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SOCIAL MEDIA GOES VIRAL

Credit is given to Marcia Heroux Pounds of the Sunsentinal’s Your Money article of  May 21, 2009.

Here are some statistics: (source: society of Human Resource Management)

Here is the break down of how we use social media>>>>

20% use professional networking sites-LinkedIn and Plaxo

16% use social networking sites Facebook, MySpace and Friendster

38% use networking sites to learn about a particular company or someone who works there.

18% use as a job search method.

Today social media is becoming a necessity to market a company or brand.

Your co-worker is tweeting another is writing a company blog.  Weather it is a company, or you as an independent contractor, either as a Realtor or a sole proprietor, networking in such a way has become a norm if one is to be ahead of the curve.

Pending sales rising

The following is an excerpt from the Associated Press: 

Tentative signs of life are appearing in the long battered U.S. housing market.

Thanks to historically low mortgage rates an deeply discounted prices, homes in much of the country are now the most affordable in decades.  First time buyers are now able to take advantage of a new $8,000 tax credit that runs until December 1, 2009.

The National Association of Realtors said its index of signed sales contracts for previously occupied homes rose 2.1 percent to 82.1 in February from January’s record low of 80.4.  Existing home sales rose 5.1 percent in February, the largest increase in nearly six years. Sales of new homes, meanwhile, rose 4.7 percent that month from January’s record low.

Seeing the Future

      I had a customer call me and ask if he could find a condo on the beach in a good area like Sunny Isles, Hallandale or Hollywood. His price was no more than $250,000 but the catch was it needed to be a two bedroom. The apartment didn’t need to face the ocean but the building had to be on the ocean He wanted to be able to walk out onto the sand.

My first thought was maybe a studio or even a one bedroom, but two bedrooms? Then I came back to reality and remembered this was 2009 and not only could he get that there were 180 to choose from.

Usually when you see the price on an apartment you have a hard time picturing that it will ever be worth that much more than the asking price. Now it’s so obvious that even if things don’t ever go back to the height of the market there is still so much room to make a great profit that you wonder why people aren’t fighting over these properties. 

You can already hear the conversation that’s going to take place in a couple of years. Do you know that I could have bought on the ocean for $250,000 FOR A TWO BEDROOM? Naturally off the oceanside or a smaller place even less.

 How often do we really get to see the future and take advantage of that foresight?

Realtors for Persons with Disabilities

 I really was trying to think of a better title for this article. I believe the first question that would come to someone ’s mind is what does that even mean? A realtor for the disabled?

Let me explain, I live with someone with Muscular Dystrophy. He is in a motorized wheelchair and is very independent, goes to work all day and has pretty much the same daily routine as many of us.Although his typical day has a few things that someone without special needs ever thinks about. He has a nurse to help with daily baths, administering breathing treatments, and uses a ventilator when sleeping. He is driven around in a handicapped accessible van and has a trach to help keep his lungs cleared out.

Having lived and cared for him for many years it came to my attention that it could be a help for people with special needs to have a realtor who understands those needs. Whether you need a name of a nursing company, supply and equipment company, help with who to call for transportation issues and more. 

Perhaps the biggest help is just a comfort level of dealing with someone who is accustomed to the challenges that come with a  disability. I will be working on adding names of companies that we have personally dealt with and making a more comprehensive site for answering questions you may have. I hope this will be beneficial to people moving from other areas or anyone whose life we can make a bit easier.

Living like a Tourist

I just wasn’t having a great day last Friday so my solution was to go to Joe’s Stone Crabs for lunch.

From past experience I know that always makes a bad day better. As I am heading towards South Beach I drive over the causeway and the water is really turquoise. It looked like the color they make the opening scene of CSI Miami T.V. show. I always thought they artificially colored those beginning shots, but here it was just gorgeous. Then I saw the port where all the cruise ships depart from on my right and to the left was Star Island home to many of the rich and famous.

I exited the causeway and as I made my way up 5th street the energy there was palpable. Here it was the last week of February and people were dressed ready for the beach. The shops and restaurants were bustling and there was no sign of trying economic times here. My thought was how unique an area this was and how fortunate I was to live here. No doubt if I was visiting that I wouldn’t want to stay for good.

When I finished a terrific lunch topped off with a colada (cuban coffee) for the ride home I decided to take the long way home up Collins Avenue through South Beach, then North Beach to Bal Harbour everywhere planted with bright beautiful flowers and realized my not great day couldn’t get much better.

If you know Miami at all check out this 1957 video of how Miami used to be . You’ll see that as much has changed a lot is still the same.

Remembering it’s more than Real Estate

Yesterday I needed to go with an appraiser to a beautiful 2 story penthouse at  Bella Mare in Williams Island.

When we walked in the penthouse it seemed so empty, concrete floors, barely painted, almost sad. I sat down in a folding chair to wait for him and past the emptiness of the apartment was this magnificent view of an endless ocean, clouds almost level with the apartment, so beautiful. I started to think how few people in this world get to live like this, wake up to the natural wonder of the beach and ocean.

I started to envision the life that would take place in this huge empty space, making it beautiful with lovely furnishings. I imagined the owners having parties, enjoying family and friends there. Conversations the couple would have there sitting on their fabulous balcony, making love there, enjoying children, maybe grandchildren in this amazing home.

When we were ready to leave I looked back at the empty sad space and realized it wasn’t so much empty as it was just waiting for the life to inhabit it and the potential to bring real joy to it’s owners. We get so caught up in the deal, the financing, market conditions and more that we lose sight of what people are really buying and that is really the dream that surrounding yourself with such beauty will bring you happiness and make your life more beautiful as well.

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS

credit to:     JUDE CURRIVAN  PhD

Forty years ago, the intuitive words of a song called Aqurius, brought the dawning of the new age into collective awareness. 

WHEN THE MOON IS IN THE SEVENTH HOUSE 

THEN PEACE WILL GUIDE THE PLANETSAND LOVE WILL STEER THE STARS

AND JUPITER ALIGNS WITH MARS At dawn on the 14th of February the cosmos actually embodies this perfect alignment to support our collective manifestation of love and peace and dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

The day dedicated to St. Valentine, the patron saint of Love, the Moon in Libra enters the seventh house of relationships and Jupitar and Mars are aligned in the Aquarius in the twelfth house of spiritual transformation.

We measure our global sense of both space (latitude and longitude) and time (universal time-UT or GMT) from the prime meridian located at Greenwich, England.  So we can perceive the collective influence of this momentous astrological event by looking at the alignment from globally ‘centered’ perspective.

At 7:25 AM and for the 18 minutes of the alignment you are invited you are invited in the universal heart to add your own intention for love and peace to co-create the dawning of the Age of Aquarius to that of the Cosmos in whatever way feels appropriate for you, you may chose to align with 7:25 am (UT) or 7:25 am your own local time energizing a wave of intention what will surge around the Earth.

 

Tammy Schweitzer

EWM REALTY

AVENTURA, FLORIDA

FEEL THE HEAT AT GULF STREAM PARK

Heart-Pounding Racing and so much more………                        

Gulf Stream Park famous for it’s Sunshine Millions Race where Florida breeds compete against California-bred horses for a $3.6 Million in purses.

Newly built and magnificent track  surrounded by thrills for the new Winter season.  The only place to watch and wager on thoroughbred horse racing in Broward County Florida, day and night, is Gulfstream Park!

Casino

Here you will find 2 casino floors packed with non-stop action which include……..Hundreds of Vegas Style slots , 21 live action, no limit poker tables.

Dining

Enjoy savory dining at Christine Lee’s A South Florida legend featuring Asian specialties and tender prime aged sirloin steaks.

Ten Palms sprime for steaks and pasta entree specials at all time….

Jameson the beautiful new Jameson Jockey Club with live music, sit inches away from the track and enjoy 2 for 1 drink specials.

Gulf Stream Park is situated in Hallandale Beach, Florida 901 S. Federal Highway Hallandale Beach, Fl 33009

gulfstreampark.com  954-454-7007

Breathtaking 2-Story Penthouse in Bella Mare (Aventura, FL)

You will be floored by this exquisite Bella Mare two-story Penthouse. Approximately 4,840 sq ft of luxurious living space, including 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, and 2 half baths. Enjoy the astonishing panoramic ocean and Intracoastal views from the spacious terrace. Unit is fully equipped with five star amenities and private elevator. Keep your body beach ready with frequent visits to the fitness center. Or take advantage of the on property bar and lounge, library, media room, spa, or the beautiful swimming pool. Aventura has grown into one of the biggest hotspots in South Florida. With such attractions as world-class shopping from both the Aventura Mall and Bal Harbour Shops, excellent public and private schools, and its convenient location to both the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale Airports. I know you want to move into this flourishing neighborhood; so contact me and we can work on making this your new home.

So this is what $57,000,000 buys you

The most expensive property in Miami that is for sale right now will only set you back a cool $57 million. What do you get for that hefty price tag?

You get to live on one of the most prestigious islands in Miam Beach known as Indian Creek Island , home to the wealthiest and some very famous residents. You get a 2 story home still under construction that will be 30,000 square feet on an 80,000 square foot lot. You also have 200 feet on the bay with ocean access.

The house will have 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and 4 half baths. It will also have room for 7 garage spaces. The description talks about “light filtering louvered walls,certified green house, rooftop lawn,a panic room,and a chromatherapy spa and massage room”  Truly amazing one of a kind home!