Pool in Nocatee---To Screen or Not to Screen (buyers, contractor)

[famrelo]

We just bought new construction. The neighbors have a new house with an unscreened pool. It's lovely and clean. We asked the realtor about this because we assumed that when we built our pool it would be screened. FWIW, Realtor said going without screen is the new "trend". She said a big factor is the surrounding trees, etc., which makes sense. However, the bugs seem to universal down here. Within the first 2 days of living here 3 of us had some sort of strange bug bite!!!

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by famrelo

We just bought new construction. The neighbors have a new house with an unscreened pool. It's lovely and clean. We asked the realtor about this because we assumed that when we built our pool it would be screened. FWIW, Realtor said going without screen is the new "trend". She said a big factor is the surrounding trees, etc., which makes sense. However, the bugs seem to universal down here. Within the first 2 days of living here 3 of us had some sort of strange bug bite!!!

Your realtor assumes you're a low dollar buyer - and was trying to sell you the "low priced spread" (maybe - fences can be as expensive as screens - depending),

I don't know what trees have to do with the price of onions. Most of the year here - when you're outside in many areas - you're going to get bug bites unless you're covered with bug spray or in a screened enclosure. Robyn

[famrelo]

Pretty sure we're not "low dollar" and quite certain the realtor didn't think so. Thanks for the dig though, Robyn. Beginning to understand where the animosity towards certain poster comes from, however.

[snuffybear]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Your realtor assumes you're a low dollar buyer -Robyn

And you know this how?

[ssclulow]

Screened enclosures for pools serve to keep out not only most bugs, but also many reptiles, birds and other animals as well as leaves and other landscape debris. The enclosure will serve as a good child barrier as long as the screen door handles are placed up high where a child cannot reach. Many areas of St. Johns County have a special tax assessment for insect control spraying. I have found that the spray program is very helpful in keeping the insect population manageable during the daylight hours even though I live in an area surrounded by marshes. The sea breeze is also helpful as my property is a mile from the beach. The most annoying insects for me personally are the deer flies that seem to follow me if I am walking in a heavily wooded area.

[fsquid]

I don't think it the new "trend", I just think people are cutting that part out to get the pool they want. Those enclosures are not cheap.

[EricBoyd]

When we got an estimate at our old house a few years ago, the enclosure alone would have been roughly $10k, which is about a third of the cost of a typical backyard pool.

[mspink]

Yeah, enclosures are pricey. We added one (no pool) when we moved in, and it was $5500 for about a 12x12. That did include concrete, but still...

Having said that, I would definitely want one if we had a pool to keep the critters at bay-insect and reptile. We love ours even without the attraction of a pool.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by famrelo

Pretty sure we're not "low dollar" and quite certain the realtor didn't think so. Thanks for the dig though, Robyn. Beginning to understand where the animosity towards certain poster comes from, however.

It was a dig at your realtor - not you. Unless your realtor is a member of your family - I reckon you can appreciate the difference.

FWIW - if this stuff is part of your real estate brokerage contract - your realtor (who probably is the developer's broker) is probably trying to get you to buy as much as possible on the original contract so his/her commission will be bigger. Assuming you're talking about a developer's broker - don't be naive. The main goal is to get the maximum $$$ from you that are subject to a commission. In any way - shape or form.

I don't think anyone here disagrees with me that at many times of the year here/times of day - if you don't have screens - the bugs are anything from annoying to awful. I only have an outside porch here - and would never use it at all if it weren't screened.

Also - I'll give you another wildlife tip. If you only have something like a fence - there will be nothing to prevent wildlife like raccoons from entering your "outdoor living areas". I have found this to be a particular problem when grilling. Our grill was always outside - not under roof (our porch is under roof - and a grill makes a mess of the porch ceiling). I could deal with the raccoons until this year. And now I can't/don't want to. So I grill on the driveway now. I also don't want to deal with the deer we're getting in our back yard these days. They're much bigger than I am. Robyn

P.S. "New trend" my a**. Next thing you know - the brokers will be trying to sell you guys from elsewhere a piece of swamp in Florida. And calling it a "marsh" or "wetlands" or a "nature conservation area". I'm sure there are others parts of the US where this kind of nonsense goes on - but I've never explored buying a house in any of them.

[snuffybear]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

P.S. "New trend" my a**. Next thing you know - the brokers will be trying to sell you guys from elsewhere a piece of swamp in Florida. And calling it a "marsh" or "wetlands" or a "nature conservation area". I'm sure there are others parts of the US where this kind of nonsense goes on - but I've never explored buying a house in any of them.

Marsh? I can think of one right ummm, under your house => "Marsh Landing"!

Grilling on the driveway? Is that allowed by your HOA?