When working with a Realtor to find that perfect property, you will be given the Listing Information Sheets of properties from the local Multiple Listing Service.  These sheets provide a wealth of information about the property for sale.   Everything from the types of windows to the view out the windows is presented.  While all this is extremely helpful it is important to be a critical consumer.

Some examples of where there can be some inadvertent mis-information on these sheets include the square footage and the property taxes.  These fields are often auto-populated by the feed from the Property Appraiser’s website.  The square footage could be total square footage or it could be only the air-conditioned area square footage.  The taxes, while likely accurate, don’t necessarily tell you whether the property was under a homestead exemption.  This could mean that the amount on the sheet would be much lower than the new buyer of the property would ultimately pay.  Also, if the listing is older, the property taxes may be last year’s amount versus the current amount.

Sometimes the information on listing sheets is input incorrectly, or just isn’t right.  Flooring is a good example.  Sometimes the laminate floorings that are used today look so authentic that the material listed for flooring may not be the promised “Wood” flooring. 

A very critical piece of information on listing sheets for properties on Sanibel and Captiva are the windows.  We are often interested if the property has impact glass windows which can mean a lower insurance bill.  The listing sheet may indicate that there are impact glass windows but may not tell you that all of the windows are not impact glass. 

Bottom line – do not assume that all that is written is completely accurate.  Be a critical consumer and do your due diligence.  You will be happy you did!

Give me a call or use my Contact Form and I can find you the perfect property on Sanibel Island or Captiva Island! I live here and I can answer your questions about these islands and the current real estate market.

You can also check out current listings through my website property search Here!