Category: Real Estate

Anna Maria Island real estate property is unique. Find out about building, buying, renting and selling on a Florida Gulf Coast barrier island, with the best Old Florida atmosphere and friendly natives.

Categories
Environment Real Estate

Easy Island Pest Control

Pest control is an ongoing battle on Anna Maria Island, as it is in most subtropical places. Instead of pests, many Islanders like to call them critters. It sounds less disgusting or frightening than the real names for some of the creatures who share the environment and homes of most Floridians. Sometimes it’s possible to see the critters in a positive light. This article is about trying to do just that. It’s an exercise in trying to change your attitude if you can’t change the situation. Because our situation in Florida is that the critters are as determined to be here as we are.

One critter that is considered a pest by some, but a beloved pet by others, is the squirrel. As long as their numbers are not too great, and as long as they nest in the trees and not your house, squirrels can be very entertaining little visitors. When storms blow baby squirrels out of their nests, Wildlife Education and Rehab takes in hundreds of them, and with the help of volunteers raises them until they are big enough to run wild. It’s easy for many Islanders to see squirrels in a positive light, not the target of pest control measures.

Continue reading “Easy Island Pest Control”
Categories
Community Real Estate

The Bridge to Old Florida is Open Again

Anna Maria Island seems to have survived the closure of one of its three bridges for 37 days. The maintenance and repair job was done faster than the projected 45-day project that had been planned. As islanders heave a sigh of relief, it is interesting to look back at the whole issue of bridges and how this is linked to life and business on an island.

Anna Maria sound bridge

The people who have chosen to retire on beautiful Anna Maria Island have chosen Old Florida over the more common new development that lines most of Florida’s coast. For Old Florida to exist there has to be something “missing,” in terms of accessibility and convenience. People who want to live fast and have instant gratification are not looking for Old Florida. Such people are accommodated very well by municipalities and developers who want to grow by catering to the latest trends, and catering to the crowds. An island with small bridges that are not always open is an island that is more likely to retain the charm of Old Florida. But what about those times the Florida retiree needs to get to the hospital fast?

Continue reading “The Bridge to Old Florida is Open Again”
Categories
Real Estate

How To Save On Home Owners Insurance

A month ago I got the renewal notice for my home owners insurance premium. Although it had actually gone down a little after the policy was sold from Citizens Insurance, the Florida-run insurer of last resort, to another carrier, I still thought that it was a lot of money.

But how can I save any more on the cost of home owners insurance? The last thing I needed was being underinsured with inadequate coverage.

One mistake that was made on the Citizens  policy was the description of the roof type. It was marked ‘gable’ when it was actually ‘hip’. I had asked for a correction to the policy but from the renewal notice I found out that the correction had not been made a year ago.

But I also requested a discount for having hurricane clips or anchors on the roof trusses and framing. It is easy to see from the outside what a roof shape is, but not so easy to prove there are anchors in the walls and rafters. I needed a certified inspector’s declaration to satisfy the insurance company.

Continue reading “How To Save On Home Owners Insurance”
Categories
Real Estate

Foreign Invasion Or Foreign Evasion?

Darcie Duncan at Duncan Real Estate Inc. discusses international property buyers.

The National Association of Realtors has just released its Profile of International Home Buying Activity, relaying information about foreign national buying practices in the 12-month period between May 2007 and May 2008. Although the survey of 4,000 realtors across the nation indicates that buying was widespread and spanned almost every state (the most popular states being Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, New York, Washington and Nevada), the report also shows that foreign buyers purchased less property during the period than they did a year earlier. The decline in reported transactions can be attributed to the general downturn in the U.S. housing market. In fact, it appears, according to the report, that foreign buyers, like U.S. buyers, may be reticent to invest in U.S. property until they are assured that the investment will “pay off.”

Continue reading “Foreign Invasion Or Foreign Evasion?”
Categories
Environment News Real Estate

More Canals To Be Dredged

Holmes Beach will get some canals and channels deepened in the next round of budgeted dredging projects.

The Holmes Beach City Commissioners approved funding $270,000 in their last meeting for about a dozen locations to be dredged, under a multi-year State permit.

The project is set to begin at the end of the month. the contractor is Milmac Corp of Coral Springs, Fla.

Continue reading “More Canals To Be Dredged”
Exit mobile version