My daughter lives in a condo--and I will say, loves it. However, from going through the experience with her? DO NOT consider buying a condo is an investment. The prices of them are a lot more unstable than real homes--you won't be making a profit on one, most likely. Much more likely you'll end up selling it for less than you paid. Insurance? Definitely check that out thoroughly. DD insures her belongings much as a renter would, the association is responsible for the building. You want to find out things like: what maintenance does the building do? (yardwork, structural repairs, cleaning dryer vents, etc). Will you be charged an extra charge if something major (new roof, siding, repaving parking lot) has to be done? and what you're resonpsible for (probably your own heating/cooling unit, your own appliances, plumbing, etc). What happens if the neighbor 3 floors above you forgets to turn off the water in the tub and your place floods? Is this a retirement home, you're considering? If so, you'll come out way ahead if you just rent a condo in the complex you're considering or in a regular apt. complex. It will be cheaper to start with, and you won't have the responsibilities of a condo owner (which can be pretty expensive--believe me, DD has found that out). Better yet, why not investigate subsidized senior apts, where your rent is based on your income? My mom lived in an absolutely gorgeous, well-kept building with all her friends, and it only cost her about $250/month--the same apt. in a commercial building would have cost her $1600-2000 per month. It was lovely, well-kept, clean, safe with lots of activities. Bottom line, I think you're going to find a condo is a lot more expensive than you think, and you'll never make a profit buying one--especially in Florida.

All Real Estate is local, but one fact remains: location, location, location. If you buy the worst unit in a great building, it will always be the worst unit and will never resell it for what the other units are selling, whether you live there or rent it out. You may get renters for the same price, or nearly so, because they want the amenities that the community offers but they don't care as much for a temporary situation (unless it's really bad, overlooking the trash dumpsters or something while everyone else gets the ocean view). In a high-rise, the top floor, penthouse, will always be the most desirable because you'll have the best views and won't have someone living over your head (think about someone walking with heels on a tile floor above you - or big dogs clack-clacking their nails as they trot around - whatever). They will always sell for more and will rent for more. Depending on the floor plan and view, end units are usually more desirable than "middle" units and units next to or across from the elevator are less desirable. Low-rise buildings, four stories or less, slightly different rules apply. And here's one rule of thumb (although beach buildings are usually built so that all the units face the water), I've found that full water view is worth about $15K over no water view for otherwise the exact same unit. How that applies is if you buy on the second floor (the level above the garage, sometimes called the first floor) - although it has quicker easier access to the beach (one extra-high flight of stairs) - you might not have a view if it's been landscaped - you might just be looking at the tops of palm trees. There's a gorgeous high-rise condo that one of my buyers keeps looking at that is making me crazy. He wants the water view, but whenever he sees one listed under $600K he sends it to me - "what about this one?" and then I have to remind him that there is no view for the 5th floor and below (the upper three floors are between $800K-$1.5M) due to the huge live oaks and landscaping beyond. And then I remind him that this particular complex has over $1000 per month in fees and maintenance. And he has to join the Club (at $60K initiation and more monthly fees and minimums). But I digress....the point is: view. Either way, for Florida beaches, if it's relatively newer construction, there is no "ground floor" because it has to be raised and the space "under building" used for parking. So there are stairs or elevator for everyone. If it's older and the beach level has living units, the flood insurance is going to be pretty high - which will be paid as part of your monthly maintenance/condo/association fees. It will probably be spread out amongst all the units evenly, so even an upper floor is going to be paying the high rate. (I don't believe the multi-family units were "grandfathered" into paying the lower rates) And you will still need to pay for flood insurance for your unit in addition to hazard and liability.

Congrats. What furnishings will you be bringing with you? This really cute condo is small enough that a room rug is unnecessary -- a room sized rug would even visually shrink and warm/heat the space. That doesn't mean you couldn't put a 3'x5' rug beneath a chair and ottoman. I grew up in a kitchen with walls and (metal) cabinets painted pale yellow, with only slightly darker yellow window trim and recently have been seriously considering repainting my own kitchen two shades of the same color ... perhaps blue; perhaps yellow. Perhaps you could use two shades of your own favorite color for your kitchen. Are you planning to leave the wallpaper trim tape atop the wall? If so, you might take that color into consideration as you choose your paint colors. Is that the back of a microwave I see at the peninsula? If you're not going to use that bar as a bar (wouldn't), consider removing it and perhaps adding a rectangle box shelf (with a back to it) the top of that pony wall so you'll have a shelf for your microwave and/or toaster oven without them sitting on your countertop. You'd probably have room to set S&P and sugar bowl and napkin holder on the countertop beneath the overhang of a box shelf and still be able to use the countertop space in front of that for meal prep. Instead of just a sideboard w/art beside the kitchen, consider a full 6' high china cabinet -- saving your kitchen cabinet space for other items. Having solid doors below give you storage for things you don't want to display; having glass doors above enables you to display some of your dishes. The open shelves in the middle enable you to place items there you need to access regularly such as decorative canisters. If your china cabinet and dining table/chairs are wood with a medium finish, that will visually warm your space. For end tables and bed side tables, consider 2drawer filing cabinets made of the same wood as your dining set. Not only will your "tables" do double duty as storage for documents you need to keep, the drawers are deep enough for purses and/or camera equipment and/or other hobby items. Some have a third shallow drawer above the two file drawers and some even have locks. https://www.google.com/search?q=two+drawer+wood+file+cabinets&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbupSi_7PaAhWLVN8KHfHRBxQQ_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=650

From the sectional - Blue water and sky out the window. We will add in complement color pieces too but to some extent, I think the travertine acts as major accent color in the room if we go with neutral colors and maybe one accent wall. However, the ceilings are 11 or 12 feet and I am concerned about an accent wall with that volume of color.