Miami Real Estate

Before our wake-up call …   we had space to gripe & complain.   After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, perhaps Miami will complain less.

Read the rest of this entry »

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

Haitian Relief … by guest contributor  Marc Bayard:

“I can’t thank you enough for all for your thoughts and prayers during this trying time, I wanted to update you on the latest news, as of last night, we have finally contacted all of our missing relatives, they are safe and aside from minor injuries and major property damage (destroyed homes and buildings), are well.  I want you to know that your thoughts and prayers are working, as there have been miraculous stories of survival amidst tragedy, including my father in law, cousin, grandmother in law and 2 aunts, whose homes or offices crumbled while they were inside and they were momentarily trapped, yet they managed to escape with minimal injuries.  While we are tremendously relieved that they are safe, our happiness is tempered by the overwhelming losses surrounding them Read the rest of this entry »

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

New Year’s Shooting  -   A six-year-old boy is expected to recover …  Will Miami? 

In times of need,  you see what a city is really made of.  Miami has been at center of global focus, and international scrutiny since New Years Eve 2010 …   when a stray, celebratory bullet  fired into the sky hit an Italian child whose family was dining at a restaurant in Miami’s Design District.   

6-year-old Andrea Fregonese, ringing in the New Year with his parents, was hit in the stomach by a falling  bullet that had been shot into the air on New Year’s Eve… and has been hospitalized since.  An unbelievably tragic accident …  like so many that occur every year  around the world …  as a result of guns being fired into the air,  celebrating New Year.    This six- year-old Italian boy is expected to recover…   Will Miami?  Read the rest of this entry »

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

In real estate, location is everything … The same applies to timing.  In the midst of a major South Florida real estate downturn, and a disasterous economic climate that Miami has been swimming through over the past several years,  I’m not at all convinced that breaking ground and launching one of the biggest projects Coral Gables has seen in awhile was well-timed: Old Spanish Village.  

Ponce Circle Developers (a partnership between Jose R. Mas and Juan C. Mas of the Mas Group, and Raphael Sanchez of the Sanchez Group) obviously disagreed though Read the rest of this entry »

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

With the oversupply of high-end homes in many parts of South Florida (foreclosures and vacant properties) sellers are becoming more creative with  marketing efforts.   Across the country, companies are staging properties for a quicker sale and a higher price… Some rely on ”home managers” to give the home a lived-in look.   Home managers are  actually house sitters (of sorts).  They are, for the most part,  executives (who want to get a feel for the area before buying) or people in transition (for one reason or another) who are Read the rest of this entry »

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

If you are wanting to sell your house,  technology could be the magic bullet!  Selling property has moved into a new era of technology! 

“Take a look  … buyers worldwide can now see your house online,   and by running their cursor over the property photo,   link  directly to pertinent information about the house,   view other comparable homes for sale in the area,   and research everything at the touch of a hand”. 

Esslinger Wooten Maxwell Realtor, Vicki Restivo, says:  “This new technology exposes intimate details of  Florida Homes to  inquiring  eyes across the globe”. 

Take a peak at the cutting edge technology  here and explore the premier homes for sale.  Selling homes boils down to high tech genius. The e-Styled Mailer is another EWM first!  If you are wanting to buy or sell property in Miami,  please give me a call at 305 793-1365 or send me a note here  through MiamiRealEstateCafe.com.   It takes more than a For Sale sign!   We market to sell!

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

What is the VALUE of your  home and who determines it?

With facts and figures tossed around liberally (especially here in Miami!): Market Value, Appraised Value, Assessed Value,  List Price, Sales Price, Replacement Value … understanding the value of your home is a tough nut  to crack:

Market Value,  as referred to in the tax role, references what the county believes the fair market value to be. 

Appraised Value is set by an appraiser  (comparing recent sales… normally going back no more than 3 months) …  Appraised value is the benchmark used by a  lender in determining the amount of mortgage the lender will finance.

Assessed Value is the amount determined primarily for tax or legal purposes. The county assesses or appraises your property to determine the taxable value.  You can also have an independent appraisal done, to evaluate and assess your property for contingency tax disputes… to reduce property tax.

List Price is determined through  market analysis of comparable properties in the vicinity  (having sold within the past 3-6 months … currently “pending” sales… and currently-listed “similar” properties  potentially competing for the same buyer-pool).

Sales Price is what the property actually sells for… determined by market conditions and what a specific buyer is willing to pay for that property.

Replacement Value  is a ‘guesstimate’ as to what  it might cost to replace or rebuild the house at some unknown point in the future.  Replacement value is used for  insurance coverage on a property, by estimating the cost to return a property to it’s pre-loss condition.

Replacement value has absolutely NOTHING to do with your purchase price, or the amount of your mortgage, or the assessed property value for tax purposes… It excludes the land value and landscaping from the equasion.   In brief,  replacement value is the  estimated cost of replacing  the house itself  (the structure),  due to a natural disaster…  fire damage, hurricane, flood, or otherwise.  

Factor in to your “replacement value”: Inflation, fluctuation in building costs  and materials,  labor costs, market conditions,  which all affect replacement value.   Upgrades and rennovations (new cabinetry, kitchens, baths, additions, shutters or awnings,  hardwood floors, upgraded appliances, newly replaced windows or doors… or unique features your house has) should be considered … in determining eventual ”replacement value”… Replacement value  is what’s used in quoting insurance coverage.   Have real estate questions?   If you do, chances are others will as well.  Alexandra and Vicki Restivo will answer  them, and may even blog about them!  Go ahead… ask!   Your questions are welcomed… and when you’re ready to buy or sell … we’re ready to help!MiamiRealEstateCafe.com …. READY WHEN YOU ARE!   Vicki Restivo 305-793-1365

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

MOSQUITO AERIAL SPRAYING SCHEDULED  for AUGUST 31, 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

Source: MiamiRealEstateCafe 

Mosquito aerial spraying at Homestead Air Reserve Base (HARB) and parts of the surrounding area is scheduled to occur during the week of August 31, 2009 through September 4, 2009.  The flights are scheduled to take place from 5:30-8:00 pm Tuesday and Wednesday with Thursday being a back-up day.
 

Spraying areas will include those parts of the County that are being most affected at that time by increased mosquito activity.  Possible areas to be sprayed include Homestead, Florida City, the Redlands, areas East of US1 and if necessary West Kendall and West Doral.  Once again, areas to be sprayed will be entirely dependent on where mosquito activity has shown a demonstrable increase at the time of surveillance on Monday August 31.
 
Residents are advised a large aircraft, the C-130 Hercules will be flying as low as 150 feet over the spray areas to train aircrew and spray Dibrom Concentrate. After spraying, about 90 percent of adult mosquitoes should be killed. The reduction in mosquito populations may last up to two weeks depending on the size of the area sprayed and how favorable conditions are for new mosquito hatches.
 
Beekeepers are asked to keep their bees covered during the spraying operations in their particular area. Anybody with known allergic reactions should stay indoors.
 
The 311 call center, which accepts mosquito service requests, is open Monday through Friday, 6 am to 10 pm, and Saturday/Sunday from 8am to 8pm.  The call center will be updated with the areas to be sprayed as the information is determined.  Residents may call 311 to find out if their area will be included in the spray mission.

 This information was provided by the Miami-Dade County’s Public Works Department and by the Village of Pinecrest – www.pinecrest-fl.gov  through an EWM Realtors Community News Advisory. For additional community updates or for any of your real estate needs,  contact Alexandra and Vicki Restivo EWM Realtors: MiamiRealEstateCafe .

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

Source: Restivo|MiamiRealEstateCafe  Pleased with your Property Tax Notice?   (If so, skip this entirely!)  If not,  (and you live in Miami) you can  file an appeal to protest your proposed property tax.  Generally it should be done within about 25 days of when you receive your Truth in Millage notice (mailed to you at the end of August). 

You can also attend budget meetings of the city and county commission.  Voice your opinions!  

Guest contributor, Robert Burr, of GreatGables.com  airs his views below.

Or click here for Tom Dixon’s tax assessment appeals process outline:  Read on …

Read the rest of this entry »

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.

The Miami  Restaurant, Puntino Downtown, in the heart of Downtown, caters to a local business crowd during business hours  and serves up traditional Italian fare  in a lively atmosphere until 11pm…. drawing  patrons from as far away as Palm Beach and Pinecrest!  Downtown  Miami seems to be growing by leaps and bounds, with new restaurants opening up and flourishing!  

Jazz  performer Leo Casino spiced up Prosecco Night at PUNTINO last night. 

Reality show participants from Italy, touring the entirety of Florida in a camper (their Florida adventures filmed and taped for TV syndication in Italy “FriendsTour“) were there,  sipping Berlucchi… invited by the Italian Chamber of Commerce.  They were on their last leg of a month long trek. From New Orleans, they had travelled the perimeter of Florida’s two coasts… literally…  from Tallahassee to Key West and up the other side. Not surprisingly, Florida was the location chosen for FriendsTour’s  month-long ‘coast to coast’  scheduled to air on Italian Cable TV’s “SKY” Reality Show. Why Florida? Florida… is the number one state …enticing Italian vacationers and second home buyers to the United States!   

Between the jazz music and the buzz of excitement over the Reality Show “FriendsTour”  I felt  as though I were somewhere between New Orleans and Italy!  Miami is quite the melting pot of diversity and culture!  Oysters, caviar, cheeses, prosciutto , stuffed pizza …  the hors’doervres  and Berlucchi certainly add to the mix.

Puntino Downtown serves both lunch and dinner ( somewhat of a novelty in Downtown Miami). The  lunch menu offers reasonably priced antipasti, insalate, panini, and pizza & pasta ($5-$10 for the most part).  Yes, they deliver!Downtown Miami is on it’s way to becoming a mini New York (with restaurant deliveries  to your doorstep!)   The dinner  menu is more varied but similarly priced …  with a nice array of appetizers, and freshly made specialties, meat, fish, cheese selections, dolci, espresso…. and Italian wines.  Neighborhood feel… nice atmosphere… warm service… Worth trying!  For dining reservations in Miami:  http://www.opentable.com

MiamiRealEstateCafe… your source for  Miami Restaurants, Local Happenings, and of course Real Estate …  everything and anything Real Estate in Miami!  Looking to buy, sell or visit ?  We Sell Miami  – Better, Faster, Smarter!  Vicki Restivo and Alexandra Restivo EWM Realtors … Miami   – Call us at 305-7931365

To receive my blog posts directly to your inbox, click here to subscribe.