As buyers tour the many new construction communities in our area, most make touring the model homes and community amenities a priority.

Few buyers are thinking about the HOA board and who's in control of it. Generally, the builder retains control of the HOA board until a specific, designated turn over point in time.

This brings up potential issues that I have seen happen in the past with new construction when the HOAs are currently being run by the builder. The property...

Since FL is very popular with retirees, questions often come up regarding 55+ communities and just who can reside within them.

To be a 55+ community there are specific federal laws, but the state of FL also has statutes covering these communities.

Typically, the right to restrict occupancy based upon age is based upon precise wording contained within a community’s governing documents. It may have been originally drafted that way or it may have been added by an amendment...

The question often comes up, what is a CDD?

CDD is short for Community Development District.

The primary function of a CDD is to construct and maintain infrastructure for a planned community development (PUD). This infrastructure may include roads, sidewalks, street lights, parks, recreational facilities, jogging trails, stormwater management, water mains, sewer lines, roadside landscaping and other similar items.

A little history on the CDD. It was...

I hear this question a lot. Should I bother with a home inspection? I'm buying a new/almost new home, so isn't a home inspection a waste of money?

Let's start with the definition of a home inspection. A home inspection is an objective inspection of the current condition of the home and it's mechanical systems. A home inspection should cover the structure itself (walls, trusses, foundation, windows, doors, etc), the roof, electrical (panel, outlets, wiring), plumbing, AC/heating,...