Miami Real Estate Cafe » COMMUNITY INFORMATION

The Perfect Miami Vacation

Alexandra Restivo — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:00:05 +0000

Looking for a great place to vacation in Miami? Try The Palms Hotel & Spa- a well kept secret on Miami Beach. The beachfront hotel is located on 31 St and Collins Ave and boasts lush gardens, a beautiful pool area with cabanas and a delicious restaurant.

The hotel also features a world-class spa and hosts a ton of weddings throughout the year. If you live here, head out to Essensia, their fabulous restaurant, sit on the terrace and enjoy the view.

If you’re visiting, stay a while, enjoy the pool, the beach, the beautiful setting…you won’t want to go home!

Free Tickets to UM Men’s Basketball Games

Alexandra Restivo — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:00:39 +0000

The 20 year agreement between the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami is benefiting Gables residents once again. If you reside in Coral Gables and would like to attend these games, go to the War Memorial Youth Center at 405 University Drive on the dates below, show proof of residency, and receive up to 4 tickets for the games. Only 250 tickets will be distributed per game and are given on a first come first served basis. Here’s the schedule:

Game 1: Sunday, January 22 at 12 noon. University of Miami vs. North
Carolina State. Tickets distributed starting Monday Jan 9 at 8 am.

Game 2: Wednesday, February 1 at 8 p.m. University of Miami vs.
Maryland. Tickets distributed starting Monday Jan 23 at 8 am.

Game 3: Saturday, February 18 at 1 p.m. University of Miami vs. Wake
Forest. Tickets distributed starting Thursday Feb 2 at 8 am.

Game 4: Sunday, February 26 at 6 p.m. University of Miami vs. Florida
State University. Tickets distributed starting Feb 15 at 8 am.

Coral Gables Farmers Market Starts January 21

Alexandra Restivo — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:00:46 +0000

The Farmers Market will be in season from January 21 through March 31 and takes place every Saturday from 8 am until 2 pm in front of City Hall (intersection of Biltmore Way and Le Jeune). There are baked goods, specialty plants, fresh picked produce as well as live music children’s activites at 11 am and free Tai Chi class at 8 am. There are also master chef demonstrations from local Gables restaurants at 10 am. Here is a complete schedule of events.

If you would like to move to Coral Gables, contact the Restivo Team.

Caution – Crocodile Alert

Alexandra Restivo — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:00:34 +0000

Florida Wildlife Officials have put up signs along the Snapper Creek Canal, warning residents that there have been crocodiles spotted in the canal. If you frequent Red Road Linear Park or areas around the canal, you should exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings.

Pinecrest People Mover … Up and Running!

Alexandra Restivo — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:00:35 +0000

The Village of Pinecrest recently started using a people mover, a free ride that connects Palmetto Middle School and Palmetto High School with the neighborhood. Many Pinecrest Middle and High school students do not qualify for Miami Dade County School Bus Service, so the People Mover is a great solution for those students. The bus runs in the morning and afternoon, with various routes in teh afternoon to accomodate after school activities. Here is the map and schedule for the People Mover.

South Florida: 4th Largest School System in Nation

Vicki Restivo — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:27:08 +0000

There are over 350,000 students right now in South Florida. We have the 4th largest school system in the nation … and of 6-18 year old students currently attending school in South Florida, they were born in 171 countries, and speak 106 languages.

There’s a niche for literally anyone wanting to move to South Florida … One can find familiar foods, make friends, experience multitudes of languages and cultures amd religions, find diversity and familiarity of every possible kind …With no mountains and no snow, Miami is home to the largest snow ski club anywhere in the United States….

If you’re relocating to South Florida there is information available to you here, on both public and p rivate school options as well as specialized education … what’s offered… where school boundaries are … school locations… contact information.

MiamiRealEstateCafe.com is the real estate blog and website that we created for our clients who are buying, selling and/or relocating to South Florida. As local realtors in the Miami area, we hope it will be a good starting point for you …

Whatever questions you have, whether you are contemplating moving or are ready to buy, sell or relocate, please ask. You are welcome to contact us directly with your specific needs/wants/questions. We will be happy to work with you, and help make your next move the best! The Restivo Team … We are local Miami Real Estate Agents….and look forward to working with you. Vicki and Alexandra Restivo 305 793-1365 restivo.v@ewm.com

Mike Off the Map … Shark Valley … Miami

Vicki Restivo — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:28:26 +0000

Shark Valley … Hike, Bike, Kayak Wild Miami … (part 3 of a 4 part series)

By guest contributor, Michael Restivo … MiamiRealEstateCafe.com blogsite: MIAMI & MIAMI REAL ESTATE

A mere thirty minute drive from the Florida International University campus is the lush paved trail known as Shark Valley. Shark Valley is a 15 mile loop along the tip of the Everglades where alligators roam free along the waterways and nature is as up close and personal as ever.

The loop is accessible in three ways. By bicycle, by tram, or by foot. Any bicycle is welcomed and bike rentals run at $8.00 an hour. Halfway up the loop is a watchtower that when climbed provides an awe inspiring vista across the vast swamps. At the edge of the watchtower are several hiking trails that go to the border of the wild everglades.

Animals are in abundance here. The seven mile ride to the watchtower runs parallel to a natural canal where gators are ever-present. The alligators are generally docile and there have been no reported attacks in the valley, yet, they are continuously crossing the road, and the bikes are generally whisking by a mere three feet or less from a ten foot animal.

Other than the gator, great blue herons, egrets, falcons, and storks line and nest in the trees.

One of the pleasures of Shark Valley is riding out in the early morning before the large crowds arrive and having an empty road while watching the daily movement of life in a part of South Florida that is so close and yet so removed from anything else.

If you missed the previous post Hike, Bike, Kayak Wild Miami by Mike Off the Map for our real estate blog MiamiRealEstateCafe.com, you can link to it here.

Happy Travels,

Michael

My Dog Was Arrested!

Alexandra Restivo — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:00:04 +0000

Well, sort of…

Sofia, back home after riding in the back of a police car!

We arrived home early evening a couple weeks ago and found that one of our three dogs was missing (and had no collar on at the time). After a failed attempt at searching the neighborhood on our own, it was dark out and we were distraught, thinking our Sofia would not be found that night.

Our final attempt of the evening was making a call to the Pinecrest Police (non-emergency line) and asking if they happened upon a lost dog that fit her description. We were in luck…an officer picked up a dog and it might be her. At the station, the officer escorted us to an area in the garage that held a few cages, and our dog!

Turns out Sofia made it a block and a half from the house before she got tired and plopped herself down in a neighbors front yard. This neighbor called the Pinecrest Police who took her in. We are thankful to the neighbor- and the police -for taking care of her.

Losing your pet is devastating and getting them back sometimes feels next to impossible. Aside from the usual “Lost Dog” signs or scouring the neighborhood in search of the pet, the Pinecrest Police have this system in place to help reunite lost pets with their owners. If you find a lost animal or want to report yours lost, they will do all they can to connect owners and animals with each other. Pets are held for 4-5 hours before Animal Services comes to take them to the shelters.

Hopefully your pet stays safe and sound at home, but if they do happen to escape, call the Pinecrest Police at 305-234-2100. They certainly helped bring Sofia home and we couldn’t be more thankful.

How To Find Short-Term Rentals or Vacation Property in Miami Florida

Vicki Restivo — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:02 +0000

Many of the home buyers we work with who are moving to Miami ask whether there are any short term rental options out there…. and if so, how to find them. Short term rentals can be a good way to settle in to a new city … get a feel for the neighborhood. They can serve as a stop-gap if you’ve chosen a home to buy, but have a somewhat delayed closing date…

We handle single family home and condo purchases/ as well as annual leases… but we really don’t handle short term rentals ourselves.

That said, we can and do provide our buyers with (and wanted to do the same for those of our blog readers who might be interested as well) access to a handful of options for short term rentals and vacation property resources in South Florida.

In Coconut Grove the Sonesta Hotel is centrally located, and offers both daily and weekly rental accommodations, as does the Mutiny Hotel right around the corner from the Sonesta on the Bayfront, with short term rentals and vacation stays.

In Coral Gables there are short term rentals available , furnished and/or unfurnished. There’s actually a local developer who realized there was a market for short term rentals for apartments and single family homes, and that developer now lists a number of short term rental offerings on that website.

Two other possibilities that you might possibly want to look into ( in Miami as well as elsewhere) would be rent.com (although this one isn’t really just for short term rentals) and/or vacationrentals.com.

As for annual lease options, or whenever you are ready to consider buying or selling property in Miami you can search for property through our real estate website and blog, MiamiRealEstateCafe.com … or contact EWM Realtors, Alexandra and Vicki Restivo, directly at 305 793-1365 or by email: restivo.v@ewm.com.

Doggie Day Camp in Miami … The Yellow Doggie Bus

Vicki Restivo — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:11:56 +0000

I was driving by Pinecrest Gardens the other evening … and noticed a yellow ’school’ bus next to me, with really excited barking coming from inside.

At the windows were a dozen (or so) faces of dogs … all different kinds… all happy, panting pups … with waggy tails .

The dogs were on their way home from a day a doggie day camp…

The bus pulled over and stopped at the side of the road by Pinecrest Gardens, which was ‘pick-up point’ … The driver handed out treats to each of her ’passengers’ and waited for the owners to drive up … She chatted with the pets and then the owners … It was fun to watch.

We’re often asked for recommendations as to pet sitters, kennels, dog parks, veterinarians … So, here’s one more Miami secret to share … “Doggie Day Care” !

www.TotallyDog.com Doggie Day Care … A yellow doggie bus for dogs only … Miami pets get the royal treatment!

If you or someone you know are moving to Miami with pets, we would love to help you relocate here. We specialize in Miami … and we specialize in real estate here. The Restivo Team at EWM Realtors. Our direct line is 305 793-1365 … and you can always contact us here and/or via email at restivo.v@ewm.com .