I know. I know. I’ve been delinquent with my blogging duties.

It’s caused me stress, actually. I apologize in advance to my throngs of readers

 

I hate to say it but - I’ve been busy! Yes - a Realtor who is busy! Not 2006 busy - but busy.

Luckily, I’ve listed premier properties in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove  and other great pockets
that maintain their allure. 

 

Showings are steady but where I can tell things have changed in Miami’s real estate market 

and beyond, I suspect, is the amount of time, expertise and finesse it takes to get a
deal to close.

 

That’s nothing new, you say? This level of intensity and sheperding is new. It’s reached an
all time high.  Recently, I’ve focused an inordinate amount of time to make certain offers are fair to all parties. Lowball offers are expected but my neighborhoods of expertise, luckily, still demand a premium.
It’s my job to communicate that to both my buyers and sellers.

Inspections and securing financing is also critical. I find myself pushing that along more as well.

In this time of economic uneasiness though, I’m fortunate to have secured top notch resources
ranging from lawyers to inspectors to everything in between who assist me in closing the deal.

I recently reduced the price on a Mediterranean-style new home in idyllic South Miami . For those interested in a steal and an income opportunity– look no further!  At around $230 per square foot – this 5,600 square foot property is a GOOD BUY.

This beautiful property located on 1/3 acre was given considerable thought related to its architectural elements starting with a European-style courtyard that overlooks the pool. A fireplace, custom kitchen, marble and wood floors, bathrooms outfitted with onyx and marble, and crown moldings all set the stage for fine family living.

The South Miami home also boast a full guest house – perfect for guests or an excellent income opportunity if rented out. Its two bedroom/1 bathroom configuration provides ample space for a small family – and ample income to offset one’s mortgage.

 I know I recently blogged about the fear-mongering that is going on in the real estate market and that is indeed a good time to buy a home. But I figured I could blog again on the topic as the fear-mongers continue write about the “scary” marketplace.

 

I’m inspired to blog about this topic again after reading Time Magazine’s Febuary 2008 article, Ignore the Headlines.  The article points out something that those who are sitting on the sidelines, paying rent versus buying…”waiting another year for prices to drop” will be no better off than if they purchase now. On the contrary, they will have wasted their rent money versus building equity in their own home.

Time Magazine illustrated this point with this example:

	Today	In 12 Months
Sales Price	$     218,900	$     197,010	*If prices drop another 10%
Interest Rate	5.50%	6%	When recession ends and the Fed starts to raise rates
Monthly Payment	$      994.94	$      994.31

 

We all know there are no certainties, particularly in the housing market. I believe strongly, though,  that Miami real estate is a solid, long term investment. But remember folks, we’re in Miami. It is paradise. People will always want to live here.

I know a guy who sees through walls. Really. I’m not off my rocker.  I met him today at one of my Coral Gables’ listings for a home inspection. He runs a home inspection company and has invested in state of the art equipment to properly examine a home prior to purchase. The gadget he used appears to be like a stud finder which detects wall integrity. Pretty useful information, particularly for older homes.

 

I can’t stress enough how important home inspections are. Even now in this price sensitive market, buyers should not pass on home inspections because the price was “so low” or the home is being sold “as-is”. Instead they should turn to their Realtor for a recommendation on reputable home inspectors.  The key being: reputable.

 

The inspector I met today will definitely make it to my recommended short list.

This Sunday, I will be holding two of my listings open.

  14921 SW 74th Avenue
                                   Palmetto Bay, FL

10500 Snapper Creek Road
                                 Coral Gables, FL

You know that highly sought after neighborhood, Snapper Creek Lakes? I sense some “nos” and “yeses” in cyber space. So for those of you who don’t know Snapper Creek Lakes, let me fill you in. This is a high-end luxury community in Miami – Coral Gables, specifically. It is an exclusive enclave with a limited number of residences within its gated surroundings centrally located near exceptional dining and shopping.

It’s very difficult to find a home in Snapper Creek Lakes. Even harder to build your dream home there. But I’m in the business of making dreams come true…I presently have a tear-down listing in Snapper Creek Lakes on over an acre.

This is an incredible opportunity to create your dream home in one of Miami’s most luxurious communities.

When prospective buyers call looking for family-friendly neighborhoods, I always mention Village of Pinecrest. But is it a village? No one outside the real estate industry refers to it as the Village of Pinecrest.

I employ the phrase Village of Pinecrest to denote its community appeal. With its top-rated public schools and involved residents, it resembles a small town amidst Miami’s metropolis, I think. But recently, when measuring how consumers search for real estate on search engines, Village of Pinecrest did not appear once.

For this reason, I will remove the heading Village of Pinecrest from my website but I doubt that I can remove it completely from my vocabulary as it personifies this highly coveted area so very well.

Attention all news outlets: stop feeding the real estate crash!  Contrary to your naysaying and fear instilling reports, 2008 shows promise in the – gulp – Miami market. Oh my – what will you have to report on?

 

I know the stats. The slowdown is evident. But the constant barraging of the obvious is not helping. Luckily not everyone in South Florida believes what they read and is bracing for a nuclear real estate implosion.

 

Beginning the week of December 30^th, my web traffic was up substantially, my phone has not stopped ringing, showings are overlapping and…the clencher: I was mobbed at an Open House yesterday.

 

My fantastic South Miami listing had a phenomenal turnout.  Serious prospective buyers who realize that this volatile time is more of an opportunity than a risk are going to find amazing deals on exceptional homes.

 

Here’s something you can report on: Miami is paradise. People will always want to live here. Now is a great time to buy a home.

I’m entrenched in the web. I’m cool. I get it. My kids won’t agree. But I’m on Facebook and I have a blog, for crying outloud!

I get the power of the internet. I do! I’m an early adopter, afterall. I had a website when most realtors didn’t have cell phones! I get it.

I’ve tried podcasts, vcards, streaming video, ecommerce, social networking, twitter, seo but stop short at <lol ;= > and other weird typing shortcuts. I get it.

But after employing all my online and offline savvy (I get it, you know) to market my real estate listings – I mean pull out all the stops – I get one of my listings featured in the New York Times online real estate section and then a luxury blog in the same day – and my traffic goes through the roof – in 36 hours from the post!  That’s to be expected from the exposure on the nytimes.com, you say?

Well come to find out, 30+% of my traffic came from the luxury blog! One blog has 1/3 of the power of NY Times online real estate section? I don’t get that.

I guess I have lots more to learn about the internet. I get it.

For someone who sells very special homes in historic areas including Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and South Miami it may seem counterintuitive that almost 30% of my present listings are new construction. I took each of the listings for individual reasons but they all shared the potential to make homebuyers elated with brand new amenities and terrific locations. 
 
New and Improved
So Marketing 101 dictates that all things NEW have consumer allure. This holds true in new home construction as well. Just think of built in amenities such as storm resistant windows and doors (better yet – think of the huge insurance savings!) and the appeal of NEW, state of the art appliances waiting for your inauguration.
 
Coconut Grove Villas
A well known developer, Design Consultant Group, created two fabulous residences on the most picturesque street in Coconut Grove. Villa Fontana and Villa Verona are both Tuscan-inspired but unique in their designs. They both provide the marriage of old world charm with new world conveniences, not the least of which is the convenience that someone else has not broken and patched a single thing in these luxury homes!
 
South Miami
A few minutes away you’ll find my South Miami beauty, located on a nice size lot with easy access to main Miami streets and highways. If I had to pick one my favorite things about this house (I have several) it would have to be the European courtyard concept at the heart of the home. It makes this home distinctive.
 
Distinctive. That’s what each of three listings is. None of them is cookie-cutter – such a downfall for some new builds…They are in deed new construction in established neighborhoods. Best of both worlds, if you ask me.