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Louise Bolger

Louise Bolger

August 17, 2017
Louise Bolger is The Sun’s Real Estate columnist.
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April 17, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Contingency clauses

The word “contingent” is defined as “subject to chance,” something that no one wants to hear in a real estate transaction. However, every contract to purchase real estate is likely to have contingenc…
April 10, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Honesty is such a lonely word

In 1978, Billy Joel won a Grammy Award for his song “Honesty.” The premise of the song was how dishonest relations between lovers can be. But honesty, integrity and straightforwardness of conduct are…
April 3, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Real estate potpourri

Think of the real estate market as one big pot. Into the pot you throw in the asking price of a property, selling price, availability of properties, mortgage interest rate and your personal credit sc…
March 27, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Rate sensitive

Mortgage rates appear to be controlling the real estate market across the country. My new favorite term is “rate sensitive.” This means that a buyer who would have been happy at 6.75% ran f…
March 20, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Condo ownership and Florida law

I have a condo personality. Not everyone does, but I do. Down through the years, I’ve written quite a bit about condo ownership, culture and personality. I have very happily been living in a condo fo…
March 13, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Navigating the real estate market

I recently read a very extensive and well-researched piece in The Wall Street Journal regarding how foreign buyers are back in the United States to buy real estate and relocate their families. As exp…
March 6, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

When old is too old

Last week we talked about interest rates and the effect they may be having on the national and local real estate markets. But what if you’re a senior citizen, retired and want to buy another home? Th…
February 28, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Real estate market warming up

It’s winter in Florida and it can be a little chilly in the morning, but, if you pay close attention, you may feel a slight warming breeze. However, the breeze I’m talking about is not in t…
February 20, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

When the numbers are too high to count

Several years ago, I started writing a monthly column analyzing the over $1 million properties on the Island and in Cortez. Then, because of the volume of properties, I amended that to do the analysi…
February 16, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

A question of affordability

Buying a house during the past almost three years can be compared to a rollercoaster ride. You go up and you go down, you scream and you hold your breath waiting for the next hairpin turn. But maybe…
February 7, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Do you really want to be a landlord?

It’s not uncommon for people to look at the job of a real estate agent and say, “Wow, that looks easy. Work part-time, pick your hours, work from home and make a lot of money.” Well, those of…
January 23, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

An island in the sun

I clearly remember traveling to the Caribbean islands when I was still living in the cold northeast and wondering what it would be like to live and work in such a beautiful place. Do high hee…
January 17, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Back to the real world – part two

Last week we talked about the real-world problem of Florida homeowner’s insurance. As pointed out, new legislation that attempts to eliminate assignment of claims and thus protect against fri…
January 10, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Back to the real world

We’re well into January, so it’s time to get back to the real world and one of the real world’s less exciting topics is homeowner’s insurance. Most of us want to go kicking and screaming away…
January 4, 2023
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Fear is in the air

Welcome to a new real estate year. Unfortunately, the new year looks a lot like the old year. With interest rates and inventory levels fluctuating, a general feeling of confusion is spreading amon…

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