Miami Real Estate

Contributing Author and Photographer: Michael Restivo – “Mike in Nepal” – 1/23/2010

Hey everyone! I haven’t been here in while but there’s been lots going on. I am not in Kathmandu anymore, I am in Pokhara, its a smaller town just west of Kathmandu. Its amazing here. There is so much to do and its not as congested as Kathmandu. The ride up to Pokhara consisted of 7 hours in a rather questionable tour bus, riding around cliffs with no barrier. There were moments where I could look out the window and not see road, just see ravine. It didn’t help that there were other trucks, lousy brakes, and a driver that insisted on whipping around corners. Thankfully after 7 hours and one change of pants later, we finally made it.

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SOMETIMES WE GET STUCK IN A RUT… AND STAGNATE. 

                                                                                                                      Photo: Courtesy of Michael Restivo “Mike in Nepal”

Moving On …  It’s something that each of us do, at least  from time to time.  Without it nobody would buy or sell real estate.  

On occasion, moving on moves us to tears … which I was by the photos… and… by the words…  in the blog  “Moving On”…  and by another… my son’s link with the world, as he shares insights and ventures far from home. Read the rest of this entry »

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High end home sales are once again on the rise in Miami.  Ron Shuffield of EWM Realtors, an affiliate of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, reports  “Pending sales in the $1 million plus price-range Read the rest of this entry »

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Contributed by Phil Spool -  Tax Appraiser and Contributing Writer for MiamiRealEstateCafe

PREPARE FOR TAX YEAR 2010 NOW.

 

While your tax assessment notice (TRIM) will not be made available to you until this August, now is the time to prepare for a possible tax assessment appeal based on market value prices in your area as well as the physical condition of your property.  If you purchased your house toward the end of 2009, be sure to file for Homestead Exemption if this is your permanent home and  you have no other house or condominium unit declared as your present homestead.  But for all other properties, you need to pay attention to the assessment the property appraiser will place on your property.

 

There are several ways you can appeal your assessment: Read the rest of this entry »

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Assessing the value of a property is of enormous value to everyone involved:  Buyer, Seller, Realtor and Lender.   Having a solid handle on the assessed value, prior to selling your house can be worth it’s weight in gold.  Read the rest of this entry »

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All you need is 12 hours of darkness !   For what?   South Florida landscape will brighten … to a warm red…  with one simple recipe. Read the rest of this entry »

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What makes a  ’home’  are the memories …  The memories you take with you when you sell and move … The memories you make when you move some place new: 

Contributing author …  Sherrill Boller  (my mom).  

“In the 1930′s when I was a child, ice was delivered to our neighborhood by truck. Most homes had Read the rest of this entry »

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PUT A VALUE ON THIS… if you can!  This is a house that makes real estate exciting!  Miami certainly has her share of  REMARKABLE properties… but I’ve yet to come across one that could even remotely hold a candle to this one!   Pricing it would unquestionably be an ART!  (… as opposed to a science!)

   Rhode Island, on Narragansett Bay.  Welcome to Clingstone!

This 103 year old mansion was bought  by Henry Wood in 1961, after two decades of literally sitting empty!

A summer house!  Unlike Miami, winter in Rhode Island can be rather harsh, and the  Jamestown boatyard has to haul (and store) the family’s boats and floating dock each winter (in exchange for a brief respite on the island in the summer, themselves!)

Henry Wood, a Boston architect, bought this incredible house in 1961.     Care to guess at what he bought it for?   He bought it for a mere $3,600.00.

Three stories.  10 bedrooms.   360 degrees of  WATERFRONT windows with indecently beautiful views … and…  a rather charming  sense of humor !   “No Entry After 3 Drinks or 86 Years of Age”  warns of potential peril at the base of a precariously-steep stairwell.

A rare ’deal of a lifetime’,  Clingstone  was completed in 1905. The total price for the original construction was $36,982.00.  Regardless of the condition of this house in 1961 when Henry Wood bought it, I think he got a steal of a deal!

A glimpse back in time… documenting history for all eternity. No lawn, no neighbors, no cars and no streets … and THAT has certainly not changed!  Who else can say that?

A friend, looking for waterfront property in Florida, eventually to retire to waterfront Miami, shared this house with me – and I fell in love!  This is the stuff dreams are made of!  To my knowledge, Clingstone is not for sale. If it were, I’d love a stab at pricing it (I would actually rather BUY it!).  Miami is breeding ground for dreams too, and of course,  I would be pleased to help find yours.  If you are interested in buying property in Miami, please call me at 305 793-1365, or send me a note here. If you would  like to receive my blog posts directly into you inbox, subscribe here, and stay updated on all the Miami real estate information… truth, insight, and some smiles.   Just for a moment though, this  island home in the middle of Narragansett Bay is absolutely foremost in my thoughts!  MiamiRealEstateCafe.com

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Looking for a great spot to picnic in Miami this summer?:   Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden  offers Free Admission Every Sunday in August. 

83 acres of grounds … with delighful nooks and crannies to explore, paths to wander, scenic havens, tables, benches, and shady spots for a blanket and picnic… for local residents, artists, photographers,  and visitors from across the globe!   The breathtaking view of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden shown in here is the work of local artist Federico Carosio III  .  Carosio will apparently also be creating scenes of Italy (of Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast) …  in a similar style.. which I can’t wait to see! Website: www.federicocarosioiii.com  

Spend a Sunday in Fairchild Gardens!   Tram rides run continuously, offering superb narrated tours, and visitors can hop on and off at will. (I repeated the full tour, three times in a row,  one afternoon, when John Soliday  – University of Miami Professor –  was the tour guide. Worth calling ahead just to see if he’s doing tours that day!)  The gardens, and that tour guide, got me hooked on Fairchild’s wealth of information!  Truly fun! 

Acres of lush tropical foliage,  waterfalls, wildlife,  endangered plants, art, open air cafes, and cultural ‘happenings”. 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami Florida.  For information about Fairchild:  (305) 667-1651 …  and to read more about this other events scheduled all summer in Miami:  check out Robert Burr’s Great Gables Events   (updated, like clock work, each week).

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