Fireplaces in Florida: Repair or Remove?

[Matthew B.]

I'm hoping some Southern investors can chime in on this one...

I'm currently in the process of rehabbing a house with the intention of flipping it. The house has a wood burning fireplace and the chimney is leaking at the top near the cap. It's a wood frame chimney covered with stucco, so the water intrusion has caused the wood to rot on the inside. Basically the whole chimney needs to either be rebuilt or removed.

I'm having a hard time finding a contractor who will do the job. We don't have chimney-specific contractors in Florida and all the roofing contractors don't want to touch it. I did find one contractor but his quote was outrageous ($4,000 plus the cap).

My question is should I continue trying to repair the chimney or remove it and the fireplace completely? In Florida, we get maybe a handful of days every year that are cold enough to warrant having a fireplace. I personally don't see the point of having one but I'm not sure if buyers feel the same way.

Thoughts?