Breathtaking …  magnificent …  historic …   Villa Paradiso in Tuscany … Private  and secluded  …  built in the 1700′s …. located in the heart of Toscana, Italy … between Florence and Pisa … This superb Villa is strategically positioned – with spectacular views of the Tuscan countryside, rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, and wooded areas.  There are numerous terraces and patios each overlooking breathtaking scenery … and there’s a  rooftop loggia that offers a 360 degree panorama and views of the  leaning tower of Pisa off to one side.

Century-old cypress trees lead from the gated entrace to the one hectar property and up to Villa Paradiso.  The property is secluded , regal and private.  Inside the Villa are three levels  (along with an attic that is actually a huge expanse of loft space that includes a great room and eight additional rooms). 

Many of the main interior walls  throughout  the villa were magnificently afrescoed during the 1700′s  …  as were many of the ceilings …  And some of the frescoes were painted by Ademollo (Ademollo is the Italian artist reknowned for having adorned the walls of the Ducal Palace in Lucca as well as the Royal Palace in Pisa  with frescoes in the 18th Century).   

Villa Paradiso was passionately restored by it’s current owners… who fell in love with the property and it’s location.  It’s been renovated and meticulously maintained  by them.

Inside the villa are a number of arched entrances… along with terracotta and stone flooring.    Grandiose stairwells from the ground floor lead to the upper levels …  On the ground floor are the main kitchen and fireplace, the living room, dining room and a chapel  … along with an entirely independent section that consist of one bedroom and a bath, another kitchen and another dining area.

Soaring high ceilings portray dramatic frescoed scenes… giving the villa a rich warmth … as well as  significant historical value …   Impecably maintained it has a welcoming and pristine aura.  Villa Paradiso is stunning … replete with manicured grounds,  a stone pond,  decorative fountains.

There are  five bedrooms  on the second floor, along with two additional rooms (for use as studies/offices/or additional bedrooms) …  and 3 baths.    The  central upstairs hall has stunning frescoes (The downstairs does as well) … and the  magnificence of the painting is reminiscent of that of the Sistine Chapel… impecably well preserved and maintained….  There are expansive terraces on the second level, and a fabulous living room … with  endless views of the grounds.

Upstairs on the third level  are more than half a dozen additional rooms  …  each of which can be  interchangeable as bedrooms, sitting rooms,  offices and guest quarters.  Unique and utterly magnificent …

There is a spectacular rooftop  loggia with 360 panoramic views…   Villa is being sold (for the most part) furnished for 7 Million Euros …  Located 35 km from Pisa (and 33 km from the airport) … 77 km from Florence … and 30 km from the Tyrrenian Sea … in an antique, historic hamlet (village)  in Tuscany. 

12 (plus) bedrooms

10 baths

1229 square meters

And the grounds consist of approximately one hectar

Contact the Restivo Team at EWM Realtors for additional information.    Property is listed for sale at 7 million euros … furnished… and available anytime.   restivo.v@ewm.com   305 793-1365.   

No expense and no detail was spared in the restoration and preservation of the magnificent Villa Paradiso, located in the hills of Tuscany in Usigliano. 

For additional information please contact the Restivo Team here or on our direct lines 305 793-1365  or 305 632-0164 

We just rented out a beachfront condo to clients who were referred to us :  Two  young executives … a couple…  relocating from Texas … to Miami.   They’re driving across country …  arriving a day before starting their new jobs.  They haven’t seen their condo (other than online) … and they won’t … until they get here. 

They have access to  information online  …  information about  anything and everything imaginable on Miami Beach … about the building they’ll be leasing in … the amenities …  and about their neighborhood… restaurants … shopping… where to go and what to do… and about their commute to downtown  Miami where they’ll be working.  They have access to bird’s eye views of the areas… the beach … the  and they have access to visual tours.  

But they haven’t seen it, or Miami either,  firsthand.  

 And … they’re wondering if they’ll fit in … whether they’ll feel comfortable here … whether they’ll like the condo …   their apartment  (with it’s wide open views … the white sandy beaches and crystalline waters …  their oceanfront balconies… and their new lifestyle which will have them living smack in the middle of Millionaire’s Row).  It’s not Texas.  This is Miami.  It’s all new for them.

Will they like Miami?  Will they like living,  working,  playing here … in South Florida?  They’ve asked  that question.  And I can’t answer, because I really don’t know.   But  they’ll start off renting …   and take it a step at a time.  My guess is that they will like it … and that they will end up buying here too.

Florida has an incredibly diverse  population of people  …  and in Miami alone there are more than 106 other  languages spoken (besides English).  There’s a diversity of foods,  religions,  ethnicity and backgrounds, an array of opinions, and political persuasions …  If I were to guess,  I’d imagine that almost anyone can certainly  find friendship here, and carve out  the right niche for themselves… and feel at home  in Miami.

Miami is definitely a cultural melting pot … smack, dab in the middle of the tropics…. and surrounded by water and palm trees.  

 Those who call Miami ‘home’   were born in 171  different countries.

Whenever you are in the  market to buy, sell or lease real estate in Miami, we would love to help you move here or relocate elsewhere.  Call us anytime …   We are available to you, whenever you are ready …  the Restivo Team at EWM Realtors … Vicki Restivo 305 793-1365  …  Alexandra Restivo  305 632-0164.  We are local real estate agents and would love to work with you!

We just listed a great home … Villa Paradiso, in Tuscany, Italy- between Florence and Pisa. The home features 12+ bedrooms and 10 baths sitting on an almost 2.5 acre lot. There are 360 degree views of the Tuscan hills, vineyards, olive groves and even the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Among the 13,228 square feet are beautiful affrescos on walls and ceilings, painted by Ademollo. The Villa was built in the 1600s and has been given a historical designation by the “Belle Arte” in Italy. It has been restored and is absolutely stunning with gardens and a beautiful pool. Contact the Restivo Team for more information.

How does a BUYER choose  YOUR PROPERTY?  How do they decide YOURS  is  right   for them?

It can happen in the  blink of an eye… in literally seconds …  

Your first opportunity to make a sale is online … with your photos and marketing…. so make the photos captivating .  Keep them scrolling through your listing rather clicking to another property.

Your second opportunity is  the when your potential BUYER  sees or actually enters the property.

IF your place has anything in the way of a view:   Whether it’s those online photos, or that fist impact as the buyer initially steps foot inside   …  capitalize on the view … DON’T HAVE THEM WALK INTO A BLOCKED VIEW!   

Choose photos that will entice  buyers  to linger on online (on YOUR listings) for long enough to ‘get interested’.   (Blurry shots and dark or miniscule photos  deter buyers - and  buyer’s agents!)

I showed a slew of  luxury ocean-front condos on Miami Beach to buyers this past weekend.  And  the #1 resounding mistake  I noted were just how many were ‘caves’ … with blinds that were closed tight … and lights that were off … and shutters that were sealed tight.   

If your prime selling point is the view, keeping the drapes closed or the windows shuttered is a mistake!  If there’s a water view, that’s worth showing off!   Most people looking for waterfront property want to see the view  …  

Open the blinds or drapes … Capitalize on that  fist impact.  Your home can literally sell itself within seconds of the  buyer stepping foot inside … if not sooner.  

If you’re thinking of buying or selling  propery in Miami (or anywhere else!), the Restivo Team would love to work with you (and/or recommend a really top local agent in the area you’re moving to).    Contact Alexandra or Vicki at 305 793-1363 or at restivo.v@ewm.com – anytime.  We’d love to work with you !  Look forward to helping you buy, sell, or lease  … and making your next move the best one!

The property was listed back in April by Alain Pinel Realtors, and so far this year, this is the highest priced closed sale  in Atherton, California.  Link here to view the property photos.

The Tudor-style estate sold - 11% below list price -  within just a few months of going on the market.    According to the Wall Street Journal the previous sellers owned the estate for nearly a century…  using it primarily as their summer retreat.

Some day perhaps,  Miami too will have century-old-homes with pricetags that rival that.  In the meantime,  wherever it is that you are looking to buy,  sell  or relocate to,  Alexandra and Vicki Restivo of EWM Realtors International will be pleased to  assist you,  and refer you to other top realtors in most parts of the world … as part of  the relocation services The Restivo Team offers.   Call us at 305 793-1365 or contact us through our real estate website and blog MiamiRealEstateCafe.com  by sending us a note here.

The Restivo Team  restivo.v@ewm.com

Gorgeous waterfront unit available for sale for $419,000 in Oceantfront Plaza, on Miami Beach. Located at 2625 Collins Ave #205, the 1 bedroom 2 bath unit has been completely renovated with limestone floors, granite and stainless steel in the kitchen and new bathrooms. Pool and ocean views from the apartment…ready for you! Contact the Restivo Team for showings.

Prime example … There is a three bedroom waterfront condo  currently listed for sale in Deering Bay’s Venice building, an estate sale.   It was just recently listed for $900,000.00  and  had prospective parties lined up and hoping for a chance to  make an offer on it, whether to buy or lease.   Yes, you had to be able to see past the walls colorfully plastered with printed wall-paper!   But the location and that wraparound balcony with views over the water to the east and north, and that bonus room (additional den/study)  off of the master suite (and the 3140 square feet of living space)  increase  the appeal  and  the value.   13645 Deering Bay Drive #144 is listed by Sonia Weisz of Coldwell Banker.   

Property sales  in many parts of Miami-Dade are skyrocketing.  Leases are not really any different.   Our advice:  Be ready to make an offer fast when you find what you’re looking for, because real estate is moving quickly …    Have a trusted real estate agent on your side …  because the competition is fierce.   Properties (whether for lease or for sale) are going under contract almost before they are even listed.  And the supply of available options has dropped over recent months, considerably.   

If you are in the market to buy or sell property in Miami and would like a local real estate agent to work with, Alexandra and Vicki Restivo would love the opportunity to help you.   Call us!   The Restivo Team at EWM Realtors:  305 793-1365  or  drop us a note here. 

The amount an appraiser determines a property to be worth  though is the amount a lender will base their loan amount on. So that’s key if you need financing.  By determining value (based on relevant comparable sales) we can get rough ballpark idea  (a range).  But you really have to look closely at the comps to know where the value lies… for you.   What’s behind the front door (finishes, quality of workmanship, and view) are what add value.  

We are working with buyers who are wanting to purchase a condo in one of Miami’s top luxury condo buildings …  The Gables Club, The Governor House, The Santa Maria, Deering Bay, Grove Isle, or Beacon Harbour.  In each of those buildings, sales prices for 2-3 bedroom units (2,500 – 3,500 square feet) can span from just under $400 a square foot to almost $700 a square foot.    Recent condo sales in Area 41 (Brickell, Coconut Grove, and Coral Gables) of luxury condo sales vary enormously… especially if you expand your search to include units that face a parking lot or butt up to an adjacent building…   Instead of a $1.5 million price tag for a water view , there are units you can find one for half that price … although they may overlook parked cars (as opposed to having waterviews and terraces overlooking the marina). 

In the Gables Club at 60 Edgewater Drive, there are a handful of recently pended and closed sales of 3 bedroom condos that hover around the $1.2 mark.   Some of those  that sold at that price point were lovely.  Others were purchased, then gutted …  the new owners dropping $300,000.00 - $400,000.00 into renovations.  Huge responsibility being an appraiser these days, I would think!  Hopefully you’ll get one who really knows the market and has the right information, because it’s almost impossible to get behind the doors and know what’s there on something that has already CLOSED!

A private sale of a 3 bedroom in the Gables Club closed  for $1.9 million.    PH3D  closed in December 2010 for $600.32 a square foot.  9C in the Gables Club is currently pending sale, priced at just over $1.5 million (and almost $500 per sq ft).  And other currently pending units in the Gables Club include 5D ($387.05 sq ft) and 9C ($493.55 sq ft). 

There are a couple of three bedrooms listed now  in the Gables Club… one at  $1,575,000.00 (11D  at $458.15 sq ft)    and another at $1,595,000.00 (14E for slightly above that).  So what is any one condo unit worth?   It’s worth what you are willing to pay for it, and what the seller is willing to sell it for, and what the lender’s appraiser deems it’s value to be ( if you need their assessment in order to get a mortgage).  It’s worth what the value of the view, and the amenities, and the location, and finishes are to you … and how high a floor it’s on … or isn’t on.

There are a couple of pending sales in the Gables Club, that once they close, will  likely push  “recent relevant sales comparables”  upward … becoming the ’new benchmark’ for appraisers … as to value.

Between now and then,  as I’m looking through the closed sales of luxury condos in Area 41, the  price per square foot on luxury condo sales in Area 41 varies considerably … ranging from $400 to $700 a square foot:

Back in April 2011 there were three closed sales:

1660 W Glencoe St #202 (Beacon Harbour):  Sold for $1,400,000 ( ($406.50 sq ft)

1643 Brickell Ave #2605 (Santa Maria): Sold for $1,530,000 ($593.02 sq ft)

2627 S Bayshore Drive # 2504 (Grovenor House): Sold for $1,822,500 ($690.34 sq ft)

Currently PENDING SALE, there are unit #1404 in the Grovenor House (listed at $1,690,000 … $600 plus per sq ft/ list price) and 9C in the Gables Club  as well …  which is set to close August for what is reported to be  just over $1.5 million (or just under $500 a square foot). 

Feel free to contact the Restivo Team whether you are buying or selling property …  We look forward to working with  you!  305 793-1365  or email us at restivo.v@ewm.com  or drop us a note here

Interestingly enough, despite the glut of condos on the market in Miami over the past several years, there has been an increase in the number of condo sales over recent months that has gotten even the attention of the Miami Herald:

Miami’s one-time icon of crisis becomes an icon of the city’s condo turn-around – Real Estate News – MiamiHerald.com#storylink=fbuser#storylink=fbuser.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/09/v-fullstory/2270819/miamis-one-time-icon-of-crisis.html