Letters to the Editor

Easy solution for dog park

Twelve months ago, the Winter Park City Commission on a 3-2 vote gave 18 acres of the 21-acre wooded waterfront Fleet People Park to a mainly non-resident dog club. This was on the condition that the dog club would raise the first $100,000 of an $800,000 master plan in 12 months. This first round of funds would build a new pavilion in the on-leash area. They would then raise another $100,000 the following year to build another bathroom in the on-leash area. Both of these facilities would be only 300 feet from the existing bathroom and pavilion. The Club has only raised $25,000 in 12 months, and half of that was given by the leaders and activists of the club.

There are several park designs approved by the Parks and Recreation staff, board and residents that would only cost the city $1,000. It would move the dog wash down near the other double gate and move the fence to encircle the large pavilion for a more balanced use of the park for picnics, beach volleyball, boating and the general pleasure of enjoying a beautiful park, as well as an area for dogs to run off leash. This will be discussed Monday Aug. 23 at the City Commission meeting.

I realize there is no logic in politics but not sharing this park is way beyond logic.

—Nancy Shutts

Winter Park

Renovations: for better or worse

Existing home sales in Florida rose 15 percent in June, marking 22 consecutive months that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison data released by Florida Realtors. While the real-estate outlook is improving for sellers, deep price cuts and the endless availability of homes mean buyers still have the upper hand — which is why if you're planning to sell, you should know that certain home improvements aren't always desirable for buyers.

Obviously, it's important to correct cosmetic flaws, but going beyond that could actually cause more problems than you might think. For example, one of the most common home improvement projects that can backfire when trying to sell your home: a pool. Families with very young children may worry about the safety risk, while other buyers are concerned about the maintenance issue. If you decide to put in a pool, it should be for your family to enjoy, not to add value to your home.

Other factors to consider include:

-Neutrality. Potential buyers should be able to picture their families living in your home. If a seller redecorates in a bold or unique manner, it will generally make the home harder to sell. If you paint a room purple and green, for example, some buyers simply see "ugly" and can't visualize what it will look like with more neutral colors.

-Return on investment. Recent studies show that certain home improvements simply don't pay for themselves when it comes to resale value. For example, an upscale bathroom remodel ($35,000) returned just more than 60 percent of its cost and a major kitchen renovation ($50,000) added a little more than 70 percent on resale. Improvements that came closest to providing a positive payback were those that improved the appearance and energy efficiency of the home, such as thermo pane windows, which lower energy costs; and fiber cement siding, which provides the look of wood without the hassles and costs of upkeep.

-Costly additions. Adding certain rooms to your home can become too labor-intensive and costly from an ROI standpoint. For example, building a garage is basically like building a house for your car. It requires pouring foundation, constructing walls and building a roof. Homeowners generally recoup only 62 percent of the average costs, which are around $58,000. Other costly additions include master bedrooms, sunrooms and bathrooms.

Sometimes, additions and renovations are necessary in order for your family to live safely and comfortably, but by understanding cost and resale factors, you can enjoy home improvement projects and increase your home's value at the same time.

For more information, visit www.owensrealtynetwork.com.

—Anne Millians-Roche

President of Owens Realty Network (ORN) on Park Avenue