My husband and I purchased a vacation home in Jacksonville, Florida.
Our plan was to enjoy the best weather in both of our locations.
We hoped to live in the northeast from May to October and transfer south for the rest of the year. Since we are on a somewhat limited budget, we bought a house on the outskirts of Jacksonville that needed some updates. The former owners had neglected maintenance for quite a few years. We hoped that a fresh coat of paint, some yard work, cleaning and new appliances would suffice. Unfortunately, our lives became much more hectic than anticipated. We never made it to our Florida home for more than a week for several years. When we finally arranged our schedules so that we could spend a winter in Jacksonville, the house had deteriorated beyond what we could repair. The roof appeared on the verge of collapse. The porch had rotted so badly that it was dangerous to stand on. There were issues with the plumbing fixtures, water heater, heat pump and electrical system. We had concerns about the septic system, signs of rodent infestation and excessive mold growth. We couldn’t stay in the house. After finally managing to get to Florida, we really didn’t want to devote all our time and effort to fixing up the house. We were looking forward to relaxing, enjoying the beautiful weather and taking in the scenery. We decided that our best option was to sell the house. Because we never would have found a potential buyer through conventional means, we contacted a cash home buyer. We found a local Jacksonville company that is a family operation. Filling out their online form resulted in a cash offer that same day. Eliminating the realtor fees, closing costs, home inspection and repairs made the offer very attractive. Plus, we were able to arrange the closing at our convenience.
