Coconut Grove, Coral Gables & South Miami Real Estate

Miami Spice – try it, you’ll like it!!

Being a bit of a foodie, I love this time of year.  Each summer, beginning in August, several of Miami’s top restaurants participate in a citywide promotion known as “Miami Spice“.  All over town, popular eateries are offering 3-course prix fixe menus from world renowned chefs featuring their signature dishes.  The goal?  To get you and me to step outside of our comfort zones and try someplace and something new!

I have to say that in years past, it has definitely worked for me and my circle of friends.  There is so much available here in Miami with all it’s diversity, it would be a shame not to taste every part of it. 

The promotion began August 1st and continues through the end of September.  Lunches are $22 and dinners are $35.  If you are interested in expanding your epicurean horizons, here is the list of the participating restaurants and menus available.

From one foodie to another, ENJOY!!

Buying a Home, Do it Yourself or Not???

Like many people, I am a bit of a do-it-yourselfer.  I assume if I handle something myself, I can get a better price or do a better job without having to pay extra for a professional.

Recently, I found that in certain instances, this is not the case.  I was organizing a trip to Ireland for my mother’s 70th birthday and was doing my homework online, of course.  I found exactly what we wanted.  It was offered by a  specific tour group that I assumed did all their transactions online.  Just to cover my bases, I contacted a friend of mine who is a travel agent and asked what she had available.  Turns out, she can get me the same trip, through the same company, for the same price BUT I will have the additional advantage of the individual service and experience that her company provides.  I have to say that I was very surprised.  Of course, I would prefer to have a contact person and not a computer as my go to, especially when it comes to something as important as travel arrangements.

While we were talking it occurred to me that it seems like many people feel the same way about buying a home.  If they do all the legwork themselves, go to the open houses, look at homes online, deal directly with the listing agent or owner, they will save money.  

But, just as in the instance above, that is not usually the case.  First of all, and most importantly, here in Florida the Seller pays the entire commission.  Both sides of the deal, buyers agent commission and selling agent commission.  Buyers are not responsible for any commission.  The only fee that a buyer may be charged by his/her realtor is a fee for processing, typically under $300., and that is only at time of closing.  

Additionally, wouldn’t you prefer to have someone represent you that is a professional and specializes in the market in which your are looking to buy?  Someone to help you navigate the ups and downs of the home buying process?  Someone who’s job it is to assist you in all aspects of purchasing a home?

Buying a home, just like travel, can have it’s unexpected challenges and having someone you can rely on is priceless.  So if you or anyone you know of is considering purchasing a home and would like working with a professional, give me a call at 305-987-2644 or you can email me here.

Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove’s Waterfront Corridor

The winding bayside road that links Coconut Grove to Brickell and Downtown Miami is know as Bayshore Drive.  Beginning in the Coconut Grove Village center it curves past Peacock Park, Dinner Key Marina, Monty Trainers, Kennedy Park then snakes past Vizcaya on it’s way towards Downtown.

There are some of the most breaktaking homes located along this drive.  Here are just a few.

This landmark estate is located at 1653 S. Bayshore Drive and is a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath with 4,310 square feet of living area with just under an acre of land.  Asking Price $2,295,000.

I featured this home, Villa Valentina, in a previous blog as one of my Coconut Grove favorites.  This 6 bedroom, 4.5 bath estate consists of 4 separate living quarters and is located at 1855 S. Bayshore Drive.  Asking Price $2,885,000.

This three story Meditteranean Villa features 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths with 6,150 sq ft of living area and comes with a boat slip.  It is located in a private community consisting of 25 homes.  Asking Price $2,799,000.

Here is a complete list of homes currently for sale on Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida

In addition to single family homes there are several condominiums along Bayshore that overlook the sparkling waters of Biscayne Bay.  The Grovernor House, Mutiny, Grove Hill Tower, Grove Tower and Yacht Harbor, to name a few, are all luxury at it’s best.

Here is a complete list of condominiums currently available on Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida

If you or someone you know is looking for a real estate professional who specializes in Coconut Grove real estate, give me a call at 305-987-2644 or send me a note here.

Mortgage Rates at 4.56%, extending record lows

The Wall Street Journal reported today that “both the 30 and 15-year mortgage rates are at the lowest point since Freddie (Mac) started tracking them.”  The average rate for 30-year fixed loans being 4.56% with the 15-year at 4.03%.

If you are considering buying a home or possibly re-financing your current home, now may just be the time.

You can read the full WSJ article here……

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Miami area and looking for a real estate specialist, please give me a call at 305-987-2644 or send me a note here.

Tri-City Market Update – May 2010 – Coconut Grove, Coral Gables & South Miami

Here we are again with the updated statistics for Miami’s Select neighborhoods, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and South Miami.  This month I chose to include the data for condominiums and townhomes in addition to single family homes.  Condos seem to be trending in the right direction and based on the below statistics, making the most significant improvements overall.

As in my previous posts, I have segregated the information into categories, single family under $500K, $500K to $1MM, over $1MM and Condos and Townhomes.  I hope you find it interesting and informative.

Single Family homes up to $500,000.

The under $500K market is moving steadily in the right direction with the supply reduced by more than 100 homes (23.4%) over the last 12 month.  The sold homes are slightly lower than last year but the pending sales (under contract) are up almost 14%.  Something I think important to mention are the pending sales vs. closed sales.  Even though there are more homes going under contract, there are less homes actually sold.  With appraisals and financing being more difficult than ever, getting from contracting to closing is the biggest challenge. 

Single Family homes from $500,000. to $1,000,000. 

Single Family homes over $1,000,000.

The over $1MM market shows a slight reduction (8%) in supply over last year, sales are up slightly but the pended dropped to half of what was slotted last May with just 7 homes going under contract this month.

Condominiums and Townhomes

As you can see from the above graph, the outlook for condominiums and townhomes is trending in the right direction. Compared to the May ’09 numbers there is a decrease in supply of 13.8%, a 63% increase in sales and a 66.7% increase in pending sales.  All very hopeful signs.

For more concise market information for Coconut Grove, Coral Gables or South Miami just click on the city name and you will be re-directed to the market data specific to each.  Or, if you would like a similar report tailored to your neighborhood, give me a call at 305-987-2644 or send me a note here.

Also, you may subscribe here if you would like these blogs sent directly to your inbox.  After subscribing, you will receive an email requesting activation.

The 3 Top Farmers Markets of South Miami

One of the great things about living in South Florida is the abundance of fresh produce.  We are blessed to have several options throughout the year for locally grown and organic foods.  Here are my three favorites.

 

 

The Coral Gables Farmers Market is a small outdoor European-Style Green Market.  It is in it’s nineteenth season and is held every Saturday from early January through the end of March.  It is located in the town center with historic Coral Gables City Hall in the background.  There is something for everyone with cooking classes, Tai Chi in the park, gardening workshops and children’s activities.

 

The Coconut Grove Farmers Market is provided weekly by Glaser Organic Farms and offers year round produce and organic products.  Every Saturday you will find and extensive selection of locally grown, organic, raw and vegan foods.  Additionally they have prepared food area where people gather to enjoy some of the best tasting raw and organically prepared items.  Who knew eating healthy could taste so good?

 

The Pinecrest Gardens Green Market is open every Sunday and runs from December through the end of April.  Offering numerous vendors with organic and conventional foods, plants, arts, crafts and fresh produce.  Once you’ve had your fill of the market you can wander into the Pinecrest Gardens and see why it was voted one of the top 20 parks by Miami.com.

If you or someone you know is looking for a real estate professional who specializes in South Miami neighborhoods, give me a call at 305-987-2644 or send me a note here.