Florida 04

Tuesday 25th May.
Well after a lot of shilly shallying I’m off to look at some houses in America. Florida seems the favourite at the moment. I am not so much nervous about this flight as anxious for the children and Sue at home. I get terribly lonesome when she’s away and I imagine it must be similar for her. Anyway Sue dropped me at Victoria and I arrived at the Gatwick Express to see it heading out of the platform without me. A fifteen minute wait and then onto the next. Off the train up the escalators and onto the shuttle to the North terminal. I used the auto check in which on sight of my Visa card automatically upgraded me to Club class. Out to gate 52 on the moving walkways, which were probably the only benefit from the World’s Fair expos. On the plane even more of a surprise. The seats are arranged in pairs facing each other. I am at the window facing backward and there is an elderly lady next to me. Most of the flight is taken up with elderly people or children with young parents. I suspect this will be our target market. Our captain who bore an uncanny resemblance to Leonardo Di Caprio in Catch Me if You Can beamed at us as he strode through the departure gate. However he has got us up to 30000 feet in a matter of moments and I am about to enjoy my lunch of salmon and prawns soon, which will be washed down with Californian Chardonnay. Outside my rearward-facing window is the left wing tapering and flexing in a silvery satin reflection of white clouds. We are above the cloud back where all is sunny and thin streaks of stratonimbus streak the heavens above. Up here all is blue and white and sunny. We carved our way up through the rolls and curls of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air to reach this elevated plain. I am looking forward to seeing the thunderheads over Florida. Must acquaint myself with the video system. More later probably in the apartment. Fly gently sweet bird of paradise.

And here we are. Or rather I am. Swooped down through the thunderheads and breezed through immigration having filled in the forms. One woman was stopped by a sniffing dog and accused of having apples or maybe some meat in her bag. Over the shuttle and arrived at Thrifty where David wrestled with the computer which was down and gave me the keys to a black Mitsubishi Diamante. It’s OK but not really American. David also kept my Visa card which I shall have to go back for, Over the bridge and down down the I275 and found Capalbo rental after a few wrong turns. Sue phoned. They all miss me. I miss them. It’s not the same here without them. The apartment is Ok just like the first one we stayed in. Rather shabby now and feels like a makeover would help. I left a message for Sharon and will meet tomorrow at ten. Into Publix for some essentials. Forgot loo rolls and a toothbrush. Beginning to crack up as it’s past my midnight really. Cruised Pass A Grille. Lovely as ever though subtle changes have happened. Not as deserted looking as it was. And back, unpacked ate some deli salads and got into bed at 8. Nowt as yet on the TV. Bruce Springsteen was right.

Wednesday 26th.
Up bright and early. Must go back to Eckerds for some loo rolls and a toothbrush. Failed to get an Internet connection will try McLeod USA from the phone book. Sun rising behind the palm across the pond outside the window. The washing machine and the aircon are both deafening. Things must change. I plan to go out and get some stuff then meet Sharon at Isla Yacht club at ten. Must have wits about me. Sue at office sounds OK they miss me I miss them. Jenny apparently has become almost house proud around the home in my absence. Better organised than me. Well done Jen. I’ll have a shower.

Met Sharon and saw some boring stuff. She regrouped and said to meet later on. I drove to Tampa and retrieved my Visa from a very helpful assistant and then went to West Shore Plaza in search of presents. The guy at Radio Shack a Montgomery Clift look alike obsessive said to drive north on West Shore Boulevard which dead ends into International Plaza where Apple is. I did. It is a brand new much swankier affair and there I found apple. I bought 2 iPods and silver charms for Peggy. Back and met Sharon again and saw the house. It is a two floor Condo overlooking the golf course and trees on the northeast corner of Isla del sol. The pool is across the street and while not Isla Key length is pretty good. There are three bedrooms upstairs and a den and living dining and kitchen downstairs I have offered 295K. I went to chat with Barbara at Capalbo who baffled me with lots of info. It will let at a decent monthly figure. The problem persists over the 30-day limit but we can work with it. She charges 20%, 10% if it’s our booking. Back for lunch at the Yacht club with Sharon. Friendly chat and I signed maybe a dozen forms. I will have copies of them to read. But no lawyer is required. So a saving there then.
Back to apartment. I am beginning to wilt.

Thursday 27th.
Phone calls home at three a.m. well I’m awake now. A lot of concern over the cupboard handles in the new house’s kitchen. So can’t be all bad. Sue and I review the figures. It all looks good. Some more expensive bits some cheaper. On balance the deal looks good. I worry now in case our offer of $295K is too low at $2k under asking should I tell Sharon to put in the full whack to make sure? Today I must visit the bank. And need to get another tax US exempt form from Capalbo. I need one that gives a reference number a W7, as I am not a US citizen. So off to the AmSouth bank where Christa Byrd in a very Jewish accent signs me up I deposit $100 and I have an account the rest of the details can be set up later when we have purchased. I need to fill in the W 7 form to get an equivalent social security type number. I swim in the pool here. Very swanky in an Isla Key sort of way. Vista Verde is built like Isla Key and very nice. I am beginning to feel the Sun Boulevard house is not quite in the top drawer. The house inside is nice but the area is a little tired. The foliage less lush. The occupants rather old and dreary. I swim in the two pools nearby. One is large but it turns out this is not ours. Ours is smaller and, well, not so nice. The view over the Bay is fine but could be chilly. I am beginning to have doubts. Sharon phoned. The offer is accepted but they want me to sign a residential form saying I will be using this as a home and less for renting. Sharon says No on our behalf. The reason is to do with the Brazilian vendors’ requirement to pay tax on their Capital gains. Somehow unless they pay a percentage into escrow we become liable. I think we should walk away, on balance. I have asked Sharon to turn up tomorrow with some more properties. Right now I think we should try to find something new and if that fails go home empty handed with a plan to return this summer and continue the hunt. There must be some nicer two bed and den properties here somewhere.
I wander on Pass a Grille beach and dabble my toes in the bath-like warm waters. More orange juice from Publix. Bed at nine. Getting later.

Friday the 29th May.
Up at seven thank heavens. Showered ironed shirt drove to downtown St Pete and got there with half an hour to spare drove round and came to the Charles Whitted airport and there was the red biplane warming up with two elderly ladies. I said hello to Tom the pilot and a ady who was watching her friends take off with him.
Said I went up with him ten years ago. Good to see him still flying. I’ll be back in an hour if you like, he said. Sorry things to do. Off they went deafening roar from the exposed engine. Into the accountants Thomas C Roberge. Met Terry Reeves a plumpish lady with a fine dry wit. Good news is everything is tax deductible even our flights car rental and UK interest payments. So we could clock up a loss and pay no tax, which we would then offset against our profits later on paying bugger all capital gains. I signed a W7, which they still need an address for. The tax charged by Barbara Capalbo of 11 per cent is vacation tax, which is also tax allowable. So all looks good there. I have a W7 for Sue to sign having it in joint names means two tax returns and more expense but only slightly. Worth it.

Drove back. Had breakfast, Norman phoned might meet tomorrow. Tonight is my Biff Burger night of course. I need to go shopping for presents Katy wants trainers. Maybe I’ll go back to the International Mall in Tampa if I see Norman tomorrow. Anyway I now await Sharon at 2 with more house news. I shall go for a swim.

And what news. We chatted about the Brazilian thing and looked at a tower condo with a good pool over at Casa del Mar. Then went to see the Mirada town home. Well blow me down. Absolutely stunning. Like being back in Marin County. Barbara Capalbo on the phone said she has three on her books and they get $30000 a year rental. I fell in love with it. It is superb. Spoke to Sue. We can do it with some looting of savings. I offer $395, they accept and we are haggling over the furnishings at $15k extra or not. Sharon is coming over again with the forms and a look at the contents. Great great news. Only snag is the owners want to stay put till late August. Still we can work round it. Come out here later and rent somewhere else maybe here at 109 for a week in advance. I knew it would be good when I saw the address 6113 Mirada Circle No 7.

Wow events move fast here. Sharon came round with the documents for me to sign like before. There is no comeback from the other house as I never paid and time has passed without a response from the Brazilian. We phoned the bank and pelted round there with three minutes to spare on a Friday night of a bank holiday weekend. Christa Byrd phoned NatWest and eventually after Sue had to validate the card we got $5000 transferred into our AmSouth account and I wrote Sharon a check for Fidelity to put in escrow. Will need to write another for a further $5000 for deposit when I get back to London. And so I went to Biff Burger. Fabulous as ever. All on tape. Burgers a knockout, music great with some obscure quiz questions. And great cars. My Mustang T shirt was a good intro. Have tips on stronger thicker front torsions bars, rear Shelby stabilisers and matt black wing mirrors.
Cruised home happy.

Saturday 29th May.
Restless maybe a touch of sun. Called Sue and family to see if they had seen photos of the house. Wild excitement. We all love it. Hanging around all morning by the pool waiting for Sharon to call with news that the sellers have sent in their agreement. At 10.43 she calls. It’s ours. With my lick Sharon reckons I should do the Florida lottery tonight. I will. We’re going back to the house at 5.15 to check out the inventory against the list. Gosh we now own two houses.

Spot of shopping up at Tyrone Mall. Really a bit tacky compared to the International and Westshore over in Tampa. Bought Katy trainers. Couldn’t frankly be bothered to traipse round any more. South via Publix for lottery ticket to Nancy Markoe for Sue. Oh on the way passed the diner. It is closed and surrounded with mesh fencing, alas. Is no one going to take it over? A beer and avocado snack. I am not sure what time zone my eating is on. My body is obviously getting messages saying you will need to revert to UK time soon. Three fifteen. Two hours before Sharon appears. I’ll take another dip in the pool.

So back to the house we go.. Sharon gave me all the residents’ association documents and signed copies of the deal – signed by the other side Sandra L Pilcher-Gadon. Sharon and I scrutinise the contents. They want to take the secretaire cupboard or the patio set. I say I’ll take the patio set however wasn’t the cupboard presumed part of the contents when I agreed to buy them? Sharon to negotiate. Also we have no need of the desks and chairs in the study. So is there a trade off here? Everything else seems fine. There is a lot of stuff that will be going in the garage. This will be quite an exercise. I thank Sharon. May meet with the Pilcher-Gadons at twelve tomorrow – or not. I eat hot dogs and drink most of a bottle of Coppola Bianco. Watch E TV celebrity mistakes. Feels like TV at home.

Sunday 30th May.
Awake at 4.30 call Sue who’s off to tennis. Her back is hurting. Poor Rabbit. I’ll be home soon. Try to use my auto check in. Still an hour too early. OK now auto checked in and am in row 13 again seat K which is the other side at the window. Why do I keep getting club class? Good anyway. Sue better after tennis. I start to pack Sue will meet me at Victoria. I will have a swim, wait to see if there will be a meeting with the sellers and Sharon. Then leave at one or maybe two and possibly pop in to see Norman for an hour in Tampa. The Yellow Door is at 311 South Howard Avenue Tampa 33606 just off Kennedy Boulevard which runs parallel to the I275 very near the airport.

A note for August. We can stay back in this unit if we get two rollaway cots in. Or similarly Sharon has offered her place, which is on Bahia Vista, which has a nice pool. Whichever. Or of course we could be renting in our own house, as the sellers have an August closing date. This apartment would be good as the pool is nice and so is the view and it is close to the house.

OK swam and sunbathed packed made bacon eggs and avocado. Sharon phoned the owners would be pleased to meet me however they are driving down to Tierra Verde with their realtor to look at their new house. I said I’d pop in at 1 if they were there great, otherwise sorry to miss them. Called Norman - will go to his house at 3102 San Rafael Street off McDill be there at 1.30ish on my way to airport.

Dropped off the keys with Capalbo and chatted with Barbara. She is very keen to rent the house out. Says it is a far superior purchase. I said I’d be in touch from London. She wants the forms filled out so she can begin renting soon. I think I’ll take Sharon’s advice on how soon legally I can begin this process considering the closing date is not till August/September.

Drove to Norman’s/ Very stylish house off McDill. Enter through garage and house opens up with living room and kitchen and pool beyond. Chatted away, James restless. BT arrived and offered fabulous spread. Unfortunately I had only just eaten. Sue called. It was time to be off to the airport. There in fifteen minutes checked in car, checked in me and waited an hour in departure lounge. Already the colours are fading. Good flight; unfortunately back in steerage although at front of plane. No middle seat occupant but a porcine woman in the aisle who did nothing but eat and ogle the duty free. Couple of hours doze then through customs and onto the train and there were Sue and Amy at Victoria. So far from home I have been.

 

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