Improvements Archives | Real Estate & Investment Perspective by Karen Lee Bertiger

2026/06/082026/06/10

Selling or Buying a Hurricane Damaged Home

Selling:

If the home was damaged, the seller should remove all wet drywall and dry the house out
Fill out a seller’s disclosure listing all known damage
Don’t cover water stains with paint – no cosmetic coverups
Do the necessary repairs and disclose all repairs
Get your own mold inspection done
Do a pre-listing home inspection to make sure you didn’t miss any repairs
Choose licensed Florida contractors to provide estimates and repairs
Don’t assume your home will sell only at a discount; many damaged homes are sitting on valuable land and many may even sell at the full market value of the home before it was damaged in the hurricane

Buying:

Get both home and mold inspections
Choose licensed Florida contractors for estimates and repairs you are considering having done
Get it in writing – if the seller wants to sell “as is” – get it in writing what repairs the seller will have done and what potential credits they may give you
Ask to see written evidence of the insurance proceeds and when they were disbursed to the seller
Make sure the property can be insured!
Ask if they have had the home treated for mold and whether they have a mold certification
If it looks like there’s no damage from the hurricane, ask if there was damage that was repaired
Ask for the seller’s disclosure and be sure to read it very carefully – ask questions about anything that seems vague
Know what has been repaired and what hasn’t – if repairs have been done ask what comany did the repairs and be sure to check whether the proper permits for the work were pulled from the local building department
If purchasing a condominium (this applies just to hurricane damage, not the new requirements) ask aboiut hurricane-related assessments, hurricane related insurance claims and if there are additional fees ask whether the seller will cover the fees or if the responsibility will be yours as the buyer

2025/11/212025/11/21

Developers Are Opting for “Detached Condos” Rather Than Platted Subdivisions

It could be a fatal mistake to invest in a property that appears to be a free standing house, but is actually a detached condominium! ALWAYS check the legal description if you are actually looking for a single family detached home; if it’s actually a detached condominium you’ll see “unit” or “condo” in the legal description.

Many MLSs, title companies and yes, even lenders misclassify this kind of ownership, thereby creating appraisal, mortgage and title problems. Realtors/MLSs add to the misclassification by quoting “lot size” — there is no individual condominium lot size — the lot size is for the entire development! Detached condo owners typically own the “surface” of the land under the structures, the structures, 200 ft. above the land, the systems, tree roots and anything that supports the home. The HOA owns everything else.

Detached condominiums are widely found in Texas, California, Florida and many other states.

2025/11/112025/11/11

House Flippers Operating on Smaller Margins

Which means that YOU, Mr. & Mrs. Buyer, may not be aware that a home offered for sale may be “a flip.”

You’ll definitely need to have a potential home purchase inspected, even if it’s a new build!!! In flipped properties the flipper may have taken shortcuts & thereby covered up potentially expensive defects. Even flippers are required to disclose known defects when selling properties. Many people just don’t want to remodel a property themselves. You could make yourself some sweat equity though if you are willing to do it right. That means finding a property that needs some work but you could purchase it for less than replacement value. Then take it down to the studs, and do it right. It will pay off when you resell.