The Real State of Real Estate

​Did you know about Senate Bill 4-D and how it can affect your home and your retirement?

By Audra Christian 
​
In response to the tragedy of  the Champlain Towers South collapsing that  caused the death of 98 people the Florida Senate and legislators had an emergency session in May of 2022 and passed Senate bill 4-D, we refer to it as SB 4D for short. This senate bill has caused quite the stir in the free state of Florida because it inadvertently created a few unintended consequences. 

I have attached what the stellar management company for On Top of The World has posted on their website, which is definitely the easiest explanation of the bill. 

“Florida’s Senate Bill 4D, which was passed in May 2022, made it mandatory for all Florida condominium and cooperative buildings, three stories or higher, to undergo milestone inspections, structural inspections, and submit specific information to the DBPR.

In addition, regarding the funding of reserves for the continued maintenance and repair of condominium and cooperative buildings, among other things, the bill prohibits waiver of reserves by associations for certain structural components.

Your Association needs your support in making legislators aware of what impact this law would have on residents of On Top of the World Condominium Community here in Clearwater.”
-On Top Of The World HOA management company

This emergency “fix” has many residents and potential buyers worried about possible looming assessments creating an unlivable and unsustainable reality for retirees in Florida. With many retirees on a very fixed income any sort of normal assessment can create a problem let alone a massive assessment to obtain the sort of reserves this bill can allow. Many people think this bill was a knee-jerk protection for insurance companies not homeowners. Some people believe this bill to be a land grab by developers since land is at a premium in Florida. Some people believe that the assessments being required should be covered by insurance companies that the condo owners have been paying insurance payments to for so many years. I guess we will see how this issue resolves. 

This brings up one major question for Florida residents. “Do you know who your legislators, senators, county commissioners and school board members are for your area?” You should. These are the people who are making these decision. Whether their decisions are good or bad you still need to know who they are. They need to know who you are. The new normal since the covid lockdowns is to know these people…because that is what they are, people. Not only am I a very successful real estate professional I am a person who thoroughly enjoys helping homeowners meet and work with their local office holders. They need our direction to make the best decisions they can as they work for us. We must be actively involved not just for our sakes but the next generation of Americans. Set the standard now of being involved. If you would like to have more information feel free to reach out to me.
For Real estate help audra.christian.ef@gmail.com
For getting involved TownHallAmerica@gmail.com

​https://www.seniorvoiceamerica.org/