Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home and Homes from the French West Indies

Real Estate: Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home
Architecture: French West Indies Homes
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Real Estate: Red Flags to Look for When Buying a Home

Home inspections are absolutely essential when purchasing a home. I don't care whether you live in a sate that allows you to purchase a home without one, get one anyway. A house in your biggest expense (for most people) - buying a house without an inspection is like buying a used car without having a mechanic check it out first.

Unfortunately, home inspections can be costly. Luckily there are a few things to look for when buying a home (that you can identify yourself) to help give you some idea about what's going on with the house. For more information visit FrontDoor.com

1. Neighborhood: Ok, so it's not a physical part of the house but it IS important to the overall value of your house. Look up and down the street - is there a lot of homes for sale? What condition are the homes in around your potential house? If there is a mass exodus from the neighborhood (aka a lot of homes for sale on the street) you might want to ask what's going on in the community/neighborhood that might be causing it.

2. Condition of the house exterior: if there is moss growing on the roof, grass in the gutters, gravel in the flower beds, spot of dirt in the yard, or fallen down trees it is quite apparent then that the owners didn't bother to take very good care of the home. This will mean you will have to pay for it in the end. (Roofs are expensive to replace, etc.)

3. Foundation: Look at the slope of the yard, specifically look for drainage issues. If water runs down the yard it should show in the yard. Also look closely at the foundation of the house, if there are cracks or crumbling brick (or whatever the material is) then it needs to be repaired (usually if the cracks are bigger than 1/3 inch then it hints at major structural issues - not that they can't be fixed, but it might be costly).

4. Smell the house (inside... and out): When you walk into a house, it's ok if it smells lightly. If it's heavily scented with potpourri, then that is a red flag they are trying to cover up a smell. It may be something as simple as cigarette smoke or as bad as rotten meat that was accidentally left in the kitchen - either way, be aware.

5. Old Wiring: ok, so you aren't an electrician. But if you walk into a house and the lights flicker or the face plate's make a noise when you flip a light on (like a hissing or a buzz) that is bad or old wiring and is a huge fire hazard.

6. Fresh paint...on one wall: fresh paint in a house is great! fresh paint on just one or two walls, not so hot. That is usually a huge red flag that there was damage of some sort and it has been repaired. Repaired is great - as long as it checks out and was properly done. Mold or water damage is never fun to have to continually deal with.

7. Locked doors or blocked off rooms: if you really like a property, ask for another showing in which you can see those rooms. Sometimes homeowners may be using them as storage, but there may also be something wrong in those rooms you should know about. As a rule of thumb, if a homeowner refuses to open a room or storage space or acts weird about it - avoid the home altogether no matter how much you love it.

8. Windows: Check all the windows and make sure they work. If they are foggy they might be double pane and have water in the middle. Windows are expensive, so pay attention.

9. Open floor plans: If your home has an open floor plan, make sure to see if it was always open. If the homeowner did renovations to make the floor plan open, they may have moved load bearing walls which can in turn shift the rest (or the older) part of the home - causing more damage in the long term. Just make sure the job was done properly!

10. Bugs: if you see dead bugs everywhere, or bugs in general, there may be a pest problem. It may be easy to remove the bugs with a simple call to the exterminator or it could be as horrible as termites!

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Architecture: French West Indies Homes

 So I have a serious obsession with everything French, West Indies and Creole. The homes are stunning, the traditions are warming, and the history is more than vibrant and interesting. The French West Indian and Creole culture is a way of life, it's not something that is easily explained nor easily put into words.

Regardless, I did a little research and found some homes that are located in the (Caribbean) French West Indies. Check them out, simply gorgeous little places:

Sizzlin' Island Inspiration and Style To Warm You Up

Travel Inspiration: The island of Sint Maarten-Saint Martin
Interior Design: You guessed it, Island Style

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Travel Inspiration: The island of Sint Maarten-Saint Martin

The cold weather that has been bearing down upon what seems to be the entire northern hemisphere - from China to the US to Europe and Russia - is finally starting to get to me. I adore the winter time, there is nothing like crisp air, a warm fire and a cozy spot... but lately I have been thinking about clear water, warm weather and a break.

What a delicious moment it would be to bask in the sun on a sandy beach near clear blue water....but what if you don't want to go just anywhere? If you are looking for a place that is a little more hidden, has inspiring architecture, and plenty to do then the island of Sint Maarten-Saint Martin (Caribbean) is perfect.

The dual name arises from the fact that the island is split, part of it was/is Dutch and the other part belong to the French (technically the French side of the island is considered a part of the European community while the Dutch side is not, although it 'belongs' to the kingdom...but trade is 'free').

The island is very small, only about 37 square miles, but it has the largest lagoon in the Caribbean. Accessible only by a narrow channel, the Simpson Bay Lagoon is a perfect setting for sailing your boat or dropping your anchor to enjoy a candlelit dinner.

There are affordable activities all over the island. There are the water activities: scuba diving, para sailing, snorkeling, wakeboarding, etc and the activities on land: horseback riding, zip lines, hiking, biking, etc. On the calmer side of things there are plenty of museums, historic sites, restaurants, shops, and sites to see.

But, I love Sint Maarten-Saint Martin because of the culture (over 90 different cultures are represented by residents on the island), warmth and architectural beauty the island has. Check out some of the island below -

 









The island has fun activities, warm weather, beautiful beaches, and everything one might need to relax.

But, if you are trying to start a little less dramatic for your holiday(vacation) in the Caribbean, then checkout Travel With Jenny. The travel site has amazing deals on vacations. A great example: it is only  $779.74 per person (total) to stay 5 days and 4 nights at the 5 star Riu Ocho Rios in Jamaica (click here to see the deal) via Travel With Jenny. She has all sorts of great deals for all over the world from $200 and up, so check it out.

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Interior Design: You guessed it, Island Style

Now that you are dreaming of warm weather, how about going all in and buying a vacation home?? If you vacation a lot, it's a great way to save money. You can rent it out when you aren't using it, and you will always have a place to stay whenever you wanted to get away. If you need help or just want more information feel free to contact me at julia@thatlovelyshop.com (I am a licensed state agent).

In a traditional home bright colors, odd accent pieces, and tropical themes would make me cringe. But, when decorating a vacation home, especially if it's in a tropical zone, the wilder the better.

Here are some ideas to help you get started: