Title

Archive for July, 2009

Vibrant Happenings In Greater Miami For All Ages

 Welcome to the Arts and Events calender for Miam, look at : MiamiEventGuide.network

Arts and Cultural events in Miami reach residents and visitors from near and far.  Gteater Miami, on Florida’s southeast coast, pulsates with vibrant, multicultural appeal.

Here are a few………

Art Deco happenings, gallery openings, sizzling nightlife, excitement from Miami Dolphins football and Miami Heat basketball to the Florida Marlins baseball.

Annual events range from Art Deco Weekend, the FedEx Orange Bowl Classic, and the Miami Grand Prix to Calle Ocho, Art Basel Miami Beach, the Winter Party, King Mango Strut and the Christmas Eve’s Matzo Ball.

Also popular are the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (one of the most prestigious in the country) Miami-Bahamas Goombay festival, Easter Seals Festival of Chefs, and the Biltmore International Food and Wine Festival.

Miami has more to offer year round since the weather is warm and sunny most of the time.  No matter what your interests are weather it is theater, fine dining, great shopping or purchasing Real Estate….

Call Tammy or Marci to assist you.

 

Versace House, Luxury In South Beach

THE VERSACE HOUSE  aka CASA CASUARINA was built in 1930 and modeled after Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo, a residence built in 1510 by the son of Christopher Columbus and reputedly the oldest existing house in the western hemisphere.  Gianni Versace purchased the building in 1992 for $2.9 million.  After receiving city approval, he demolished the hotel next door and added a two story 6,100 foot addition transforming  it to Versace’s Miami Beach House.

In September of 2000 Peter Loftin a telecommunications billionaire, purchased the house from Vresace Estate for about $19 million and has resided in his new home from time to time.

The city has allowed Mr. Loftin to convert the Versace house to a member’s only club and in addition is being used as a Luxury Hotel.    Room rates at this 5 *****star hotel staart at:  In low season  from$1,200/per night and during high season from $3,995/per night.

Looking for luxury Real Estate call Tammy or Marci for assistance.

Shaquille O’Neal Finally Sells His Miami Beach Star Island Home

It’s a good thing he’s rich,because it took Shaq 4 years to find a buyer for his Miami Beach mansion. He also didn’t get close to his original asking price of $32 million. In fact he got half of that finally selling for $16 million.

What the buyer got for that was over 19,000 square feet of house on about 2.5 acres.  The house has a tennis court, indoor basketball court, a 6 car garage ,a guest house and is on the very beautiful and prestigious Star Island. Oh, yeah and the pool has a Superman logo.  

It also was said to be in real need of updating. Well I guess if you get something for half price you have to be willing to do some renovation.

The buyer is the boyfriend of super model Naomi Campbell. So sorry to all you buyers that you missed out on this one but give us a call and we’ll find you your own little mansion minus the Superman logo.

What Makes the Yacht Club at Aventura Condos Worth Buying

Location,Location, Location : The property is located inthe heart of Aventura. It is on the 3 mile around circle that is used for running,biking,walking and surrounds the Turnberry Country Club golfcourse. It is 5 minutes to the beach and about 20minutes to South Beach to the South and Fort Lauderdale to the North. It is also close to both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale airport.

Unique style:The Yacht Club at Aventura is considered a mid-rise, at 6 stories high it is not a high rise but not a low building either. It consists of 9 buildings with 48 apartments in each building. Built on over 13 acres the place is spread out with beautiful lush foliage.

Great second home or investment: The Yacht Club is one of very few condominiums that allows you to rent weekly,monthly, seasonally or yearly. There is no association approval needed and no waiting period before you are allowed to rent it.It is yours to do as you like. Many people choose to use it part of the year and rent some to help supplement the cost of owning a vacation home.

Low Homeowners Fees:The monthly fees at The Yacht Club are some of the lowest anywhere in Aventura and in any high end area. The 1 bedrooms are only $260 a month, 2 bedrooms $380, and 3 bedrooms $500. This includes insurance on the buildings,your cable and water, management and all amenities. 

Since the Yacht Club was built in 1994 there have been no special assessments and very few owners there have gone into foreclosure. These details make it a very secure property.

You truly can live like your on vacation all the time at the Yacht Club even if you live there all year long. 

We have a wonderful selection of all size apartments for sale at The Yacht Club with prices ranging from $250,000- $450,000. There are boat slips available for sale there as well, with easy access from the intracoastal where the Yacht Club is located to the  open waters of the ocean. 

Call Tammy or Marci for more information on this fabulous resort style property.

What Happened To Miami Marine Stadium?

Miami Historical Preservation a work in progress

From the water, Miami Marine Stadium looks like a building who’s time has come for demolition, accept to those who like me remember enjoying many moonlit night concerts  while either sitting on the bleachers or in a boat rocking gently on the water listening to the likes of Simon and Garfunkel.

This land mark who is located on Virginia Key is now 44 years old and at one time had audiences of up to 7,000.   With the down turn of the Real Estate market and the fever  of developers to tear down whatever they could for new construction,  South Florida land mark sites are in the spotlight again for preservation.  The same mind set turned South Beach Art Deco hotels from demolition to new found renovation and appreciation of what’s old is new again.

Marci who is a Florida native and I who have lived to see these historical projects come to life have the expertise to assist you in all of your Real Estate needs. 

Call or email us so we may match you with your desired great Real Estate deal.

With the help of  The National Trust for Historic Preservation many buildings are preserved for future enjoyment.

Helping people protect, enhance, and enjoy the places that matter to them.

 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize our communities.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America’s communities. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust was founded in 1949 and provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to protect the irreplaceable places that tell America’s story. Staff at the Washington, DC, headquarters, six regional offices and 29 historic sites work with the Trust’s 270,000 members and thousands of preservation groups in all 50 states.

The need for the National Trust for Historic Preservation has increased since its founding in 1949. When historic buildings and neighborhoods are torn down or allowed to deteriorate, a part of our past disappears forever. When that happens, we lose history that helps us know who we are, and we lose opportunities to live and work in the kinds of interesting and attractive surroundings that older buildings can provide.

Do You Think This Is The Best Time For Good Deals In Real Estate From Aventura Florida To South Beach?

If not now when?  Prices are at a 7 (seven) year low and  have been edging up since May of 2008.  Bidding wars are back on good deals and every Realtor in town is eyeing these deals for their customer.  The race to win the bid on a chosen house or condo reminds me of the boom which we had  in the years of 2000-2005.  Gradually the sales of this past year have worked off  the inventory of available homes.

What is effecting the market?

Interest rates at a record low, which I have not seen since the 1960’s

$8,000 tax credit to first time buyers

Sellers are getting more leverage as the market is tightening  and buyers are losing the ability to call the shots.

Just as an example, I received a call from a prospective investor wanting a specific building in Aventura, Florida, one month ago I could have found several good deals in the building,  however as of today not one was available. 

Of course those who have the ability to buy with cash vs. mortgage are king.

Should you be ready to get off the side line and stop the waiting game you will definatly not be one from whom I will be hearing this…. I COULD HAVE AND I SHOULD HAVE…WHY DIDN’T I.   Both Marci and I will be happy to assist in your search call or email us.

Are Short Sales The Solution To The Best Real Estate Deals From Aventura Florida To South Beach?

The short sale is being attempted only to relieve the sellers debt due to a hardship, such as job loss, financial reversal, divorce, illness or death.

As the market has reversed from a sellers market to a buyers market and property values have come down at a face pace many sellers are upside down in the value of their home, therefore when trying to sell they owe to the bank more than their property is worth causing the SHORT SALE.  This is the process prior to foreclosure.

The SHORT SALE  process is a lengthy, although the banks are trying to move the current files at a faster pace.  We have experienced contract to take from one month to six months to close.   One of the problems caused by the lengthy process is that many of the buyers lose interest as they see other deals pass them by.

The bankers are burdened with paper work and short staffing and inexperienced workers trying to fill the gap.  In addition many of the SHORT SALES get multiple offers which add up to much more paperwork.

Hopefully the banks will set up a speedier process  in order to make this Real Estate SHORT SALE night mare less painful to all who are involved.

5 Reasons Aventura Florida Is A Great City to Call Home

   All 5 reasons are terrific so this is not in order of number one being the best reason, they are all equal. That said my personal favorite is :

Number 1-   SHOPPING, SHOPPING AND MORE SHOPPING  Aventura Mall is the greatest shopping mall anywhere. You have Nordstroms, Bloomingdales and Macy’s as the main anchors and every other chain or boutique you can think of. If that’s not enough you have Bal Harbor shops less than 15 minutes away with all the top designer stores like Chanel,Fendi, Saks and so many more.

Number 2- LOCATION   Aventura is about 20 minutes from Fort Lauderdale to the North and South Beach to the South. Both international airports are less than 30 minutes away and the beach is 5 minutes by car, just over one bridge and your there.

Number 3- SCHOOLS Aventura has it’s own charter school for kindergarden through  eighth grade and probably will have a high school one day. The other public schools are very close by and are all good. The school buses pick the kids up near almost every building in Aventura. There are also at least three religious schools just minutes away.

Number 4- SAFETY  I have lived in or very near to Aventura for a long time and believe it to be about the safest place I know. I am sure there is some crime but I have never worried or given any thought to walking around late at night or letting my older children do so. Aventura has it’s own police department and it’s not that big an area so they are always close by.

Number 5- EXCLUSIVITY I do not want to sound elitist but Aventura does attract a certain resident. It is very international and it is probably more common to see a Bentley than a Honda in Aventura. Usually the Starbucks parking lot looks more like a high end luxury car dealer than a coffee shop parking lot. You will see Maserati’s, Ferraris and Mercedes as off they were giving a buy one get one free.                                      

Aventura also has Turnberry Country Club with a  newly renovated beautiful golfcourse , fabulous upscale restaurants and lovely outdoor shopping and mingling areas. You can also walk around the golfcourse which is three and half miles in the center of town and at all hours you will meet people exercising,socializing and walking their dogs.

I could come up with 15 more great things about this beautiful city but I think you get the idea, and if you don’t come see for yourself. Then when you fall in love call me to find a home in this great city.

The Most Important Thing You Should Know About Investment Visa’s

    The first thing to know about an investment visa is that is not the real name. It really goes by the Regional Center EB-5 program. For the sake of this article though we’ll stick to investment visa.

This type of visa is not for everyone, mainly because you need to have at least $500,000 to invest and does take time. Anywhere from one to two years.

What this visa does is allow foreign nationals to own property in the U.S. and still travel out of the country and back in and get green cards for their families and themselves.

 More specifically you need to invest in a commercial business that is in what’s considered a regional center by the American government. There are about 40 of those centers,many newly formed. Depending on the area where the center is located determines the type of business that you invest in.

The good part is that you do not have to reside in the same area where you invest but there are regulations as far as how the business is run.

Like any business venture you still need to do your homework and see if this investment makes sense to give you a good return on your money. There are also other regulations that must be fulfilled including documenting the source of the money you are investing.

This is obviously not going to fit everyone’s needs and there may be other visa’s that will work for you but this is a viable option for some that want the freedom to come and go and work and enjoy as they like.

Hopefully this article will give you food for thought but  as with any other important  legal and business matter I would tell you to find a good attorney and accountant to see if this is a workable alternative.

Are You Looking For A High End Condominium In Aventura Florida to South Beach?

Recently we worked with a customer from England who wanted the best location in a status building like The Trump Building of Sunny Isles Beach.  A large apartment with direct ocean views with state of the art amenities, at the best price possible.

1.  Wife interested in work out facilities and spa, which the building had a 20,000 sq. ft  space.

2.  Pool and children’s area

3.  Restaurant on site

4.  Close to Montessori School

5.  Close to shopping and air port

The “STAR”  Team assisted with condominium match which the customer loved.  In addition were helpful with……

1.  Finding the best Montessori school

2.  The Home Owners Association interview

3.  Setting up Florida Power and Light connection alson setting up  phone connection and accessing transportation.

4.  Getting the customer acquainted with the neighborhood tops our making our customer comfortable with their new surrounding.

Sould you be on the look out for a first class top notch building with status, call or email the  ”The Star Team”.