We would like to invite you to visit our newest real estate blog at the Tampa Bay Florida Real Estate Blog site.

This new blog will focus on what's going on in the Tampa - St. Petersburg area including Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

When you visit the new blog, leave us a comment on what you liked and/or didn't like, if anything, about it.

First Time Buyers - Have You Thought About Homeowners Insurance ?

Are you about to start looking for your first home. If yes, you should learn all you can about homeowners insurance before you get too far ahead of yourself.

Your mortgage provider will require you to have a home insurance policy in force on your new home prior to closing day. So, you might as well know what is involved up-front.

This is one of the many things a first-time home buyer should know about homeowners insurance. Here are the things you should know.

Getting a homeowners insurance policy is harder today than it was a few years ago. As a result of the recent recession, everything is harder to get now including homeowner insurance policies here in Florida. You may have to shop around to get the kind of coverage you want, and you should definitely get multiple quotes to compare the cost from one provider to the next.

A couple of definitions:

• The homeowners insurance premium is the amount you pay for coverage.
  
• The deductible is what you will pay in the event of a claim, before the insurance company will pay the rest.
  

Premiums and deductibles are related. You can usually reduce your premium by raising your deductible amount. The Insurance Information Institute says “If you can afford to raise your deductible to $1,000, you may save as much as 25% on your premiums.”

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage. So if you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, you should get a separate policy (or a "rider") for flood insurance.

When choosing a policy, you can also generally choose between replacement cost and actual cash value.

Replacement Cost coverage gives you more protection than cash value, because it covers the cost of replacing items even if they cost more than when you bought them

Actual Cash Value ( known as ACV) only covers items up to the amount you paid for them or their value as of the time of the claim.

You can get a quote for a homeowners insurance policy online, which will save you plenty of time and energy. This is a great way to compare policies of multiple insurance companies at once but you may want to buy your policy locally so you know someone you can go to from time to time with any questions you may have.

In any case, be aware that a homeowners policy is going to be required. Also know that if you do not get one on your own prior to closing day, your mortgage provider will probably offer you one. That mortgage-provider policy is almost always going to cost you more than a policy you bought on your own and brought evidence of coverage to the closing. So it's worth a little time and effort to save yourself some cash.

Universal Design - A New Trend in Home Building

The term "Universal Design" refers to a wide range of architectural and construction ideas and products meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to both the able-bodied and the physically disabled.

According to Judie Berger, a Sarasota real estate broker with experience selling universal design homes, the concept evolved from earlier "barrier-free" concepts, the broader accessibility movement, and adaptive and assistive technology and also seeks to blend aesthetics into these core considerations.

As life expectancy rises and modern medicine increases the survival rate of those with significant injuries, illnesses, and birth defects, there is a growing interest in universal design by many forward-thinking architects and builders. There are many industries in which universal design is having strong market penetration but there are many others in which it has not yet been adopted to any great extent. For example, while curb cuts or sidewalk ramps, essential for people in wheelchairs but also used by all, are a common example, the home building industry has just recently become interested in the concept.

More homes are now being built with "universal design" features that will help boomers stay in their homes as they age. These features no longer evoke a hospital or hursing home room so they are appealing to younger demographic groups as well.

There are now kitchen and bathroom cabinets with pull-out shelves, kitchen counters at several heights to accommodate different tasks and postures, and walk-in bathtubs. Color-contrast dishware with steep sides that assist those with visual or dexterity problems are another. There is also growing use of lever door handles in place of the standard doorknob making it much easier for people with disabilities (as well as moms carrying a baby) to open a door.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of this new "universal design" concept is how quickly growing numbers of young families are beginning to ask for such "ease-of-use" features in the new homes they are considering building or buying.

Your Florida realtor can help you find builders employing "universal design" concepts in their homes. In Sarasota Florida, Connie Belmont, a Sarasota FL real estate agent or Brian Ward, a specialist in Bradenton real estate communities would be pleased to help you. In the Tampa Bay Florida area, broker Cheryl Stimac is also a Tampa real estate expert on universal design builders.