Buying the Dream: Don’T Get Stuck with a Nightmare: A Brief Compilation of Things to Do Before Purchasing Property

By Victoria Williams

During my years practicing architecture, I have had the pleasure of helping people take their vision and bring it to fruition as a building that they will live their lives in and through either in a residential capacity, private business, or pubic facility. However, often this process isnt easy and is riddled with preventable site issues that change smiles to frowns and dreams to nightmares. This book is for anyone that is thinking of buying land, developing land, or adding to or improving land or buildings. This book provides guidance during this process to avoid the pitfalls and baggage that many parcels bring with them. Know what you are buying prior to getting to the closing table.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546208860

Victoria Williams

Victoria Williams is the owner of VBA Design, Inc., an Architecture firm with two offices located in Panama City, Florida and Fairhope, Alabama. She has over twenty-four years of experience in architectural design, construction, and contract administration. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee, is LEED AP BD+C Certified and a registered and licensed architect in the States of Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and is a certified woman business owner by the National Women Business Owners Corporation. Victoria has a strong belief in providing a positive and innovative environment for our community; she shares this passion through her involvement in numerous community service boards including: The Bay County Chamber of Commerce, FSU Panama City Development Board, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, United Way and many others. She has been the recipient of a variety of awards, including the 2009 NW Florida AIA Community Service, the 2010 Bay County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year, the 2010 Florida American Institute of Architects Silver Medal, the 2014 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Leadership Award and in 2016 received the Citizen Architect Award. Victoria is married to Todd Williams with two children Ashtyn and Morgan. Together they share their vision for the future and are committed to design a better experience that enhances the lives of all.

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© 2017 Victoria Williams. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  10/04/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0887-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-0886-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017914384

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Your Site Has Baggage

Boundary Issues

Unseen Opportunities Or Constraints

Beauty Is Only Sod Deep

You Can Look, But You Can’t Touch

Not In My Backyard!

Bad Timing

Let It Rain, Let It Rain, Let It Rain

High Maintenance

Pay Their Way

Can’t Get There From Here

Conclusion

FOREWORD

T he twenty first century giant leap forward with technology and every bit of information available to anyone is a wonderful thing for the world of real estate, building and development. Television will show you how to design, decorate, flip for profit or just have fun spending money in real estate. All of this information has made many more people believe they can do it all on their own. Save a few dollars here, cut a corner there and you are so smart you saw it on television.

The number of amateurs in the real estate world just muddies the water with more amateur mistakes and hazards. Those hazards can cost thousands more than the advice and expertise of the right professional. Is this town’s commercial zoning exactly like the town where you grew up? What about the zone rules in the town that is on the opposite side of the street? Does a fence determine the property line? Is the setback measured from structure to structure or from the drip line of the eave?

In this book, Victoria Williams lays out examples and warnings of why you should not swim in the world of real estate without hiring the right experts to protect you from the amateurs, politicians, regulators, and the self interest motivated. The cost of a Realtor can save thousands more than their commission in negotiating, contract review, historical, political, and building knowledge. The cost of hiring an architect who is a zoning and permit expert is dirt cheap compared to buying property by the truck load. Surveyors, building inspectors, architects, and other consultants do more transactions a year than you will do in a lifetime. That lifetime experience for hire is a bargain compared to the mistakes you could pay for without them. Victoria Williams has proven she’s there to guide, protect, and provide her