Miami Real Estate

“Come Together” on April 26th : another free event  in Miami for students K-12  (and  $10 for adults)…. at the Deering Estate at Cutler (10-5pm) at 16701 SW 72 Avenue in Palmetto Bay.   This collaborative event hosted by STUDENTS OFFERING SUPPORT  and the DEERING ESTATE  is a fun outdoor community event, to benefit charity.  Youth Arts Day and Music Festival is sponsoring a 5K dash  to kick off the festivities.  Proceeds go to the Children’s Home Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation, His House Children’s  Home , Honey Shine Foundation, Tim Hardaway Foundation, and Deering Estate at Cutler.  For detailed information on the ‘dash’  itself, go to www.sosmiami.org  …or just head over and enjoy the day’s activities at the Deering Estate… yet another great excuse to be outdoors!

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Is your home eco-friendly and energy efficient, or are those hard-earned dollars of yours  going down the drain? 

In honor of Earth Day and Earth Week,  here are a handful of ways to  “Green Your Home For Less”:

Here are the 12  Top Eco-friendly Homeowner Tips to Green Your Home and Save Money:

#     Top Ranked            Eco-friendly Savings Solutions                                                                                                                 

1.     Window/Door           Impact glass/double-panes                                                                                                                                      

2.     Water Usage             Low flow toilet/showerhead                                                                                                           

3.    Water Efficient           Tankless water heater                                                                                                                         

4.   Appliances                    Energy Star Rated:Washer/Dryer/Dishwasher /Oven/Refrigerator                          

5.   Insulation                     Sprayed/Rolled/Radiant Barrier (attic,exterior walls)                                                   

6.   Pool                                Operate Pool pump  4-6 hrs                                                                                                              

7.  Electricity                      Energy efficient bulbs                                                                                                                      

8.  Heating/Cooling          High Efficiency A.C. Unit/frequent filter changes                                                              

9. Electric Usage                Reduce high energy culprits: Oven& Iron                                                                                

10.Renovations                  Incorporate recycled materials                                                                                                      

11: Shade                              Plant trees and  Install Awnings                                                                                                      

12: Back to Basics              Air dry dishes & clothes

The author’s personal favorites, both green certified  and energy star rated Miami properties, are The Venetian Coral Gables Townhomes and Smather’s Four Fillies Farm in Pinecrest.

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"EWM Smart Living Residence" Featured Property on the Cover of EWM Mailer: March,2009

“Up for grabs!”  This featured home on the March 2009  EWM MAILER COVER PAGE,   9365 SW 170  Lane  in Palmetto Bay,  is back up for grabs!  (Buyer was unable to close.)   EWM’s  ”SMART LIVING CHOICE” , this 4 bedroom,  2 bath home, with sparkling pool , and private fenced yard ,  2 car garage, and an indoor laundry room…is available for $261,000.00    

Quoting  the EWM Mailer,  ”You’ll be amazed at the new listings to choose from in neighborhoods that you never dreamed would fit your budget!  Residences UNDER $300,000 @ EWM Smart Living :  Find over 45,000 Miami-Dade & Broward single family homes and condos priced under $300,000.”   

9365 SW 170 Lane is located few blocks east of US1 (S.Dixie Hwy) in Palmetto Bay, on a cul-de-sac …   near shopping & dining,  and the location offers  quick access to major transportation.  Easy to show.  For more information or to preview, call  either Vicki Restivo 305 1793,  or Alexandra Restivo 305 632-0164

Sparkling Pool with waterslide

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I signed up to build a house  for Habitat for Humanity.  My assignment: Roofing and Insulation!   Holy mackerel!   To say that this will be an “entirely new  experience” is an utterly blatant understatement … never having done roofing or insulation, either one… and only on very rare occasions having even stepped foot on a roof!  

Most amusing is the fact that I dragged my daughter into volunteering that day too.  Bring out the video cameras!    The entire project is being done by women… from start to finish.  This Habitat for Humanity project was organized by DD Eisenberg, with her project being appropriately named “Women Build”.  There are a bevvy of assigned days:   a mother/daughter day,  another for  University of Miami women, and one for Pinecrest’s Royal Palm Tennis Club’s Ladies Alpha-1 Team, United Way, and Blue Cross Blue Shield to name a few.    May 16th, 2009 is designated for Royal Palm: 15 women normally seen dressed in white and wielding tennis rackets…  will be hoisting and hammering  in Habitat for Humanity attire…  contributing and constructing a house for someone deserving…  Yes, May 16th  is  roofing day!  

HGTV Home Design shows,  are inspiring…  Extreme Makeover Home Edition ,  touching.   Daunting , though,  is the descriptive term I’d use for our task … roofing.   I’m smiling now, and really looking forward to it.   No secret though:  I just peeked at the photos …  to see  just how high that roof is!  

The location of this labor of love for Habitat for Humanity by Women Build  is:      3110 NW 77th Street,   Miami, Florida  33147.

The goal for this build is to use women volunteers exclusively.  Women Build  is being sponsored by Home Interiors & Gifts, Inc. and the homeowner and recipient is Zandra Flennory… single mom… with 3 children.

A single day… devoting  time, effort…  sweat and smiles…  Making someone’s dream of owning a home come true.

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You might be surprised!  Both the Federal Reserve and the President’s Council of Economic Advisors are forecasting  an upturn in the economy sometime during 2009 .    According to Forbes,  now is the time to buy a home… (among other things!  …. keep reading). 

With interest rates hovering around 5% for a 30 year fixed-rate  mortgage,  and housing prices having dropped  25% , this is a window of opportunity for you…  if you’re wanting to buy a house. (Or maybe you’d prefer buying something  else on Forbes list?)  The forecast for an economic upturn, sometime this year, coupled with government incentives ($8,000 credit for first-time home buyers) are enticing.  But what ELSE should you be looking to buy?

Forbes names several  hot ticket items worth buying  …  NOW…   I was surprised by at least ONE of them.   Sure, we all know there are deals on HOMES, with housing prices down 25% and mortgage rates at an historic low, but Forbes mentions a handful of other purchases worth investigating.   Because of the recent drop in home home sales, consumers are buying fewer furnishings,  and as a result,  manufacturers are offering incentives left and right.  Discount retailers (Target and Forever 21) are attracting  buyers of women’s fashion.   At the very top of Forbes list of what to buy before the economy recovers is  REAL ESTATE.   Following close behind, Forbes names diamonds, cars, furniture, and fashion apparel.   Diamonds are the one item on their list that surprised me.  

The opportunities are definitely there, for anyone wanting to buy a home.  If you are looking to buy,  please call me.

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Intriguing inquiry?  A creative selling tool, perhaps,  when innovative ideas are sorely needed.   I got an odd phone call, with potential brilliance for selling homes.  This proposal has me pondering though:

The “caller” proposes moving into any vacant  South Florida home  I  currently have listed for sale:   furnishing it… decorating it…  maintaining the landscaping, lawn and pool… paying for the utilities…. allowing showings, open houses…. She proposes living there for a maximum of 6 months  and vacating with  30 day  notice once I have a buyer. 

I thought the idea was ingenious… but fraught with potential pitfalls.  The pitfalls are obvious when you  ponder  possible “scenarios”… but intriguing nevertheless.  She’d live for free, making the house more appealing…  “lived-in”.  A possible win-win situation for both seller and caretaker (stager/ “house-sitter”).  Marketing genious?

A while back, FOX NEWS  did a clip on just that.  Realtors and sellers have become increasingly more creative with marketing and showcasing their properties.  It’s a sign of the times.  FOX showcased  people moving into vacant homes,  furnishing them and making them more appealing to buyers by showcasing them as ‘occupied’…  living  virtually for free  themselves, until the house sells.

Houses tend to look  and show  better when furnished and lived in… no doubt.   Most of us have a hard time envisioning what a property void of furnishings will feel like furnished.  Much about buying a house has to do with the emotional component… the connection a buyer has with that home, imagining himself (or herself) there:   A guestroom set up with plush linens and a breakfast tray on the bed… an adirondack chair on the porch or patio;  an open book perched on it….  fresh flowers …  rolled-up towels whispering  ’spa’…  a couple of wineglasses on a tray… all  create an emotive tie,  and the thought “I could live here”.   It paints a picture.

Houses that are ”theme oriented”  detract from buyers  ’connecting’ with that house.   Portraits and family photos covering the walls “claim” the house, declaring it as ”belonging to” the current owner.  (Clutter has the same effect.) 

 Creating  a sense of  ’This could be mine!’  is the goal.  Depersonalizing any house  listed for sale does that,  increasing (exponentially!)  the potential for a buyer to emotionally ”move-in”.   In terms of  ‘staging’ a house for sale…  decluttering  and ensuring that buyers can walk through easily,  is paramount. Defining areas  by purpose (dining area, reading areas, zen-like nook, family room, office, guest room, bedroom) as opposed to catch-alls for multipurpose use or storage makes any house more saleable.

Much about preparing a house for sale has to do with creating emotion… and absolutely nothing to do with how the buyer will ultimately keep it.  Buyers buy on emotion, then alter the house to their own liking. The way we live and the way we set-up our house for sale are entirely different. Your house should welcome buyers with open arms (… think  ”hotel “….): Warm, welcoming and ready for the guest to settle in. 

Staging it  to make your potential buyer imagine living there, waking up there, creating memories there…. is key.  Allowing the buyer to sense what it would feel like to live there, as they step through the front door,  may make the difference between selling and not.

You want the buyer  to imagine sitting at that bay window, lingering over coffee in the morning, taking in that view,  puttering in that kitchen,  bar-b-queing on that deck, relaxing on the covered patio and watching the rain,  luxuriating in the spa tub,  curling up on that chaise lounge under the palm tree….  living there… the house being his… no longer simply just a house but  his house… his home.  Two different words,  significantly emotive:  house versus home.   A house is what you sell…  It’s a commodity.  Your home is where you live, wherever that this (even temporarily).  You sell a  house… and buy a home.   When you are ready to buy or sell property in Miami, call us.  Vicki Restivo  (305) 793-1365  …    Alexandra Restivo (305) 632-0164

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On March 8th, the seventh annual Taste of Pinecrest returns to Pinecrest Gardens. Come enjoy a fun filled day of food and attractions and meet the Restivo Team! We will be on hand to help you with all your real estate needs. Come out and enjoy the activities

Guests can sample things from Cold Stone Creamery, Los Ranchos, Roasters and Toasters, Crepe Maker, Dream Dinners, Juiceblendz, Two Chefs and many more. Food can be purchased from the restaurants for $2 to $5 per plate.

In addition to the great food, local area businesses will be on hand to promoting their services. Among the businesses are EWM, Elemis Day Spa, Kendall Chevrolet, Temple Beth Am, Westminster School, Kendall Chevrolet, Math Monkey and Citibank.

Proceeds from the event go to the five public schools in Pinecrest-Pinecrest Elementary, Howard Drive Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, Palmetto Middle School and Palmetto Senior High.

There will also be a children’s ride area this year. Wristbands for admission may be purchased in advance for $10 and allow umlimited rides on the attractions. Make sure to stop by the children’s art exhibit and check out the work of students from local schools.

A raffle will be offered at $5 a ticket or a book of four for $20. Prizes are as follows- First Place: A Raymond Weil stainless steel diamond watch donated by Maurice’s Jewelers. Second Place: a four day/five night vacation in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. Third Place: A basket filled with spa products from Elemis Day Spa, valued at $500. The tickets are available at local school’s PTA or through the Pinecrest Business Association.

Taste of Pinecrest runs  from 11 am to 5 pm; Parking and entry is free.

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With tickets at over $200 a pop (for a single day at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival) the truth bubbled to surface as to where  South Florida  is headed.    Reporting it’s best turn-out ever, this weekend marked  eight years of imbibing and nibbling  and cooking up a storm on Miami’s  sandy South Beach at the Sobe Wine &  Food Fest…. in the midst of February.  Why the over-the-top turn-out?  Surely our tepid “winter”  was a get-away draw for some.   SoBe enthusiasts seemed to hone-in on the importance of hearth and home (…and on the endless choices of ‘wines’ and ‘delicacies’ too)… Those of us who live in Miami seem dead-set on making food, wine, and friends the focal point of our lives, especially  in this current economic environment. 

Paula Dean  of the Food Network demonstrated her soon-to-be-available  (in local supermarkets) “crab cakes” … Bobby Flay taking center stage with her as she introduced her family (never missing a beat as she smiled and joked through a ‘wardrobe malfunction’… dropping her pants … on camera). She spoke to a packed tent, with standing room only,  and onlookers  waiting in the wings.

Ingrid Hoffmann of Simply Delicioso… vivacious and sassy…  infused her afternoon demo with flirtatious fun…  focusing on mood, memories  and family.  Sparkling as she mentioned her grandma… and a  high-school honey under the bleachers …   the thread was food,  and the memories that smells, sounds and flavors evoke.  With simple, straightforward recipes, requiring few steps, but with tons of texture and flavor, the Miami culinary dynamo tauts her 20 Latin country influences and teases that she’s a minute faster than Rachael Ray, offering 29 Minute, rather that  30 Minute Meals.   Her perky demeanor is contagious.

Sunny Anderson fried up a storm,  sharing her secrets for dredging oysters with flour and cornmeal (using a paper bag), and using Old Spice as flavor enhancer. The recurring theme, again:    family, memories from childhood, and her origins.  Her love of New Orleans and fried foods … Her military background …  She is down-to-earth, amiable, and easy-going. 

Tyler Florence auctioned off his cooking expertise for big bucks… raising  $40,000 for the Wine and Food Festival as he shared recipes and insights in his standing-room-only tent. His confident manner and good sense of fun  added  a spark to  the event.

Michael Symon, Iron Chef winner,  was an absolute blast!   Cool, with shoot-from-the-hip humor, he shared his stories,  and secrets  (“Use organic chicken.  If chicken  costs 40  cents a pound there is a reason.  Choose quality products, and you’ll have a quality meal.”) .  Imparting  ’simple tricks’ ranging from how to handle delicate herbs like basil and parsley (slicing through them only once) to preserve oils and flavor, pressing garlic by smashing the peeled clove with a chefs’ knife rather than using his abhored garlic press (my indispensable kitchen tool!), and tucking lemon slices between the  chicken flesh and skin ( for moisture) , and allowing meat  to “rest”  for 20 minutes after cooking  -  before slicing  (… holding the juices).  

With the economy what it is, home and hearth  take center court.  Not only is there comfort in food and wine, but many of us are returning to basics… our lives centering around what matters most… friends, family and food.    Having ‘raised’ my kids (summers!) in Europe,   15-20  of us would cook together and share meals  on the terrace or gardens every night … We’d return  ’home’ to Miami at the end of each summer with memories to last a lifetime.  Simple memories… unprocessed foods, fresh ingredients, laughter, local wines …. time spent together with family, friends.    The South Beach Wine and Food Festival showcased  pricey $200 plus entry tickets  to the festival itself.   Bigger, and more importantly,   the  picture it painted of our current economic situation was ‘yummy’… to sum it up!  The ramifications for our “Miami” lifestyle  boil down to  Friends,  Family, and Food … center stage…  savoring what truly matters:  ”Each Other”.  

Your comments are welcomed!   www.MiamiRealEstateCafe.com

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Why waste time hunting for a condo you can’t get a mortgage for?  Know the facts before you hit the pavement.    Obtaining mortgages in some Florida condos may now be virtually impossible, as a result of the new Fannie Mae rules.  

 Lenders have long  been reluctant to provide financing in certain South Florida condo buildings.  Many more buildings will now be scratched from their lists altogether,  as a result of the recently imposed  Fannie Mae rules.   

A handful of lenders  ‘blacklisted’  certain buildings… before….but these  new condo regulations, imposed in  January  2009, will  make condo FINANCING in Florida  exponentially more challenging .  Unless you are well-informed,  you risk stumbling across a ‘steal’ of an apartment, only to find it’s unattainable,  on account of rules prohibiting lenders from providing mortgages in buildings  that for all purposes appear stable.   

Fannie Mae’s rules will  create  financing hurdles at the very least!   These new rules pertains solely to Florida, and for the most part, affect  buildings MOST  in need of a vitamin B shot.   Fannie Mae’s new regulations will slam condo buildings  like the plague.  

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Coach Frank Haith surrounded by fans that swarmed the court

The Miami Hurricanes beat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Bank United Center on Wednesday night. As the underdogs, the Hurricanes won and had the crowd of over 5,000 people up on their feet cheering on the team. President Donna Shalala and Miami Heat President and former coach Pat Riley were also in attendance as the Miami Hurricanes beat the Wake Forest team.

At half time, the Canes led 29-26 and played well in the second half, scoring 25-8 over the first 9:10 of the half. Senior Jack McClinton scored 14 consecutive points for the Canes and they led the entire second half. Adrian Thomas’  final 3-pointer sealed the score at 79-52 and fans rushed the court to celebrate the season high 32-points, the largest margin of victory over a top 10 opponent in the University of Miami’s history.

Lance Hurdle shoots a 3-pointer

The Hurricanes won after a three-game losing streak at the start of a three-game stretch against Top 10 teams. The Canes will travel to North Carolina on Saturday to face off against No. 4 Duke and will play at home on Feb. 15 against No. 3 North Carolina. For more information on the Men’s Basketball Team, click here. LET’S GO CANES!

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