875 believing that the area had the potential to become a trading hub between North and South America.  She was right.  Sure, Miami has its issues: a face eating pseudo-zombie, morally questionable politicians, and drivers with a death wish, but it’s still a great place to live.  Here’s why:

1. The Climate – Miami, like much of Florida is subtropical.  Being as far south as it is, the winters are extremely mild.  While New York and Chicago were suffering through the ‘polar vortex’ last year, folks in Miami we’re enjoying 60-70 degree weather.  That means they were walking around in T-shirts and shorts appreciating the scenic coconut palms through their stylish sunglasses.  There’s no snow to shovel in Miami and being able to enjoy the beach in January is par for the course.  Sure, the 90 degree summers and intense humidity can be a drag, but the sheer volume of bikini clad women is compensation enough for the summer heat.

2. The Beach – OK, this one is obvious.  Miami’s beaches are world famous, but they’re famous for a reason.  Crandon Park Beach is known as the party beach.  A visit might include a model sighting or two and topless sunbathing is not only allowed but encouraged.  Need we say more?  If you’re looking for a more family friendly beach, you can head over to Matheson Hammock Park Beach, which is actually a man-made lagoon fed by the gentle tidal movements of Biscayne Bay.  It’s calm and secluded – making it a nice spot to bring the kids.  If you’re more into surfing, you can drop by Haulover Beach.  It seems to get Miami’s biggest swells, but get there early to avoid the aggressive semi-pros who think they’re training for the professional circuit.

3. The Nightlife – Night clubs aren’t for everyone, but if you’re single and in your twenties or thirties, chances are you will like what Miami has to offer; Miami has some of the best night clubs in the world.  There are tons of options, no matter what you’re into, but we’ll discuss a few of the more famous ones here.  Mansion Nightclub is one Miami’s famous party spots.  Often visited by models and hip hop celebs, the sound system is impeccable, the light shows are phenomenal and the guests are beautiful.  The drinks are very expensive and you have to be well dressed to get through the door though.  Mynt Lounge is a futuristic themed club frequented by actors, models and celebrities.  It’s very exclusive and quite pricey.  Finally, Nikki Beach is an open air club under the palm trees at the tip of Ocean Drive.  It’s an upscale restaurant by day and transforms into a dance club and lounge at night.  During the weekend nights, “anything goes”.

4. Fashion – If you’re into fashion, Miami is your spot in the southeast. There are three major fashion hubs in the US: Los Angeles, New York, and Miami…Miami doesn’t have apocalyptic traffic or nasty winters though.  The city is home to worldwide modeling agencies such as Wilhelmina Models, Elite Model Management, and the William Morris Agency, along with renowned local agencies like The Green Agency.  Miami has also been a home to designers such as Bruce Weber and Gianni Versace.  If you’re more into shopping, Miami has a number of high fashion shopping destinations as well.  The Webster Miami is a 20,000 square foot boutique that resides in an old art deco building in Miami’s South Beach area.  It sells a variety of hard-to-find, exclusive brands.  You can also visit the Miami Design District, which houses a number of high end boutiques in close proximity.  Finally, Miami has three major fashion weeks: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, Miami Beach International Fashion Week, and Funkshion Fashion Week.

5. Real Estate – While real estate prices may not be a great reason to move to a place on their own, they might give you the final push.  The real estate market in south Florida, especially Miami, has been strong recently and will likely remain so.  So if you’re looking for a tropical paradise with a good return on your property investment, Miami might be the place for you.

We hope this blog has turned you on to some of the great reasons to move to Miami.  If you’re curious about specific neighborhoods in Miami, check out our MoveMap.  It will tell you everything you need to know about a community before you ever set foot there!

Read This Before You Buy Property Close To A Landfill in Orlando

While unsightly, dumps and landfills are a necessary part of modern life.  Nobody wants to live near one, but every community needs them.  If you take a look at the MoveMap, you will see that Orlando has quite a few dumps, landfills and buy a house near a landfill or trash dump in orlanddwaste processing centers.  In fact, you’ll probably notice a lot more points than you would expect.  You’ll also see that some are located in odd places.   In this blog post we’ll talk a bit about why landfills are important to know about in Florida, why there are so many on the map, and discuss a few notable facilities in the Orlando area.

While landfills are an essential component of urban communities most of them are located well outside of populated areas.  The reasons aren’t hard to imagine, dumps produce noise, smells and traffic.  Even at a distance however, landfills can still be problematic – due mostly to odors and groundwater pollution.  Even if a property is located miles away from an active facility, prevailing winds can make odors a problem.  So if your potential new home is located near a landfill (even if you can’t see it from your house), it’s a good idea to visit a few times or more and ask the neighbors if they ever experience any aversive odors.

Groundwater pollution is another issue.  Most modern landfills are built with liners that in theory prevent rain water percolating through the landfill from entering the groundwater.  In practice however, almost all liners leak.  Most of the time, this is not a problem since the volume of water is small.  Although unlikely, large breaches do occur from time to time and do result in substantial groundwater pollution.  Almost all currently operational landfills (and many that have been closed) have groundwater monitoring wells so that if a breach does occur, it can be caught and dealt with (to the degree possible).  Groundwater pollution is a serious environmental issue, but from a human health standpoint, it matters mostly to folks on well water that live in relatively close proximity to a dump or landfill.

If you’ve looked at the MoveMap, chances are you’ve noticed a lot more dumps and landfills in Orlando, FL than you’d expect.  You might have even seen some in Baldwin Park or downtown Orlando, which doesn’t seem to make much sense.  Don’t worry, we’ll explain things.  The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) wants to know where Florida’s trash ends up.  To this end, they track many types of waste and numerous officially sanctioned and impromptu and illegal disposal facilities.  The diversity of trash tracked and the types of facilities flagged are why you see so many points.  FDEP certainly wants to know about active landfills, but they also track illegal dump sites for cleanup and monitoring purposes.  Closed sites are also tracked.  Moreover, recycling centers, transfer stations, incineration plants and variety of other types of facilities that handle trash also show up, right along traditional landfills and dumps.  This brings us to a few notable dump/landfill centers in the Orlando metropolitan area.

The Orange County Landfill services much of Orlando and is a traditional, legal landfill.  It is located at 5901 Young Pine Road, Orlando, FL 32829. It takes most types of domestic waste.  As a benefit to Orange County residents it provides free compost, which it produces from the yard waste that it collects.  The next notable landfills we’ll discuss are located in Baldwin Park, Orlando.  If you’ve ever been to Baldwin Park, you won’t be able to believe that there are landfills in the middle of this beautiful, vibrant community.  However, many people are unaware that the parcel of land now home to Baldwin Park used to be a U.S. Navy base.  That base needed places to get rid of its refuse, and those places are what show up on the map.  Although the area has been redeveloped into one of the most attractive communities in central Florida, FDEP still tracks the sites.  Some contamination has been verified to exist from activities that took place on the base, but it is contained fairly deep below the ground surface.  Baldwin Park is an interesting example of how historically unwanted land uses can be redeveloped into successful communities.

The last facility we will briefly discuss is the Orlando Regional Medical Center.  As with Baldwin Park, seeing a dump/landfill in the middle of downtown Orlando doesn’t seem to make much sense.  However, hospitals produce a great deal of a specific type of trash – biohazardous waste.  This sounds scary, but in reality it’s pretty routine,  biohazardous waste consists of needles, wound dressings, etc. and these types of wastes are produced by  practices as common as dentist’s offices and veterinarian’s clinics. Since hospitals produce a lot of this type of waste and it has the possibility to cause infectious disease, it is tracked by both the Department of Health and FDEP.  Living near one however, doesn’t pose any real risk of disease or infection.

We hope you have found this blog post interesting and enlightening.  We encourage you to check out dump and landfill facilities near your prospective residence using our MoveMap on www.moversatlas.com.  Good luck with your home search!