If you are purchasing a home in Lakewood Ranch, you’ll benefit from a quality home inspection. The emergence of Lakewood Ranch just to the northeast of Sarasota was a response for the need for space and a lifestyle oriented community. Many of these homes were built in batches, rather than by custom builders. As you may be aware, builders try to maximize return on investment. Smaller lots, quicker building schedules, deadlines, budgets and most homes are built by subcontractors. As a result, they...

St. Armands and Lido Key boast some of the oldest homes in our area. Beautiful 1920s waterfront mansions, alongside modern homes, overlook the Intracoastal Waterway. Also the key has more common ranch style homes that sprung up in the 1950s and 60s. Another popular living choice are the older and charming condo developments. Make no mistake, this area is prized real estate, so of course many people are tearing down and building new. If you are purchasing on Lido or St. Armands, it’s important...

Most air conditioning systems generally last 10 to 15 years in Florida. The closer you are to the coast, the shorter those numbers become due to the corrosive nature of the salt air. Every once in a while we see an air conditioning system that is defying all the odds. Yesterday we came across a General Electric air conditioning system that was 37 YEARS OLD. It was installed in 1981 and was still running acceptably. The system had an 18 degree temperature split which is very respectable for a new...

Here is a picture of a brand new air conditioning condenser that was installed on uneven ground. The HVAC condenser is crooked which is a problem because mechanical issues can develop as a result. There are several problems with having an unlevel air conditioning condenser. One issue is that the rotating components including the compressor itself and blower fan use lubricated bearings. In order to prevent uneven wear, these rotating components should be as close to level as possible. Secondly, the...

The strength of garage doors has come a long way in the past few decades! In Sarasota and Manatee counties, newer garage doors are required to be resistant to high force winds. If you are buying a newer home or having a new garage door installed, it is recommended that you speak with the installer. You want to ensure that the door you are receiving is "impact rated." Many garage doors...