Most people define a treasure as a small, undiscovered jewel that surprises and delights. The 3-story Jupiter Townhome I just saw at 4119 Parkside fits that description to a T. Built in the classic style of a metropolitan East Coast townhouse, this one combines traditional design with Florida creature comforts.

Enter on the level of a spacious den, with a half bath and easy access to the enclosed 2-car garage.

Step up a flight to a great room with a great open kitchen (complete with corian counters, oak floors, tumbled marble tiles) open onto the living room. Just out of sight … a separate dining room, laundry closet, and half bath.

Step up again to the 3^rd floor with its huge master suite with a high recessed ceiling, stunning fan, and light pouring in the skylight window.  Two more bedrooms and two full baths complete the picture.

In all, 2200 square feet of well designed, private space tucked away on a quiet street next to a community park, in close proximity to the Antigua Clubhouse and pool.

At $245,000 this little gem is perfect for two … or as a vacation retreat, which is what it’s current owners had in mind. Lucky for you, they rarely appeared.  So, though delightfully furnished, it has barely been used. Kind of like finding a small, low-mileage, BMW convertible at a ridiculous used car price!

Pros & Cons

If you make a side-by side-comparison about whether to rent a home or buy one, it can be a tough call. Ownership means a big tax write-off on mortgage interest, a predictable stable payment (with the right mortgage), a sense of stability and pride of ownership.

It also means responsibility for property taxes, maintenance, and HOA dues (depending on where you buy). And if you’re still undecided … there’s also the appreciation vs. depreciation question, since you can’t be certain whether this market has bottomed out and prices are on the way up. There is no easy answer.

But if you make your personal list and decide that, for whatever reason, it’s best for you to rent right now … here are a few pointers to keep in mind.

Rental Tips

1.  There are some amazing homes for rent out there right now…furnished and unfurnished. But rentals go quickly. Some people are just coming out of short sales and foreclosures and need a place to land. Some are relocating and want to get a feel for the market before they buy. So while it’s not a great market for real estate investors who want to flip homes quickly … it is a great market for landlords who want to hang onto their investment properties and rent them out.
2.  As a tenant, expect to pay first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit (typically a month’s rent). That’s standard operating procedure. Often you can negotiate a lease with an option to buy. That way if you fall in love with the home and want to stay there, you’ll have first right of refusal.
3.  But be careful when renting! Have a trustworthy Realtor^® scope it out for you. Some owners are renting homes that are already in foreclosure. Pocketing the deposit and leaving the tenant to the mercy of the Sheriff … who shows up to evict them before the sale date stipulated by the lender.

Great Locations

I personally represent some remarkable rental properties … like this 5-bedroom home in Tuscany at Abacoa in Jupiter. …within walking distance of the community pool, town center and baseball stadium. Just call for details. Jupiter is a great place to live and love life.  And I ought to know … because I live here and love it!

Jupiter, FL is a nearly pristine little town with large city amenities. It’s where everyone fleeing the crime of Miami, the competitive nature of Boca, the outright snobbishness of Palm Beach finds far more than refuge. They find manageable living, true beauty, a sense of community Florida style. In short, there’s a reason so many people in southeast Florida are moving up the coast to Jupiter.

Yes, Jupiter is a world apart. And Abacoa is pivotal to that world. Very possibly the best-designed planned community anywhere … in or out of Florida. It’s its own little town, really. United, not divided, by its very unique neighborhoods.

Now, my little piece of Abacoa is Valencia. Filled with Mediterranean-style homes, gracious landscaping, and a truly upscale persona. And at the heart of Valencia is its clubhouse. Home to outdoor parties and competitions on the adjoining grassy field. Home to those who exercise religiously …  and those who simply pray they’ll make it though a workout. A clubby, cozy place with couches and chess sets – where you can play, chat or chill. It’s very bit as well designed as the neighborhood it serves.

   

Tuscany is all about family

Picture it…a long table heaped with food, bottles of wine and la familia. That’s Under the Tuscan Sun. Under the Florida sun the picture is a bit different, but the net effect is the same.

Emphasis on family. A fneighborhood filled with Mediterranean-style homes, built safe and soundproof by DiVosta. Ranging in price from $275,000 or thereabouts (depending on today’s market) to about $650,000 … from townhouses to 5-bedroom single family in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Fresh wide streets lined with trees, front porches, bike lanes, friendly neighbors. Dads throwing baseballs, kids playing catch, mom’s walking dogs. Families headed toward the park, the clubhouse, the pool, the ice cream parlor in downtown Abacoa.

Now if all that sounds a bit more Pollyanna than Anna Maria, so be it. But the prevailing, overarching, unmistakable theme is still the same. When you talk about Tuscany, you talk about family. No better place to raise one than Tuscany at Abacoa in Jupiter, FL.