Curb Appeal and Property Values

I’ve been thinking a lot about our codes lately. Mostly about visual blight issues. And as I’m sure we all have our own personal code pet peeves, I thought to see how this may relate to our property values.

Using online service Zillow as an illustration, I looked up my homes value compared to the rest of zip code area 33161. Now, this may not be, and probably is not an exact science, but it does provide some noteworthy data. According to their Zestimate (clever play on words in my opinion), my property value dropped $4,126 over the last 30 days - but was 155% higher in value than the surrounding 33161 zip code areas.

My next thought was… why such a big difference?  And how do our codes possibly affect this? To this end I reached out to blog member and resident professional realtor Brad Piper with Keller Williams. Please find below our discussion pertaining to property maintenance and property values.

MH: Brad, first I want to thank you for sharing both your time and expertise in helping our readers better understand the relationship between property maintenance and property values. Question, based on your prospective new buyers, what are you hearing about Biscayne Park in general?

BP:  My pleasure Milton and thank you for creating this informative blog.  My buyers have expressed that Biscayne Park has a unique “sense of community” that they haven’t found in other areas.   Even though we have seen prices increasing in our area, buyers are still seeing value for their money here in Biscayne Park.  They love seeing families strolling in the park, dog walkers, joggers, and the community interacting as a whole.

MH: Can you explain for us how Zillow works and how it arrives at its valuations?

BP:  Zillow is strictly based on data collected from closed sales in your area, and is meant to give a general estimate of value.  Homes and communities are uniquely different, and those differences can have an affect on your property value.  An appraisor will be your best source for an accurate estimate of property value, and will also take into consideration the condition of the home, and the characteristics of the location.

MH: Brad, can you provide some common property maintenance issues that potentially reduce our property values?

BP: Dirty exterior, faded chipped paint, overgrown yards, roofs and fences in need of repair, are just a few examples.   Keeping in mind that the maintenance of your home’s exterior can impact your neighbor’s curb appeal, and collectively, it can have a negative impact on the entire community.

MH: And while on the subject, can you mention some property maintenance and curb appeal tips that could possibly increase our property values?

BP:  General landscaping and updating of roof, windows, shutters as needed.  Consistent maintenance and improvements tend to help support property values, and reflects on the entire neighborhood.  Programs such as www.ygrene.com could be a great resource for homeowners on a budget, who need to make repairs to their homes.

MH: Good to know Brad. Another question, I noticed that Zillow listed my homes value approx. 11% higher than other BP properties. It’s not specific as to the other properties and I was curious as if this is due to location. Have you an explanation for this?

BP: That’s a great question and I would assume it’s due to the sales in your immediate area.  In a marketplace where there is a wide price range of home values, we see the most discrepancies in their pricing.    Zillow’s accuracy has always been in question, and can sometimes be misleading for home owners. 

MH: Lastly, is there anything else that you would like to share with us regarding the relationship between property maintenance and property values?

BP:  We are all in this together, so your lack of exterior maintenance could affect your neighbor’s property value.  Even though we may not be ready to sell today, life events can change that scenario quickly, and being prepared could increase your sales price making the transition, much more pleasant.

Well, that’s all useful information. Thank you again for taking the time to discuss this with our readers. There was one point that really struck home with me from Brad’s comments. “We are all in this together” is so true and vital for fostering a good sense of community.

Last month I had the opportunity to spend some time with our code officer driving through the Village during one of his inspections. This helped me to gain a better understanding of some of our issues and areas where we can improve with our overall property maintenance. I can tell you that I have already seen positive results based on that time spent together. It may not always happen as quickly as we like, but I can attest first hand that code improvements are indeed happening. 

If any members or readers would like to comment on any specific code issues that are on their minds, and would like to see addressed in a future post, please feel free to do so in the comment section below. As Brad says “we are all in this together.”

Milton Hunter- The Biscayne Parker

Standing Water?

Good morning All,

UPDATE: We've had several rainy days lately with rain mostly starting during the late afternoon continuing into the evening. We had such a day yesterday.

With this in mind, I ventured out early this morning, camera in hand ready to gather photos of the overnight water accumulation. Please see below the results. (hint, there are none)

Okay, sorry for the tease. The point is that there was no notable water left in the areas we have designated from before.  However, we will remain diligent and be out again for updates... weather permitting.

Enjoy your weekends-

Milton Hunter
The Biscayne Parker

P.S. I checked in with the Village earlier this week to see how many flood survey forms had been returned. My answer... less than 10. We have 1079 parcels. So, please download or pickup the form, complete and return... even if you have no standing water problems. It only takes a few minutes and will provide much needed information.

 



Standing Water Photos 2

Greetings All,

In our ongoing effort to assist both our Village and Craig A. Smith with the gathering of actual data, please find below updated BP standing water photos. To review, several volunteer Villagers have been observing and photographing standing water areas in our Village after each heavy rainfall. This program coincided with the rainy season and after our existing storm water drains had been cleaned out. This analysis should provide the most realistic examples of our factual standing water issues.

I want you to compare these photos, taken on 9/25/15 to the previous ones posted on 9/12/15 as they illustrate some interesting points. Please take note of areas 1-3 from both days. (located on the Storm Water Workshop repost) Presumably, due to ground saturation after days of rainfall and changes in the water table, you will see more standing water in these three areas. Also, there were new areas found where standing water was detected.

What I found notable is that the natural water diffusion time-frame was essentially the same. The time elapsed between these photos was approx. 6.5 hours. 

Area 1 (115 St. / 6th Ave.)

(click on any photo to enlarge)

 

 

Area 2 (116 St. / 9th Ave.)

 

 

Area 3 (112 St. / 7th Ave.)

 

 

Area 4 (116 St. / 10th Ave. )

 

 

Area 5 (119 St. / 11 Ave. )

 

Area 6 (119 St. / 7th Ave. )

 

 

Area 7 (112 St. / 10th Ave. )

 

 

Area 8 (113 St. / 10th Ave. )

 

 



 It was reported that areas 4-6 were clear of any standing water several hours earlier. Additionally, to further convey the condition, below are photos taken only 2 hours apart. 

 



Area 5 (119 St. / 11th Ave.)

 

 

 

Area 9 (119st. / 12th Ave. )

 

 

 

Area 10 ( 119 St. / 12th Ct.)

 

 



 

Now, I have one favor to ask of you. If there are any standing water areas not yet covered here, please contact me so that those areas, if any, can be included in the next photo session, weather permitting.   

The photos are to simply provide evidence of the actual situation without bias.  

Best,

Milton Hunter- The Biscayne Parker

miltonhunter@gmail.com

The resident email list was sourced from a public records request from the Village. Should anyone not wish to receive future blog post announcements, please send me an email and include opt-out in the subject line. Your email address will be removed from all future notifications. Thank you-

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
  

 

 

 

Storm Water Workshop (repost)

On September 19th, there was a Village workshop held to discuss the proposed storm water master plan concept which included a question and answer period for those residents in attendance. Since I’ve written on the subject several times since April, I thought to forward a brief overview and several of the photos that we have on file.

The presentation was from the President of Craig A. Smith & Assoc., Gene Schriner and his project manager, Al Caruso. In short, they explained the scope of the proposed plan and provided a hand out which included a flood survey form for residents to complete and return. (I believe that both of these have now been posted on our Village website. I would encourage all readers to take the time to complete and return this information to Village Hall).  His goal is to gather as much data as possible, both from the Village and from our residents to include any previous flood claims.

Part of his presentation addressed work they are doing for our neighboring community, El Portal. He explained that they divide the Village into “basins” or zones. One basins conceptual cost estimate was $1,098,622.50. I believe that he stated the total projected cost for El Portal was somewhere in the neighborhood of six million dollars.  My understanding is that we cannot assume that this would be the same amount for Biscayne Park, should we choose to move forward. It could be more or less -depending on the actual drainage issues and system designs.

To this point, I have included several before and after photos that we have on file. One of the main points he made, and one that I feel is very important to understand, was to explain what actual storm water flooding is. And that is simply standing water (on Village property) for a period of between 12-24 hours. Why I feel this is important is that some residents I have spoken with all seem to have different ideas as to the difference between puddling and storm water flooding.  The photos (below) should help to illustrate this point. The time elapsed between these photos was approx. 7 hours.  

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

115 St. / 6th Ave.

 

116 St. / 9th Ave.

  

112 St. / 7th Ave.
 

So, here we are. The cost of this master plan is $135,000ish. (I didn’t take notes- but this amount is close) Once again, this cost is only for the plan, not any actual work performed. Since we were successful in acquiring $150,000 from the State for the survey, it looks as if our Village is moving forward. I’m happy to take questions here, but you may be better served by contacting our Commissioners and/or Village Manager directly as I am not involved in the decision making process.  

 

Best,

Milton Hunter

BP Resident

P.S. I almost forgot my favorite picture: Our resident storm water gator on the lookout