south florida housing questions (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: wood floors, fit in, houses)

[sugardoll]

I've been searching around and haven't really found an answer to a couple questions I have. My husband is about to be relocated to Fort Lauderdale and we both have always lived in the north.

We've been looking at houses online before an upcoming visit and I was wondering if there are any developments that have more of a craftsman style house?

Also, why don't a lot of houses have any carpet? Is it the humidity/mildew issue? What about hardwoods? It seems like we're seeing tile and more tile, and I've always associated tile with the kitchen and bathrooms.

And I've seen the bug problem referenced several times. If you keep your house sprayed regularly is this still an issue? I hate hate hate those giant cockroaches.

I'm excited about our upcoming move but to be honest I have never given a thought to living in south Florida. I know it's a lot different than the places I've always lived, with Virginia being the southernmost state. Just trying to get a grip on the regional differences.

One last question - is toxic drywall always disclosed?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[rusty78]

My wife and I have been looking at houses in the Fort Lauderdale area for about 6 months now......and what we have discovered is that there are many homes with the Chinese Drywall problem......some have been built with it and even worse...some/many homes have been repaired/expanded using this product......so you really do not know where it has been used until you pay to have someone inspect the property......

They are supposed to inform you of the Chinese Drywall if they are aware of it...ho ho ho...but as we all know...IT'S BUYER BEWARE...and I have heard of deals falling through when a buyer found Chinese Drywall in the home......only to see the property listed several days/weeks later with no mention what-so-ever of the existing problem......if you are not set on Fort Lauderdale there is a new development going up in Boca where you find something new without any problems...

[Nolefan34]

sugardoll-

Most of the newer homes built in the 90's and early 2000's do not have carpet. Mold/Mildew is one reason. Also, carpet is very difficult to keep clean and requires periodic steaming and deep cleaning. Whereas tile can be easily mopped. Tile is also better for people with allergies and families with pets. Also, tile has been the latest style over the past 2 decades. Carpet seems like a trend of the 60's, 70's, and 80's, but has gone by the wayside due to the many issues and changes in styles.

Wood floors are rare because they're very expensive to install and are very high maintenance. They need to be polished every so often and they get scratched easily. I have relatives who ripped out their carpet and installed wood. They love the look, but are now having to deal with scratching and constant maintenance involved.

Regional differences? Where in the North have you lived besides Virginia? The "North" is a very broad category. NYC and Boston are much different from the Midwest. South FL is very different from anywhere up north. Think tropical. Have you ever gone on a cruise or visited the Caribbean? If so, our weather is the same most of the year. Heat/humidity and it is very bright here with lots of sunshine. We get almost daily t-storms with heavy rainfall in the summer, but they usually last only an hour then its sunny out again. The winters are very nice with mild temps. Many snowbirds and tourists flock down here between November and March because we have great weather most of that time.

In terms of the people, South FL is VERY diverse. You have all walks of life here. Rich, poor, NY'ers, Midwesterners, and even some Southerners. You also have lots of racial diversity and many Latin immigrants from other countries. There is also a heavy dose of NY'ers and NJ'ers here. I'm not really sure how to describe South FL's character or culture. I guess its just one big package of all different types. There is no uniformity here. Pretty much anyone can fit in. This is true mainly in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. If we're talking Miami-Dade, the culture is heavily influenced by Hispanics of all types.

[Dragonmam]

I don't think there are any recent developments down here that have craftsman style architecture. That style was popular just as they were finishing the railroad and the popluation was very small. Look in the downtown areas near the tracks and the beach because back then you would have wanted to be near town, which would be along the railroad, and near the beach for the breezes because they didn't have A/C.

Tile is the most practical flooring option here. Water is tracked in, driven in by rain storms and hurricanes and ever present in the humidity and is just not friendly to carpeting and wood. Tile is also cooler. The stone retains the coolness of the A/C better than wood and carpet. It feels more comfortable and it probably helps with the electric bill.

Bugs are not a problem if you have an extermination company spray regularly. We have hired them for periods of a few months and then discontinued the service and gone a couple of years before we had to call them again. If you have pets, excellent flea/tick control is a must. You will probably have to have your vet prescribe something. I have never found anything over the counter that works as well as Comfortis or similar meds.