HOW WELL DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR HOME?

How well do you know your home? Have you ever really thought about it? I'm talking about the details behind the walls, tucked away in the crawl spaces and beneath the floors. I'm going to follow with a few pointers that may help you somewhere down the road. Information you should gather before the closing documents are signed and everyone goes merrily along their way. Read on...

Ahhh yes...the excitement and thrill of buying a new beach home. Whether constructing a new home or buying a resale, it's easy to get caught up in the moment. To become oblivious to some important information that you, as the new owner, will want to have and to hold in safekeeping, for future reference down the road. I'm talking about the "boring, ho-hum" stuff that goes on behind the walls, floors, ceilings...stuff that we, as laymen, know very little about. Let's start from the ground up...

The Slab and what lies beneath

The home starts with the slab and the soil type beneath. Find out from your builder or a home inspector, what type of slab you home resides on. Is it slab on grade, post tension, raised platform, pilings, etc. Oh yes, and don't forget to inquire about soil treament for termites. When was it done and by whom. Get the document that validates the termite treatment in your hands and file it.

Walls, Ceilings & Floors

Ask your builder or inspector to determine what's behind the sheetrock. 2x4's, 2x6's, 2x10's, sheer walls, plyboard on both exterior and interior walls, tie rods that begin in the slab and extend to the roof serving as an anchoring system that secures the entire home to the foundation. This all occurs behind the walls. Take notes and add them to your file.

The Roof

Get to know your roof. Hopefully it will serve you well as it is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting the house from the elements. Determine the roof type...Hip, Gable, Salt Box, Flat, etc. Some roof types are better suited for the weather encountered in our coastal environment. And some roof types could save you money with your insurance company. Find out what the roofing material is....metal, asphalt shingles, tile. Is the roofing material attached to the roof deck using screws, nails or rivets? What is the builders warranty on the roof? Get this information in writing and add it to your files.

Fixtures & Appliances

Most homes will come with a fully equipped kitchen. Be sure to secure the manuals for each appliance and locate the warranties from the builder. If the oven is a slide in version, is the tilt mechanism installed? Consider a homeowner warranty policy which will cover a multitude of problems that may arise in your home. This coverage is generally very inexpensive and will give you peace of mind when a component of your home fails.

Heating, A/C & Insulation

When the summer Gulf Power bill comes rolling in, you'll don't want total "sticker shock". Know what the builder has provided in the way of SEER for your HVAC and what insulation R-value exists behind your walls and in your attic. Check all crawl spaces to ensure insulation has been properly installed. You'd be surprised at the areas missed by builders. Be sure a leak check has been performed to be certain no duct leaks exist. Again, get it in writing and add this information to your files.

Electric

Check your main breaker panel to be sure your electric grid is diagrammed and all labels are clearly legible. How much fun it is, playing the guessing game at your breaker panel, when the labels are written as clearly as a prescription pad. And be sure to have the GFI and AFI circuits tested to make sure they are properly wired.

Windows & Doors

Your windows should have certain ratings to meet the code requirements in our coastal area. Check window frame installation and windows for functionality. If your windows have a "pop out" cleaning feature, check the spring mechanisms to make sure they reset properly. For casement windows that are framed and imovable, check for any water seepage along the inside of the window frame. This could indicate a need for caulking or replacement of the window altogether. Doors should meet the local code requirements also. Check locking mechanisms and in the case of a French door system, check the locking pins that secure into the door frame above and below. These locking pins are vital to securing you home in a tropical event.

And Finally...

A new beach home is an exciting venture. And it's easy to get caught up in the moment and overlook some of these important aspects of home ownership. Be sure to secure as much documentation about the home as you possibly can. In the long run, you'll be glad you put forth the effort now as opposed to later.

Mark Evans, Eimers Group Real Estate & Land

WHERE IS NORRIEGO POINT GOING?

Good question. Where is the Point going? At this rate, by the time the political red tape is unraveled, where the Point is going won't matter. It will be gone. Wake up folks. Can you say bulkhead, rock jetty, seawall...anything proactive to address the issue while there is still an issue to address. The same applies to those on Holiday Isle and Destin Pointe and the problems they face with their disappearing beaches. Oh yes, and then there's the East Pass channel issue where dredging is again a necessity. Here's a suggestion...cut through all of the political gauntlet, get the Local, State and Federal parties involved together and hammer out a viable solution that encompasses the entire set of problems. And get it done in rapid fashion. The time for action is now. The agencies can bicker amongst one another at a later date. I only hope this same time next year we won't be reading about the demise of the western reaches of the Destin Harbor. Here's part of the story...

A smaller Norriego Point could become a big problem for Destin's harbor and some of its inhabitants. Erosion occurring at the tip of the point could also mean trouble for a planned marina and additional boat slips to be built along the western end of the harbor. Bruce Craul, chief operating officer of Legendary Inc., which has plans to build a marina near the company's Emerald Grande high-rise condominium project, said wave action from the East Pass and Gulf of Mexico could batter boats docked on the western end of the harbor if they're not afforded some protection by Norriego Point. "This is significant," he said in an interview. "This is as bad as any beach erosion we have. The property that's being threatened here has an effect on the livelihood of the entire area."Despite Legendary's plans to build a new marina at the Emerald Grande, Craul said what's happening to Norriego Point transcends corporate interests. "This is a community story, it's not a Legendary story," he said. He has three aerial photos, made last year in March, November and December, that he said show the point has receded an estimated 125 yards.

Jim Breitenfeld, executive director of the Destin Harbor Association, said its members, many of whom are harborfront business owners and/or work along the harbor, see it as a problem with potentially disastrous consequences. Breitenfeld said the harbor association plans to present the issue to the Destin's City Council within weeks to brief them on the problem with Norriego Point along with other harbor related issues, such as the proposed dredging of a new navigational channel in the harbor and the dredging of the East Pass. "We need to be more proactive rather than reactive, which is kind of how issues with the harbor have been handled in the past," Breitenfeld said.

The problem with Norriego Point isn't one of awareness but rather of ownership as confusion over who owns the spit of sand, he said. "The challenge is jurisdictional," Breitenfeld said. "It seems like with everything down on the harbor, no matter who you talk to, they'll tell you it's somebody else's problem." Norriego Point appears to be no exception. Jim Trifilio, director of beach management for the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council, said he wasn't aware of any formal declaration of ownership on behalf of any government agency at any level. "My understanding is that there has never been a definitive answer as to the ownership issue," he said. "Some have said state, federal, local and private." Terry Jangula, site manager for the Panama City office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said he didn't know who owned the land or who was responsible for maintaining Norriego Point. Destin City Manager Greg Kisela said the state claimed ownership of the point with an arrangement with the county to "manage" the property. Okaloosa County Administrator James Curry said that after a little research, he found that in the early 1960s the county turned over ownership of Norriego Point to the state and that armoring the point would require state approval and permitting.

Charles DuPlantis, the owner of Boogie's Watersports, a business now located at the docks at Emerald Grande, said unimpeded wave action has wreaked havoc on his rental boats. "On certain days, we have waves washing over the docks. It beats everything up," he said. Advocates of protecting the point have suggested armoring it with a seawall or rock jetties to prevent further erosion. Trifilio said that without a study to determine the geological consequences of building such a structure, one isn't likely to be constructed by the state. "Armoring is not FDEP's (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) favorite method to control erosion, and lacking a study of some sort, it's not clear what would work in this location," he said. "Studies have shown that, while you can armor anything, the armoring often can cause additional problems." Over the years, Norriego Point has grown and receded. During Hurricane Opal in 1995, waves washed over the point, creating an island of sand between the harbor and the East Pass.