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. Read the rest of this entry

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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. Read the rest of this entry

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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. Read the rest of this entry

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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.

Looking for a condo in Atlantic Grove? Realtor® Caesar Parisi is ready to help you buy your dream property. Read the rest of this entry

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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. Read the rest of this entry

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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.

A large number of e-mails I receive involve dissatisfaction with various home inspectors. When asked whether these inspectors should be held accountable for alleged acts of negligence, the answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no, depending upon the circumstances. If you’ve read only columns where the answer was no, you’ve gotten the wrong impression.

A common saying in the home inspection business holds that there are two kinds of home inspectors: those who have been sued and those who will be. The fact is, most home inspectors will be sued at some time in their careers. There are, however, specific circumstances that determine whether a home inspector is truly liable.

When property defects are overlooked by a home inspector, liability ensues if the defect is: (1) within the scope of the inspection; and (2) visible and accessible at the time of the inspection. For example, a leaking drain below a sink would be within the scope, and in most cases would be visible and accessible. A deteriorated roof would also be within the scope and, with rare exceptions, would also be visible and accessible. An inspector who fails to report such defects could be subject to a lawsuit.

Real estate agent Caesar Parisi stands ready with effective advice on buying or selling Boca Raton FL condos. Read the rest of this entry

Virtually all travelers who’ve tried a vacation home for their travel accommodations would do so again largely because of the cost savings, roominess and family friendliness. According to Denver, CO-based lodging management company Destination Hotels & Resorts, 99 percent of customers who have stayed in a luxury vacation rental would choose this style of accommodation in the future. Destination questioned approximately 3,000 consumers who have taken a vacation in the past three years and stayed either at a traditional hotel or vacation rental property. “Vacation rental” was defined as vacation home, condominium, townhouse and condominium-hotel.

“The surprising thing is the actual cost to rent the homes. I think, the average traveler thinks that vacation homes are expensive to rent. Our survey results show the opposite,” said Christine Karpinski, real estate investor, author and director of Owner Advocacy for HomeAway. “Yes, there are the $20,000-a-week properties out there, but the vast majority of the homes available for rent are within the $100-$300 per night, peak-season range and if you want to travel off peak, you can snag a very nice place for $100-$200/night,” Karpinski said. In a HomeAway survey of nearly 4,000 vacation home owners, 20.9 percent charged from $100 to $142 a night; 22.78 percent charged $143 to $199 per night; 23.99 percent charged $200 to $299.

Looking for a home in Gleneagles Country Club? Realtor® Caesar Parisi is ready to help you buy your dream property. Read the rest of this entry

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There’s a rapidly growing audience for programs dealing with selling and buying homes. You can get tips preparing a home to sell, how to market it and even “flipping,” which doesn’t have the sometimes negative connotations associated with Florida real estate.

‘Flip This House’ has been a phenomenal success for us,” says Michael Morrison, executive producer of a number of real estate-related shows on the A&E Network. “It’s been an unprecedented hit since it began in a weekend afternoon block. We moved it to Monday at 8 p.m. and it outperformed what we were doing there, a re-broadcast of ‘24.’ Then we moved it to Sunday night and it did even better.”

Real estate agent Caesar Parisi stands ready with effective advice on buying or selling a Boca Raton FL condo. Visiting the Delray Beach community? Contact Realtor® Caesar Parisi for information on buying or selling an Atlantic Grove Condo in Delray Beach Real Estate. Read the rest of this entry

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The homebuilders of New Jersey are still building and selling homes. The housing industry always has and continues to drive the local and state economy. Despite alarming reports of a “doom and gloom” market, real estate remains a solid, historically proven investment. Contrary to what you have read, buying a new home is not a risky business. Since the national Savings and Loan crisis in the late 1980s, when banks failed as a result of overextended construction lending, a number of safeguards between builders and lending institutions have been established.

The homebuilding industry has a profoundly cyclical nature. Throughout these cycles, prices fluctuate, but, as history has proven, real estate will increase in value, establishing it to be one of the best, if not the best, investment one will ever make.

Over the past 12 years, we have experienced two “up” cycles — an unusual occurrence in real estate. Builders and homeowners alike have ridden the wave of record sales and fast appreciation driven by a tight supply and high demand. Now, in 2006, homeowners who purchased new homes in the past decade are experiencing a “down” cycle for the first time and may feel anxious about the state of the market.

Looking for a home in Delaire Country Club? Realtor® Caesar Parisi is ready to help you buy your dream property. Read the rest of this entry

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