Hey!!! and Welcome!!!! I am sorry I can't be of much help...I am in Texas. BUT We have a few Floridians around here.. I'm sure that can give you some advice..Soil conditions make such a huge difference..I look forward to seeing you around.. Kylie

Hi! I'm back for an update. It's been almost a year since I posted this asking for advice and so much has changed. The property that my grandmother owns is now in litigation. One of those 'golden' children is suing because they say it was 'promised' to them. So now grandma even has more of a headache because she has legal fees, depositions and an upcoming trial that she is having to prepare for. Of course her lawyer says that there is no case and that they will not win. However it cannot be sold until litigation is complete. My relationship with my grandmother has gotten much better AND she is actually enjoying spending time with me and my family to give my mom a break. She comes over and sits and watches tv with me and the kids make her feel like a million bucks with all of their coloring and 'gifts' that they make for her. My older daughter enjoys helping to fix grandma's hair and likes to help her open doors and things like that. Smothering my grandma with love has seemed to work in the last few months. Her relationship with my mom has gotten better. She is still pretty mean but she no longer calls the other siblings to complain about my mom. She will snap at my mom but quickly apologizes. She has seen the devotion that my mother has for her and I think that has really changed her. As the weeks and months go on, my grandmother becomes even more confused about things and that is very frustrating for her but she leans on my mom where this time last year she would lash out at my mom. She actually enjoys being around my dad too. Our family dog passed a few months ago and my grandma took it pretty hard. We didn't realize how attached she had become to the dog but she tells us that in the afternoon the dog would go in and sit in her room and watch the kids walking home from school through the window. They bonded which is not something my grandmother is good at. The passing of the dog seemed to bring her closer to my dad which has really surprised us all. She says I love you a lot. She says thank you to my mom. I've caught her calling my mom honey and sweetie which are not names my grandmother ever uses. One sibling has stepped up. Well his wife has stepped up but at least my mom has help now. My parents have been able to travel on three vacations which they had not done in over a year and they were travelers before my grandma moved in. My grandma stays with my uncle and wife for several weeks and actually misses home. That's right she calls it 'home' now. The situation is not perfect but it seems to have gotten better. With her acceptance of how her life his now, she seems to be much happier. She doesn't want to go to a home and so I think with the fear of that happening she has straightened up a bit. She still has those moments but she seems to realize when she has been ugly and shows remorse. She actually sits in the living area with family instea of shutting herself off in to her room. The dr's say she is doing well. She had a scare not that long ago but seems to be much better now. I'm not sure what changed my grandma but she is not the miserable old lady she was last summer. She is a much nicer person who allows her family to love her and help her. Just wanted to give an update.

If lightning took out the computer it may well have taken out the cable modem too. You should check that first. I see far more damage to equipment through the phone lines than through power lines. That's the first thing I'd check.

Welcome to a roller coaster ride of a life time! To start, you(parents and you) need to decide what is the best option. You might try listing all the wants and needs in a list. Keep in mind the possibility of a major life change. Now, generally, building new is faster/cheaper than extensive remodeling. Reason? Building new is just putting together the components of the building. Remodeling is removing, restructuring, and replacing parts of an existing building. Twice the work and labor. The differences depend a great deal on location. We bought a great house that was a foreclosure, built in 1965. I was able to do all the necessary work myself and we got the house for less than the appraised value. Even after all the work, our investments left us with equity. Had I had to have all that work done by others, we would have been over equity and upside down. And there was no structural rework needed. We could not have built new for less money in this area. On that list, include where you want to be 10 and 20 years from now. And projected needs. Will your parents need handicapped access? Is there room for expansion if necessary? Look at the projected changes in the area. How are the demographics changing? Example: My neighborhood was original owners and retirees 10 years ago. In a three block section of our street, there are about 25 homes. In 10 years, half of those homes have been sold. Most of the new families all have children. All of those new families, except one, are in their 30's and 40's. My wife and I were the 'New Kids' when we moved in, now we are the 'Old Couple'. All that change is fine with us, but had we expected things to remain the same(ala retirement home type life) we would have been disappointed. Once you have the wants and needs list in general terms(number of bedrooms/garage or not/single level or two story/and so on), you need to discuss cost. Two houses will cost twice what one will. Two houses will need twice the maintenance---yard mowing/leaf raking/snow removal/etc. One building(shared house/duplex) lessens the individual costs. But impacts personal styles/space differences. Your parents may need easy access down the road. A two story means that will be an issue. A single story/duplex minimizes that issue, but raises the cost of the building. As Virgil posted, you will need help. You need a professional who understands the dynamics of your situation. I'd hesitate to say a realtor would be the best choice. To find the house(s) you finally decide on to be sure, but not what to look for. Realtors are pro's who find/sell properties. There are realtors who can do what you need, but in my experience, those folks are far and few between. You should talk to different trades. Contractors, realtors, architects, and designers and find the person/firm that can best work with you towards your goal. Your feelings about that choice are important, but it will be a long journey. An extra 6-12 months in deciding on the best option will pay off later.