Whether you are buying (or considering to list) a house on St. George Island, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, Mexico Beach, Carrabelle or Apalachicola, there should be one common denominator to your approach: a competent home inspector!

There are many ways to select an inspector: (1) ask friends who have purchased or sold real estate and used one; (2) ask your Anchor Realty real estate agent; (3) but if in doubt, asking for a sample report is a sure way to compare inspectors in a short amount of time. An inspection report should provide concise details surrounding any observable issues as well as photographs. Recommendations for solving problems should also be included in a brief, clear manner. How the inspector handles your request for a sample report will clue you in to the level of professionalism you can come to expect in the future. A quality inspector will always be glad to provide a representative sample for review. If they resist or put you off, move on to the other names on your list.

Experienced inspectors live in Apalachicola, St. George Island, Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Eastpoint and Carrabelle. Finding a local one carries many benefits - including a first hand knowledge of deterioration caused by sun, salt and sand. It is noteworthy that St. George Island, Cape San Blas, Indian Pass Mexico Beach and St. Joe Beach tend to be the areas the most prone to receiving the sand and salt of the dominant SW winds. Apalachicola, Port St. Joe, Eastpoint and Carrabelle are better sheltered.

No list of inspectors yet? Naturally, we will be delighted to provide you with a list of our local inspectors. However, if you're interested in learning more about inspection details or need additional help finding professional inspectors, definitely check out InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors:

http://www.nachi.org/

The site features videos, guides, and help finding reputable inspectors. It can't hurt to educate yourself on some of the particulars of home inspection. And remember that coastal conditions, mostly on the beach, tend to accelerate the aging process of houses that are not well built. Consequently, when dealing with real estate not far from the beach, an inspection is a must...

Contact Olivier :
Email: olivier@anchorfl.com
Office (local): 850.927.4000
Office (toll free): 800.525.4793

Olivier Monod first visited the "Forgotten Coast" in 1981 and relocated permanently in 1988, joining Anchor Realty & Mortgage Co. as a real estate sales associate. He became Anchor Realty & Mortgage Co.’s broker and president in June 1990, overseeing three real estate associates and one employee in the single office on St. George Island.

Through Olivier’s vision and under his leadership, Anchor Realty & Mortgage Co. did grow to multiple offices, located along 85 miles of the "Forgotten Coast" and north to Tallahassee. With up to 80 real estate associates at the peak of the real estate boom, Anchor Realty & Mortgage Co. posted sales of $235,932,037 in 2004.

During the same years, Olivier oversaw the development of Anchor Vacation Properties, Inc.; a company that managed and rented over 400 beach houses. The Gulf County Division was sold in 2005 to Pristine Properties, Inc., and the Franklin County Division was sold in 2006 to an unrelated entity, named Anchor Vacations LLC (this last entity ended up filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2008).

In 2001, Olivier earned his designation as Commercial Real Estate specialist: CCIM (see ccim.com) - a testimony to his experience, track-record and knowledge in the field of commercial real estate.

The drastic downturn in the Forgotten Coast real estate sales did force Anchor Realty & Mortgage Co. to downsize, going from eleven to three offices. Many Realtors had to find other jobs and eventually left the profession. Olivier was left with a small core of experienced veterans, whose loyalty to his leadership was only matched by their in-depth understanding of the market.

In 2010, it became obvious that a new business concept was needed. Real estate, like the rest of the world, had changed. In the 1980s, when Olivier started in the profession, sales contracts were just a few words on a letter-size page; they have morphed with time to six or more legal size pages. When he started, there was no Multiple Listing Service on the island; now, the listing inventory is available online. The number and size of offices is no longer a determining factor, but rather the ability to provide quick and professional service in the medium chosen by clients: internet, email, telephone or in-person. This new reality brought about a fresh start as the broker of a new company: Anchor Realty of St. George Island, Inc.

Olivier and his team have developed or sold many planned communities, including Gramercy Plantation, a 400-acre, low density, private community, with retail and residential areas in a high-end low density planned neighborhood. Gramercy Plantation was executed carefully to preserve the character and spirit of the area through dedicating substantial acreage to conservation and common grounds. The 110 home sites are scattered on minimum one-acre sites throughout the development.

Olivier, who grew up in Paris, first visited the U.S. in 1975 on a high school graduation trip; he fell in love with our country after touring from New York to San Francisco in a Greyhound bus. He subsequently moved to Florida and became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s.

A community leader, Olivier shows a keen interest in education and culture for our children through sponsorship of the ABC school (his two children attend this local public school), and classical music programs for high-schoolers. Olivier and his family make their home in historic Apalachicola, in the Forgotten Coast.