pre 2002 construction (Naples: insurance, house, to buy)

[piuliano]

i like to buy a carriage house built before 2002 (1996). i have been told not to buy anything before 2002 before the construction codes were changed. can someone advise. seems crazy that all places before 2002 are off limits but open to any comments. thanks

[Who Dat]

Although I am not well versed in this area I would still like to chime in. I bought a house in East Naples (Lakewood) that was built in 1978. I bought in back in 1999 and have done the wind mitigation upgrades which in turn have helped lower my insurance costs.

AS you may know, we had a significant hurricane in Wilma that cause plenty of damage in the area. I lost a small portion of my roof but otherwise was unscathed. I attribute part of this to the pre-2002 construction and less to the wind mit upgrades I did. I still have the original windows that were flexing during the storm but never gave way.

I would say that the mid to late 70's homes were built pretty solid. The drywall in the house is at least 1/2" thick and has "hard coat" on it. The hard coat makes for a nice noise buffer from room to room.

After living here my entire life, I would not hesitate to purchase a pre-2002 if the price were right.

*For the record, I did buy a house that was built much later up in Four Seasons (behind Sam's Club) and the quality difference (in materials) is very apparent.

I'll take my 1970's home in a minute.

I hope that helps generate some more response and gives you a little insight.

[piuliano]

thank you; that is very helpful especially from a person who has lived through it. seems like with a few upgrades a pre 2002 construction can be a good buy.

[Who Dat]

Absolutely but keep in mind that with the code info in hand, maybe you can use it to negotiate a better deal.

[Fltaz]

It will all depend on the house. Our old home in Naples was constructed in 1988 and with a few changes it passed all insurance inspections. Our roof trusses were tied down when it was built thankfully. Over a period of time we put on a new roof, hurricane shutters, wind resistant garage door etc. We road out several hurricanes and tropical storms with no damage. It also helps if the house has a "hip" roof. That deflects the wind away from the roof. It also helps if you have a lot trees around, they also help absorb and deflect the wind away from the house.

[Sandsam]

After you make an offer on the home, during the inspection period, get a quote from your insurance agent. The cost to insure older homes can be significantly more expensive. That said, often the build quality and finishing are better. Just my 2 cents.

[kpproperties]

I built My home here in Naples in 2000. 17 years later it's rock solid. Who the builder is makes a huge difference naturally. As long as you have a good inspector when you buy your house you should be OK