- in Blog , Brokers Corner , Newsletter , Tanya Chappell by Secure Investments
Tanya Chappell | Brokers Corner July 2021
Hola!!! Will somebody please pull the plug and drain this swamp? It has been one hot, muggy, rainy month for the record books.
The way it’s been going lately you would think all the rumors about living in Florida are true. That we're surrounded by a bunch of swamplands with alligators and snakes! When you walk outside it hits you like a hot steamy blanket. Being on the river I literally do have alligators and snakes hanging out every time I turn around. Especially now that the banks are flooded and there are no cracks and crevices along the river for them to hide in. We recently had friends stop in for a quick visit and diner on the water, and when they walked out to the deck, they walked past a fat five-foot-long snake. If you’re not from our area you may think it’s scary and dangerous, but it was just a rat snake that’s been hanging around for quite a while.
Thankfully, our house sits on a high bluff, and we have not had to deal with water coming into the house on the lower floor since we have been there, but you can tell by the main picture above, it’s happened, and we will probably see it at some point.
We keep the first floor that’s built out of cement block as an entertainment room with our pool table and ping-pong table and Jeff’s band equipment and are ready to pull those few things out if the water comes up that high. Sure, it’ll be a muddy mess, but I still think it’ll be worth it to be able to live at your favorite vacation spot.
There’s still room for you if you would like to join us out on the river. This month I have sold river land to two of my good friends. Like most waterfront property in Florida the values just keep going up. We’ve seen about a 35% increase in value over the last two years.
Gainesville also experienced a lot of flooding due to Elsa. I’m sure it was a surprise to many people who felt like there’s no way their property would flood because they’re in the middle of town. The videos I’ve included here show you that flooding is possible almost anywhere when you live in a state surrounded by, and full of water. Florida is booming with growth as people continue to pour into the state away from the city life now that they know they can work from anywhere and at the same time enjoy our low tax Base. The building never ends and it’s very hard for the drainage to keep up. It’s no wonder that they require new construction to have almost as much drainage and retention ponds as building space.
It’s been increasingly difficult to get good and affordable insurance in Florida. It’s said the reasons are: “Legislation specific to Florida property insurance, the state’s susceptibility to hurricanes, and a rising rate of insurance fraud have all contributed to the state currently costing homeowners almost twice as much for insurance as in other states.” Lately, insurance companies have also been refusing to insure homes that have roofs that are 10 years old and over. It used to be 20 years old and over.
It’s also been more difficult to get a survey done timely and the prices are almost twice as much in some cases. Surveyors are having a very hard time keeping up with the current demand. A little research showed there’s a shortage of surveyors overall. A report published in 2019 highlighted this shortage by placing Surveyors third on the list of severe shortage occupations. This means organizations experienced significant difficulty in recruitment and retention surveyors “I also found the average age of a surveyor is 55 and are close to retiring.
So, if you ever wanted to get into a business that services real estate where you would instantly have a large customer base this would be a good one! We could sure use you.
As you might guess all of the labor trades roofers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, are also in high demand and backed up with orders. We talked to a truss company locally that said they were 18 months out!! And that is despite lumber prices being reported to be increased by 250% over the last year!!! The lumber prices are starting to come down but there is pent-up demand, and we all know demand drives pricing, so it’s going to take quite a while for new construction to cool off and prices to come down. It’s been a crazy year in Real Estate, and it’s not expected to slow down any this next year.
I celebrated my birthday this month. It was supposed to be the fourth annual JetSki ‘s trip 2 and 1/2 hours down the river and out into the gulf at Suwannee town and then over to Cedar key and back to Suwanee town with a group of our friends. But with the river flooded we were not able to. Instead, I did one of my most favorite things to do and played in a volleyball tournament in Cocoa Beach. I’d forgotten that Cocoa is aptly named for the darker sand that blisters your feet by the end of the day. My partner Julie and I did great and got second place but now I can barely walk for the blisters on my feet. They stop running tourneys after the July event because it’s just too hot with the dark sand.
Till next month, stay cool guys!!
Tanya Chappell Broker/Owner [email protected]
Feel free to check out our other newsletter articles or see the related posts below. You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter. The subscription form can be found on this page in the sidebar to the right. Just scroll to the top of the page and you will see it. Our newsletters are chock full of tips, recent and upcoming events, things that are happening in the community, good will endeavors, property management service information and fun news and updates about our company and the people that make it happen!
No need to look at a list of property management companies! If you are interested in Gainesville FL Property Management please contact us. We can be easily reached here on our website by completing the contact form above on the right. You can also email us at [email protected] or via phone (call or text) 352-478-8029.
