LOL Kevin, I'm glad you warned me about that. I would have filled it up with all my plants/fish/etc.! Boy that was close! ;) Sandy........That's my biggest concern.....seeing $200 fall and break! ($400 if I buy 2)..........all because I didn't want to spend $30 more! The more I'm thinking about it......I think I'll have it delivered! That would be cheaper than renting a trailor. When the store first opened, there were a bunch of young guys there who were eager to make a few extra bucks. I haven't seen them around lately, so I sure hope they're available. There's still always that pull-it-behind-the-van-on-little-wheels idea. hahaha That conjers up visions somewhat like what Kevin had!!

floridajane...as you are in FL, and the last time I checked, as of yet the profession is not yet licensed. However, that does not mean that much in the long run...as few states seem to have anything in place that effectively prevents the unlicensed from practicing...or even enforcing the regulations with those whom are licensed. That said...the first step is that one should familiarize themselves with their state regulations (if any) for HI'sor absent that...the standards of practice of the major HI organizations...ASHI, NAHI, NACHI are the most well known. That way, you will at least know what the HI should doand what is beyond the scope of a home inspection, and be in an informed position from which to make a selection. Then, you should ask friends and family for referrals. Within those referrals, find out how long the HI spends in the home....as an average sized home, in average condition should take a good two and half hours...make sure that is INSPECTION time...friends recently had an inspection in CT (where HIs' are licensed) by a very well known firm...and half the time (3 hours, 5300 SF house) spent in the home the HI was writing the checklist report and explaining the "few" findings. As far as the report is concerned......eliminate immediately anyone who gives a check list. They will try to convince you that this is to your benefit.as you can have it same day...its BS. It is for their benefit only as it allows them to maximize the number of homes that can be "inspected" in a day. Most are so basic and generic, that it is almost impossible for a buyer to really know anything meaningful about the house. The next level of report might as well be checklistand that is one that appears to be a narrativebut it is really a bunch of boiler plate about houses in general.. and information about the systems of homesbut NOT about the specific house that has been inspected. It is therefore a glorified checklist in disguise. Some franchise firms actually put it in a nice folderwith a CD.but it is about 85% show15% substance. The best bet is to hire the HI who provides a full, descriptive, narrative report about the house inspected..with specificsas well as digital photos, clearly depicting the items of concern. Such reports can run 50 pages or moreand are not instantas they require timeand actual thought (what a concept!). And..as such, the inspection may cost a bit moreand rightfully sobecause a meaningless report even at the most bargain price is money down the drain. Check references..and try to find an HI who carries errors and omissions insurance, in order that you have recourse in case he does miss something. Many HIs I know carried E&O even before they were required to do so by law.so, even though you are in FL, I am sure the same is true for at least some of the HIs thereand, as such, speaks to the HIs level of professionalism and responsibility. You should also get to see the pre-inspection agreement up front and NOT the day of inspectionin order to determine if indeed the terms and conditions are suitable..and to have time to discuss them if there are any questions or concerns. Last not least, one should start looking for an HI as soon as they deicide its time to house hunt. That way, they have the time to perform their due diligenceand have the HI all lined up as soon as they find the home they wish to buy, instead of finding the homeand at the 11th house settling for whomeversimply because there is no time to do anything further. Last but not leastfor those who live in states where the profession is licensedmake sure the HI who will come to inspect has the licenseit is illegal in NJ..and other states as well.. for the HI company to send an unlicensed HI out to inspect, but they do it nonetheless, due to non-existent enforcement. Get the nameget the license numberand check with the state to make sure they are one and the sameand ask to see the HI license upon arrival. Hope this helps.

Just a word of caution regarding Anderson Windows. We wanted the windows and doors pictured in the rustic Amicalola home that's on the Garrell site. Researched it and found out they are from Anderson. Pricey ,but thought They would be worth the cost. Our local distributor is the HomeDepot. We took our plans to them, I also gave them pictures of the front door and dining room units. It took them three weeks to just get the order placed with Anderson. Another four weeks for production and delivery . Now we have pcs that are incorrect. The sales person that handled our order got a promotion during this time, but when he found out about the problems, he quit his job. The next guy talks the talk " I'm going to get this done" etc. but we haven't heard from him in a week. Finally, I called Anderson customer service and asked if they could help us. I was basically told ' No, sorry' . We will get it worked out somehow. It's just very frustrating. I would not recommend Anderson Windows to anyone, based on the lack of concern or willingness to help in this situation.

A seller asked me to move into his house for free for several months before closing. Why? He wanted to close after owning it for two years for tax benefit. It was good for me, he had the bigger exposure such as me not closing and not moving out.. It all worked out fine. As said, each party to the transaction makes personal decisions which is best for each person. I'm still in the don't move out early camp, to each his own. I've bought and sold many properties and never had a serious problem. I do always try to keep agreements to my benefit and and not lose everage. Why fault a Realtor if both parties understand the risk and agree to it?