Miami Real Estate Blog

With all this talk about Green from our our own Dena and JaneAnn, I started doing a little research and came upon a great article and site that are so refreshing, I needed to share it with you.

Neal Woodburn of Gadling - the travelers weblog, starts off by saying "It wasn't so long ago that "environmentally conscious" meant scratchy hemp clothing and unshaved armpits. Times have changed, however. A handful of architects and designers are now crafting eco-friendly products that don't sacrifice fashion and comfort for the sake of the planet. This means we can be stylish and save the world while doing so."

That statement is so true - green does not have to mean unfashionable and scruffy - "green believers" don't have to wear Birkenstocks and Flannel.  There is a new wave, a wave about loving our earth and our environment without compromising style.

Neal also guides you to an incredible site called Hybrid Living that highlights green designers with profiles and tours including cities like Seattle, Washington DC, Phoenix, Miami, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. 

Don't miss LIVING HOMES featuring pre-fabricated homes designed by architect Ray Kappe - those homes blew me away for many reasons - simplicity, materials, modern design and overall feel.

Every year, our biggest newspaper, The Miami Herald, asks readers to vote on the Hottest places, things and events in South Florida and I thought I would share a couple of these.

BEST CAFE CUBANO - (for those of you that are non-Spanish speakers it means Cuban Coffee:  a type of espresso stirred with sugar to create an incredible froth....you need to taste it to understand it). - Versailles is located at 3555 SW 8th Street in Miami - I often stop by this place to have my fix of "cafe Cubano" and must tell you is not so much the coffee but the atmosphere of the older gentlemen in their guayaberas and their great Panama Hats.

BEST SEAFOOD- Joe's Stone Crab is located at 11 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach (this was a "duh" for me - I've been inviting TLW and Bryant for months to come join us at Joe's).

BEST MOJITO - Mojito's is located in the Dolphin at 11401 NW 12th Street in Miami (I will have to go verify this one personally because Rick makes a Killer Mojito).

BEST RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW - Houston's Miami is located at 17355 Biscayne Blvd.in North Miami Beach. (this place does have a great view and a really great walkway along the water - read the link to see a review I wrote a while back).

BEST MARLINS PLAYER - Miguel Cabrera (I had to include this one because Miguel was born in Venezuela, like me).  He is the third baseman.

BEST DOLPHIN PLAYER - Jason Taylor (I don't usually follow pro-football, but will watch the game just to see this guy.)

BEST CLUB FOR DANCE MUSIC - Club Space is located at 34 NE 11th Street in Miami (I don't do the dance scene any longer, you will have to let me know if this one's a real winner).

BEST SOFLA FESTIVAL - Coconut Grove Arts Festival is held each year in Coconut Grove in February.  This is a great local event and would encourage everyone to go, the atmosphere can not be duplicated.

BEST ART GALLERY - Britto Central (I love Britto and everything he stands for, I was really glad to see him in the Hot List).

BEST PLACE FOR A DATE AND BEST CELEBRITY SIGHTING SPOT - Lincoln Road in Miami Beach (anyone coming to visit Miami Beach cannot miss Lincoln Road - you can go at night in the day, on the weekend...it is always a happening place.)

BEST SPA - Doral Resort and Spa is located at 4400 NW 87th Avenue in Doral.  <sigh> (that's all I can say....it's an amazing place to get pampered.)

BEST LOCAL SHOPPING DESTINATION - Aventura Mall is located at 19501 Biscayne Blvd. in Aventura. (this is my shopping grounds....so move over).

So there you have them...some of Miami HOTTEST, directly from THE HOT LIST!

Some of you have commented about "Miami's safety" and it is a subject I would have never come up with on my own.  I remember living in Tallahasse, Florida my first year of college and people asking me with a look of shock and surprise "You are from Miami?  Wow, that must be scary!", or "The furthest South I have been in Florida has been Orlando, I would never go to Miami".

We even had a customer call us from our website, looking for waterfront property with Marina for his 60' yacht ask us if the buildings we were recommending were in a "safe neighborhood". (oh...with 60' slips you're safe.....you really need to worry about those prime waterfront condos with slips 40' and under).

I have to admit that I always found those remarks not only funny, but quite strange.  I used to even think that anyone saying things like that must lead very sheltered lives. 

Here's the scoop.  Like any major Metropolitan city, there is crime.  I've lived in Miami for 26 years and have never been held at gun point (THANK GOD FOR THAT), have never seen a gun pointed at anyone (AGAIN...THAT'S GOOD NEWS), and have never been in a hostage situation (THAT'S A RELIEF!).

We have such a bad reputation because of all those Miami TV shows and movies- Miami Vice, CSI Miami, Bad Boys, Scarface....(you get the picture....well the wrong one at that).

My kids play out in front of our house, they even walk to the recreation fields and to the boardwalk by themselves.  I have left my car open overnight and woke up to find it untouched, I have even slept with my front door unlocked and nothing has happened.  The Miami Shores Police Department is fantastic, with a quick response time and regular patrolling.  The same can be said about many other areas in Miami.

With a big city comes some responsible crime prevention that small towns might not even consider.  A lot of homes have alarms; when leaving a mall or shopping center it is smart to walk out with keys in hand instead of rummaging through a purse while talking on your cell phone.  Leaving an unlocked car with the keys in the ignition while stopping to buy milk in a convenience store is not a good idea.  Making sure the suited valet parker taking your keys in front of a restaurant is really a "valet" (don't laugh, that happened to some friends of ours).  Don't forget to check out visitor safety tips on the Dade-County website.  But most importantly, common sense and awareness are key to staying safe.

So there you go, a glimpse of Miami's safety.  On a serious note, it's always good to contact the local police department and ask them for crime rates per capita...one thing I LOVE to do is chat with the local postal workers, they know the ins and outs of all communities.

If you have any questions about Miami in general, please contact RICK & INES or visit http://www.YourPropertyPros.com

www.miamism.com

Ardell DellaLoggia  who I admire a great deal, had no idea that I was an architect and asked how I incorporate my architecture background into our Real Estate Business.  So here it is Ardell, thanks for asking:

I graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Miami, and hence all the Hurricane stuff you see me with.  I worked with a couple of big firms both locally and abroad and then started my own architecture firm doing additions and remodelings in Miami Shores.  I did several projects, including the design of the Brockway Memorial Library addition in Miami Shores, and always helped friends visualize the potential of homes before buying them.

That's when the vision of my business was born.  If so many of my own friends had benefited from my architectural consulting services prior to purchasing a home, wouldn't it be ideal if I had a Real Estate License and offer those same services to potential customers? (the answer was a really LOUD YES!!!)

As a buyer, when working with me, you will gain from having free architectural consulting at your fingertips.  Finding the "perfect home" is no easy task, properties will need some work and some changes most of the time.  Whether it is to open a kitchen out to a family room or to "formalize" a dining room, or to add a Master Suite to a property,   I will sit down with you and help identify your needs. I will then sketch out numerous schematics and will come up with a conceptual plan.  Having worked in the field and built additions, I will be able to estimate the cost of construction and will then lead you to an architect or design professional that can finalize the plans.

I will also assist buyers with other design consulting aspects like materials and color selection as well as furniture arrangement.  My enthusiasm is endless when it comes to design.

As a seller, the advantages are endless.  I will ask that you acquire floor plans of your properties (most cities will have floor plans and are easy to order); I will have those floor plans ready to show any prospective buyers.  I will also help you identify any weaknesses in the current design of your property and will accentuate all the positive features. 

I will help sellers stage their properties with a very detailed list of suggestions that is customized to each property.  I will even help you hire the right construction professionals to prepare your home for showings (like floor refinishers, carpenters, painters, etc.).  A lot of our customers are absentee owners and we take care of the coordination of these jobs for them.

Having a passion for architecture and for helping people visualize the potential of a property is what makes my job so much fun.  My customers will tell you how I light up when I see a good space (they will also tell you what my reaction is when I visit "butchered homes"), how I will go out of my way to make their dream a reality within their financial parameters.  I am an architect by profession, but a Realtor by trade, the combination of these is what we offer to our customers in unmatched service.

For more information about RICK & INES and their services, please visit www.YourPropertyPRos.com  www.Miamism.com

Part I of this series listed the diferent blog formats as identified by Amy Gahran in Paul Chaney's book, Realty Blogging.

As an exercise for Project Blogger, Paul asked me to write a post with each format with the idea that I would feel comfortable with each and identify my weakness (I'm not sure if that was the goal, maybe Paul should answer that).  I will now go into detail about each format and explain the benefits as well as how I feel about each.

LINK-ONLY -  (my examples: Historic Home Niche and Outside Active Rain drops) - the idea with this format is just writing a list of links that your reader will benefit from.  It helps to identify your audience and know what information may be useful for them.  Paul guided me to 2 different blogs for examples:  Hanan Levin's Grow-a-Brain blog and Steve Rubel's Micro Persuasion. 

I had never done a link-only blog and found it to be a great tool especially when trying to keep content local in nature.  I plan to do link-only blogs for different areas I work in the Miami Area including Chamber of Commerce, Activities, Police Department......I think you get the idea.  Mariana Wagner, who thinks a LOT like me at times, just wrote a link-only post with that concept - Colorado Springs "Must Have" Links.

One thing to remember is that you should try to keep the subject of your blog pretty uniform - don't start going crazy and add links on all kinds of subjects that have nothing to do with each other - the more uniform the general subject of your blog, the better.

LINK-BLURB - (my example: Miami's Romero Britto) - This format fit my style a little more than link-only because it allows for some commentary, usually longer than a sentence or two.  Creating lists of links that are relevant to your community creates a blog that is, according to Realty Blogging, "sticky... one that visitors will come back to again and again".  A blog Paul told me to look at was Jim Duncan's  RealCentralVa.

I think we can all agree that this is a common format used here in Active Rain.

BRIEF-REMARK - (my example: Project Blogger in my wildest dreams) - the point of this format is to write an article that is only one to 3 short paragraphs long - a post that becomes an announcement, an observation, a question or even a joke.  Paul explained that people like shorter posts and guided me to LUXIST.COM

I have to admit that I had a real problem with this format - although my preference is shorter articles, writing a post this short felt like a cop-out to me, like I was being lazy and not doing my job.  How wrong I was!!!  This is a great tool and will start implementing this format more often, especially when finding a relevant article that I want to share.

LIST-FORMAT -(my examples: 10 tips for writing good Real Estate descriptions and  Why isn't my house selling?)  This format is a lot of fun and takes some creativity, it can be the famous "10 top reasons" or "things you should never.....".  Our own Mary McKnight is famous for these lists and Teresa Boardman recently wrote a great post which everyone should read  10 things to avoid on your business blog.

Although this format is fun, I had difficulty coming up with material for this.  One thing is for you to come up with a topic for a post and to feel inspired and something very different is for someone to say, write a list-format post right now.....my creative juices were on overdrive!

LONG ARTICLE - (my example: Historic Preservation in Miami Shores - Mediterranean Revival architecture).  This is the most formal of all formats, it's more like an essay and it's obviously the most difficult to write  and the tone is less conversational. 

To me, this format was the biggest challenge for many reasons.  When I read blogs, I don't like reading long posts, my time is usually limited and my attention spam is very short.  For that same reason, I don't like writing long posts.  Paul Chaney always talks about people scanning blogs and how formatting, arrangements and spacing is so important.  But putting the length aside, I will quote my coach and mentor "While I know that wasn't fun to write, it is very informative. That's the kind of post that tells me this Realtor knows her business."  Knowing this, I feel it is important to include a few long articles in your repertoire.

SERIES POSTINGS - (my example: Blog formats - PART I and this post you are reading now).  When the subject of the post starts getting lengthy, it is a good idea to divide the article into different parts, we also see a lot of these here in Active Rain.  You can also separate posts into categories for example - children's activities in your community vs. adult activities.  Schools - elementary, middle, high school and colleges (the sky is the limit!).In the book, David Smith's posts on the future of New Orleans after Katrina, are used as examples of series postings.

I have used this format many times and it's fun to reference even comments on the first parts of the post.  Doing these types of posts, in my opinion, cuts the length of the subject and captures your reader's attention.  The challenge is in how to transition one post to the other - and the only way to get it right is to look at how other bloggers go about this and practicing!.

This exercise was extremely helpful to me.  Go ahead and try out different formats, a lot of you mentioned that you were winging it and there's nothing wrong with that, but you will identify your strong and weak points and will be able to capitalize on them.  This post turned out to be a combination of many of the formats, I think combining a few is not a bad idea, but would like to know what Paul Chaney has to say about this.  What say you Paul?

Please check out Blog Formats - Part I

Nick M. has demonstrated to be a SUPER COOL GUY with a great sense of humor. We all remember his post entitled Everything I ever learned about Real Estate, I learned from Surfing. , or how about How to become a Real Estate Appraiser in South Florida ?  His comments are always welcome because they are so much fun.

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of seeing Nick in action.  It was a cloudy day here in Miami, but we decided to go out water skiing anyway and had a blast.  He brought a surf board and showed us some moves (TG I had my little camera to document the event).

Is that the coolest!!!  You know what they say, "behind every successfull man is a great woman" -- well...I found that to be the case.  Nick's wife, "The social worker", is pretty, witty and a pleasure to be with.  We had instant rapport and hope this becomes a habit, although I do think he was a little scared of my 3 kids!  : )

**EDIT**Nick made me do this!

I could not end this post without showing you my favorite part of the day - make sure you play this video over and over so you get a good laugh......sorry Nick......I HAD TO DO IT!!!

As many of you know, one of my assignments for Project Blogger, from coach extraordinaire, Paul Chaney, was to write one or 2 posts using the different formats outlined in his book, Realty Blogging.

At the beginning of the assignment, Paul wrote about each format in detail and gave credit to Amy Gahran, for identifying these.

I have to confess that when reading about the formats, I found the information very helpful, but actually forcing myself to write in each particular format taught me a lesson, (actually a couple).  The first lesson  is that there are some formats that may not come to you easily, but they are useful and may convey a concept better.  The second lesson I learned is that you may be more prone to writing in a particular way because you feel comfortable with it, but readers may prefer reading other types of formats which makes it crucial to expand your horizons.

Here's a list of the different posts written for this exercise using the different formats:

• LINK-ONLY -  Historic Home Niche and Outside Active Rain drops 
• LINK-BLURB - Miami's Romero Britto 
• BRIEF-REMARK - Project Blogger in my wildest dreams
• SHORT ARTICLE - How to register your customers and show absolute insecurity
• LIST-FORMAT - 10 tips for writing good Real Estate descriptions and  Why isn't my house selling?
• LONG ARTICLE - Historic Preservation in Miami Shores - Mediterranean Revival architecture  
• SERIES POSTINGS - Blog formats - PART I and Blog Formats - Part II

I urge everyone to try out the different formats, I know a few of you already started like Mariana Wagner and Ann Cummings(my dear "ladies of the rain" buddies).  I will warn you.....You will feel stretched, you will feel challenged, you may even feel uncomfortable.... but that's the whole idea, to become better bloggers and reach our blogging goals.

Please look forward to PART II of this series which will detail how I feel about each format and how each challenged me in a different way.

A few years ago, while a board member of the Miami Shores Historic Preservation Board, I created, with the help of other board members, an educational brochure for our community.  The brochure included the image shown as well as a brief history of Miami Shores and its development back in the 1920's.

The style popular in South Florida in the 1920's is now called "Mediterranean Revival" which was influenced by the architecture of the countries bordering the Mediterranean coast, namely Spain, France, Italy and North Africa.  Historic architecture in Miami Shores is comprised of mostly Mediterranean Revival homes and we thought it would be valuable for home owners to be able to identify different elements, learn about them and hopefully inspire them into renovating and restoring our historic core.  This same style of architecture can be seen in other historic districts in South Florida like Morningside, Coral Gables, Miami Springs, Historic Bayside and Coconut Grove.

The exterior identifying featuresof these fabulous old houses are shown in the illustration:   Historic Cuban Clay Barrel Tile, Cornice Details, Lime Based Paint, arched windows, decorative columns, wood casement windows, balustrated balconies, decorative or structural ornamental brackets, decorative ventilation grids, rough textured stucco walls, low pitched multiple gabled roofs, chimney, and awnings. 

Please understand that not all homes have all these features, but we picked a home in Miami Shores that displayed all of these.  It is also important to understand that proportion and the manner in which these elements were used is what makes these properties so breathtaking.

Interior floor plans are mostly informal and asymmetrical in arrangement.  Arched openings separate main rooms or areas.  Ceilings have exposed beams and rafters, some carved, and others painted.  Plaster walls have a rough texture. 

Over the years many of these homes have undergone alterations to both the exterior and the interior.  Yet, despite these changes their distinctive character makes them stand out from those of more recent construction.  These historic homes make our Miami Shores Village unique.

The restoration of a historic property should be done with a lot of care, patience as well as knowledge.  It takes some people years to restore their home to perfection, but the effort is well worth it.  Educating yourself about the features should be an important part of the process.  Restorations should be consistent with The Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.  Such standards include examples of correct and incorrect repairs and replacement of roofs, windows, materials and other features.

When restoring a historic home, some people start with windows- I urge all historic home owners to try to get the original floor plans of their home in order to study the proportion of the openings,  to see the type of windows originally installed, their vertical nature and the materials.  It would not be historically appropriate to install a colonial window in a Mediterranean Revival home.  One controversial topic is replacing wood windows with more modern, metal clad ones.  In my opinion, replacement with a better constructed, more durable insolated window is acceptable as long as the opening remains the same, as well as the type of window and proportion of lights and muntins.

The same applies to other features and basic knowledge is crucial.  For example, you should never install arched awnings over rectangular openings; never replace decorative ornamental metals with different materials like concrete balustrades, always repair decorative and structural columns with the same or similar order; exterior and interior plaster should be matched to look like original.   There are numerous details that should not be overlooked and minor details is what makes the final product.

Here are some sketches I did of historic homes in Miami Shores.

After reading this article you may be wondering, How does this apply to buying or selling real estate?  The answer is simple.  When planning to buy or sell a historically relevant home, you should work with a real estate agent that is not only sensitive to historic preservation issues, but someone that understands historic architecture, from materials to features to minor details. 

For more information about Miami Shores, please contact RICK & INES at 305.758.2323 and visit our website at www.YourPropertyPros.com

Here in Miami Shores I get asked this question a lot?  Why aren't houses selling? Well....Today Rick came up with this great article in MSN Money called 6 Reasons Houses Don't Sell by Bankrate.com. (yes, it was Rick...no chuckles please). Make sure you read the article, our own Lenn Harley was quoted! 

The 6 Reasons Houses Don't Sell, according to Bankrate.com are:

1.  Your home is overpriced

2.  Your home doesn't "show" well

3.  You're in a bad location

4.  You have a lousy listing agent (I thought this one was a little harsh but really Laughed!)

5.  You are battling competition or market conditions

6.  You have ineffective marketing

All sellers should be looking at this article, it is clear and to the point and will help you understand some real estate adversities.  The reason your home is not selling could be one or a combination of any of these.  There are some that cannot be remedied like location, but the rest are within your control.

For more Miami Shores Real Estate tips and information, please visit RICK & INES at www.YourPropertyPros.com

I have compiled a list of tips to write good descriptions for real estate properties.  Please feel free to add to the list.

1.  Don't over-describe the property - you will only disappoint customers when they come face to face with realily. (Creating false expectations is the worst thing you could do for the property).

2.  Don't under-describe the property - in this case "less is not more," leaving it up to the imagination is not a good strategy.

3.  Be honest - builds confidence and attracts customers.

4.  Avoid discriminatory "buzz words" - (The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to advertise any preference or limitation or encourage discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familiar status) - avoid words like:  "perfect for family", "no children", "Christian", "close to Temples".....etc.

5.  Avoid trivial and redundant phrases like:  "priced to sell" (DUH), "priced reasonably" (as opposed to what?) "modern improvements" (you mean like electricity and running water?), "nice" (please think of a better adjective).

6.  Use words that trigger action: You, Proven, Quality, Prestige, Practical, Reputable, Last Chance, Don't wait.

7.  Use known brand names - Sub-zero, Viking, Miele, Marvin windows, (known designers are also a good idea).

8.  Look for appeal of property - go back to the basics and ask the seller what attracted them to the property when they purchased it, include a few key amenities that communicate benefits.

9.  Use a catchy headline - "Not just a place to live", "Ultra chic", "Buy a lifestyle", "This is it!", "One of a kind", "Your private escape", "Begs fro loving attention", "Solves all your closet problems."

10.  Target your audience - remember that you must communicate the benefits that will appeal to the buyer's needs, not the needs of the whole market (think like a buyer!).

Sometimes it is easier said than done and it takes some practice to get it right, but good descriptions are key to getting properties sold.