In the good old days when I bought fixer-uppers, I had to be really careful when stripping old paint from woodwork. Many of these houses had been neglected for years before I bought them, but when they were young and owned by the well-heeled, these dwellings were treated to the best of what was available in the early 20th century, including, I’m sorry to say, lead-based paint.

Now, I’m one of those people who latched on to the idea of using a special encapsulating paint on surfaces such as walls and baseboards rather than stripping the lead-based paint and creating dust that would never be completely eliminated, no matter how careful the professional lead removal technicians were. The paint won’t work on surfaces such as windows and door frames where wood rubbing against wood creates lead dust and wears away the encapsulating material very quickly. The peer-reviewed Remodelors Council research is the most comprehensive study ever to look at the effects of common remodeling projects in homes with lead paint, the NAHB said.

Hunting for the perfect home in Grand Orchid? Realtor® Caesar Parisi is ready to help you buy your dream property. (more…)

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Elected officials and corporate America may finally be waking up to that fact that the world is no longer able to produce the coal and fossil fuels necessary to sustain America’s energy needs, and that renewable energy holds the promise of a better future for this and future generations of Americans. For builders, this realization represents an ideal time to consider a new, profitable business model that includes solar power in new home developments. California’s Million Solar Roofs Bill (SB 1), effective January 1, 2007, is the first step in what promises to be a jump start to an energy paradigm shift among property owners across the country.

“With this new law, California is on pace to becoming the Saudi Arabia of the sun,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy Advocate with Environment California, the leading sponsor of the Million Solar Roofs bill. “The sky is no limit when it comes to how much of our energy can come from solar power. With high energy prices, rolling blackouts, and growing air pollution problems, everyone in California will benefit from the building of a million solar roofs in the next ten years.”

California Senator Kevin Murray, author of the new law, agrees with Del Chiaro. Murray, speaking at Solar Power 2006, dubbed the largest business-to-business solar energy event in the history of the United States, said that marketing solar energy to the public is essential if new laws like SB 1 are to be successful. “The technology is already here and it’s reliable, but the message needs to be relayed to the general public that solar energy is not some future technology only celebrities or the extremely wealthy can afford.”

In the market for Delray Beach real estate? Consult with licensed agent Caesar Parisi. Caesar has assisted hundreds of buyers and sellers, giving sound advice on how to most effectively buy and sell property. (more…)

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Back East, the Wall Street Journal’s bullish group of more than 50 economists were leaning 2-to-1 that the worst of the housing bust is already over with only mild price declines to come. “We’re nearing the end of the slowdown for most markets,” said Ethan S. Harris at Lehman Brothers, reporting to the Wall Street Journal. Out West, on the same Monday, Nov. 20, more bearish forecasters said the worst is yet to come with some areas still due for 5 to 15 percent price declines.

Rather than being swayed away from the housing market by gloomy housing news reports, as recent real estate industry complaints have charged, consumers pay more attention to their own, individual housing needs, goals and market conditions, then what’s published in the media. That’s exactly what consumer advocates have always advocated. When consumers think about buying or selling a home, what’s in the media is one of the last things on their mind, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Ready to buy or sell Palm Beach real estate? Consult with licensed agent Caesar Parisi. Caesar has assisted hundreds of buyers and sellers, giving sound advice on how to most effectively buy and sell property. (more…)

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In the luxurious neighborhood of Port Royal, home to the likes of mystery writer Janet Evanovich and mutual fund magnate John Donahue, homeowners are insulated from many of life’s daily cares — including the real estate slump. This year, 15 estates in the country club community have sold for $5 million to $16 million. But in the rest of Collier County, home sales have plunged a gut-wrenching 50%.

Elsewhere across the USA, the megarich are still snapping up homes in such enclaves as Vail, Colo., and Beverly Hills, and often paying cash. Sales of homes above $5 million are up 11% this year and are on track to break another record, according to an analysis by DataQuick Information Systems for USA TODAY. As for the national average, by contrast, sales are off about 8%. Prices fell in September for a second-consecutive month, partly because they’d soared beyond the reach of many.

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To gain insight into current trends in Florida’s real estate industry, the University of Florida’s Center for Real Estate Studies recently conducted a new statewide quarterly survey of industry executives, market research economists, real estate scholars and other experts.

The threat of spiraling insurance rates was mentioned as the biggest concern, followed by the softening housing market as the second most-mentioned trend.

Still, even if a sharp downturn in the housing market occurs as some analysts predict, Florida will be less affected by it than other states because of the insulating effect of its high population growth rates, said Dr. Wayne Archer, director of UF’s Center for Real Estate Studies. Despite some people’s worst fears, housing is unlikely to suffer the same fate as tech stocks at the beginning of the decade, he said.

For more information on this and other real estate matters, your first source for Palm Beach real estate should be licensed agent and long-time resident Caesar Parisi. (more…)

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I’ve been getting asked this question now more than ever: “Is now a good time to buy a house?” Many buyers have been waiting for the bottom of the real estate market to hit before getting off the fence to make that next real estate purchase. When it has been officially deemed a buyers market by all the national real estate associations — then yes, it’s a good time to buy. You just better hope you haven’t waited too late.

Could it be that the buyers market has begun to subside and we’re going to return to the “glory” days of yesteryear? Hopefully not. Having less than a 1 month’s supply of houses to serve a community of 1 million-plus, is not healthy. The good thing about the inventory (and this doesn’t include the new homes) is that it’s now going to take a while to eat up that inventory, which means buyers have a while now to choose from the homes they want and purchase with cheap money.

To find the perfect home, RE/MAX Properties REALTORS® Annette Smith is available to help you be an informed home buyer or home seller in today’s changing Sarasota real estate market.

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