Miami Real Estate Blog

For those of you who have an outside blog or who visit the real blogosphere, you may have noticed that guest blogging is pretty popular.  There are many reasons to invite someone to appear as a guest in your blog, but mainly it has to do with getting a different perspective for your readers.

If you are a Realtor, it may benefit you to have a mortgage broker, a stager, an appraiser or any other real estate service provider write an article in your blog in order to give your readers a complete perspective of our industry.  You can also invite another Realtor in order to reinforce a topic or simply to get their point of view.

I love to see Brian Brady making guest appearances in Laurie Manny's blog, with that she is able to give great mortgage expertise to her customers, and he is able to go in depth into the loan industry in a way that complements her blog. 

I had the pleasure of having my first guest blogger in Miamism.com and as much as I can try to describe my excitement, all I can say is that it is similar to the feeling a little kid gets when they put on a new pair of shoes for the first time. ( I hope you get that analogy, because if you don't...the point I am trying to make goes right out the window).

So I really, really thank my guest blogger for making an appearance and I hope she comes back again!  If you are at least a little bit curious, you will have to check out THE GUEST POST for yourself!  : ) Here's a hint: she has a great sense of humor, a great writing style, and a ficticious husband like me....and you may even hear a faint <flap, flap> when she is around.

I've been meaning to tell you about Scorch, one of our favorite restaurants, for some time now because it is definitely worth the visit.  We actually come here on a regular basis not only because the food is superb, but because we love the atmosphere and the owners are awesome (and they are always there to greet you).

The story of Scorch is not an easy one because the place opened in 2004 in a location where several restaurants had gone belly up.  How do you break the curse of a place that is just bad for business??  Well......I guess it wasn't that hard for Tony Puche and Luis Vargas; by serving great food and providing a beautiful and friendly atmosphere, they have come up with an incredible restaurant that people love to come back to.  Here's a picture of Rick with Tony Puche.

How did Scorch make it past the curse?  They remodeled, they added landscaping and outside eating (with a lot of grief from the city, I may add),  a lot of love, great service, good food and BAM!  AWESOME PLACE!  Let me share Tony's and Luis' vision with you, and that should say it all:

"The owners of Scorch Grillhouse|Wine Bar's vision is to create a casual environment that provides homestyle dishes from scratch using the highest quality and freshest ingredients. Their goal is to make everyone that comes to Scorch feel that they can have a great meal in a warm and relaxing environment without breaking their budget".

Our favorite dish is the Scorch Steak - which is exquisitely seasoned, always cooked perfectly, and served with your choice of side dish (we like their sweet potato fries).  They also bring fresh bread to the table and they have a sign inside the restaurant that reads "Conserve water, drink wine" which makes us smile every time we go.  The Pork Tenderloin and the Seafood Pasta are also delicious and the garlic mashed potatoes are .....hmmm.....I think I better stop because my mouth is watering and I am getting hungry.

Scorch is located in North Miami Beach at 13750 Biscayne Boulevard, next to Dairy Queen.  And their telephone number is (305) 949-5588

Go check it out and come back and tell us how you liked it!

This article also appears at Miamism.com

I know Project Blogger is over, although the voting is not (don't forget to vote).....and yes that is shameless self promotion (as Jay would put it). But I promised some people that I would post about this subject because it was one of the most useful coaching sessions I had with Paul. (take a look at his original article - What To Do When the Well Runs Dry)

We've all been there; we sit in front of our computer screens twiddling our thumbs and have no idea what to write about. Our minds are blank and we don't know what to do. Even Active Rain's own TLW has gone through this.

So what to do?

Paul compares this process to pump priming - as much as I like the analogy, we'll have to ask him to define that one because I am a city girl and have never even seen one of those - ok, ok maybe once. The concept is that you need to prime the pump several times before any water comes out, or better yet, put water into the pump to prime it, so here's how:

• occasionally take time off blogging - AFK (away from keyboard)

• read other blogs

• see the world with blog colored glasses (I loved that one) - you know the time you are doing something and a little bell goes off inside your head and you think "I can blog about that!" - the most trivial subjects usually make the best posts.

• blogging is a craft - you need to practice to get better - sit down and start writing and it will come to you.

• Posting schedule - I know this may seem weird, but setting a schedule on what types of posts to write may really help you:
  

- Monday it may be Real Estate related, Tuesday community related, Friday about real estate news - (having a schedule stimulates thinking - you don't need to stick to it, but the guidelines may help you with research and it also helps to mix up the subjects)

• set aside a designated time to blog - just as you go to the gym or do routine tasks - you can even write posts ahead of time and time stamp them (Active Rain does not have this feature yet.....HINT HINT)

• Read news, Inman, Google (I personally get a kick out of Perez Hilton....would that be considered news?)

• Paul even mentioned that Active Rain acts like a pump because of all the comments and involvement. You have to admit that by reading other blogs and comments you may feel inspired (don't forget to give credit to the inspiration!).

• And lastly - a list of blogs about writer's block with some great ideas! (I don't even know why most of these are member's only...go figure)

- Jason Price's Writer's Block Contest #2: Favorite Hang Outs (A Localism Post)

- Sarah Cooper's Writer's Block? Noooooo!! and No Writer's Block Allowed Here!

- Barry Hurd's Writing Tips: I’ve got Writer’s Block, Now What?

- Ann Cummings' OK, I Admit It - I Need HELP!!!

- Justin Smith's Blogging Ideas — How to Start a Local Real Estate Blog #7

- Colleen Kullikowski's Active Rain Fruit Challenge

- Rich Jacobson's "Have You ever Lost Your Voice?"

***NOTE: If all else fails.....write about having WRITER'S BLOCK!! ***

Everyone knows Miami is a great vacation spot.  You have beaches, you have entertainment, you have great hotels and shopping, and you can't forget dining!  But the question here is, Where do Miamians go on vacation?  The first article to this series, Vacations for Miamians....and others, talks about 3-day cruises taking off from our own Port of Miami. 

Now, I want to tell you about our boating vacation to The Islands of Bimini, Bahamas which are located just under 50 miles East of Miami.  This was our second time going and we crossed the Florida Straits with our dear friends The Rubios.  It's always a good idea to have at least 2 boats just in case you have engine trouble.  There are a couple of places to stay once you are there - small hotels, privately owned homes that can be rented, but we stay at the Bimini Sands which is a condo-hotel with its own private marina.  Your boat sits right outside the beach front condo; it doesn't get any easier than that.

What do you do in Bimini?  Other than pinching yourself to make sure it is not a dream?

You can fish, scuba-dive or just hang out at any of its heavenly beaches. 

People go for just the day to fish, other's stay all summer, we stayed 5 nights and it was just perfect.

Snorkeling is always a favorite in Bimini, from The Sapona Ship Wreck (also known as the concrete ship), to an airplane artificial reef site, to other spots around the islands.

And fishing is THE thing to do.....although I cannot say much about Rick's fishing skills since all he got was the head of a yellow tail, but our friends The Rubios got tons of fish which we enjoyed fresh for dinner...hmm, hmm, hmmm! They are "the fish-masters"!

Enjoy the show!

This article also appears in Miamism.com

This Ultra Modern, Upper East Side Home in Miami will satisfy your hunger for contemporary architecture.

It is located at 696 NE 68th Street - Miami, FL  33138

FOR SALE $995,000 

A custom 3-story home built in 2005 with all the modern amenities and necessities imaginable. The house has a state of the art alarm system with closed-circuit video monitoring – cameras can be seen on the perimeter of the property.

The home’s modern architecture is complimented by the materials and finishes throughout the house. The floors in the ground level are polished concrete, the stair landings are natural wood, and upstairs there are natural fiber sisal rugs throughout. The entrance, terraces and veranda are all natural Keystone. High-end designer fixtures and lamps are also visible throughout.

The spacious eat-in kitchen has an industrial feel to it with stainless steel commercial grade cabinetry and racks which perfectly blend in with the high ceilings of the dining and living areas.

There are French doors throughout that open up to patios, pool area and exterior spaces which were meticulously designed to incorporate the outdoors to the interior. The third floor opens to a private sun deck perfect for the buyer looking to enjoy our South Florida Summer weather.

The house is within walking distance to popular shopping and restaurants in Miami’s Hot Upper East Side.

PROPERTY FEATURES:

•  built in 2005
• 3 bedrooms /3.5 bathrooms
• 2,139 square feet
• 75 X 90 square foot lot
• state of the art alarm system
• closed circuit video monitoring
• polished concrete floors
• sisal carpeting
• Keystone decking in exterior terraces and veranda
• designer fixtures
• Hurricane Impact doors and windows
  

By clicking on "play now", you will see a virtual show and will be able to see additional photographs of the home and other relevant information.

Click on each photo below for information on other properties available by RICK & INES in the surrounding areas or visit our website at www.Miamism.com 

I can't sit here and paint a perfect picture about condo-hotels because it wouldn't be me.  The condo-hotel concept has become a very popular trend mostly because of the incredible vacation and urban destinations as well as the resort-style luxuries that these have to offer, especially when luxury hotel chains back these up. Wouldn't you be prone to investing in a project that includes Marriott, Four Seasons or even Ritz-Carlton?.....that's what I call bringing "credibility" to the closing table.

The concept does have risks for both the developer and the condo buyer and it has to do with the way the actual sales are structured.  Mike Schneider, an Associated Press Writer explains that if units are sold with the expectation that the buyer will earn money or get tax benefits from the purchase, then these would be considered "securities" by the Securities and Exchange Commission and could only be sold by a securities broker, which would mean that the developer would be an easier target for law-suits under the SEC's anti-fraud rules.

Most developers choose not to sell their projects as securities and are thus prohibited from discussing economic or tax benefits from a rental arrangement and no projections on rental income can be discussed. 

This is HUGE to a prospective buyer because you could be buying without getting all the facts. It is crucial that you work with someone that can produce those projections and analyze the numbers so that you know where you stand when in comes to the investment.

Our customers benefit from Rick's accounting background, since he can produce these projections and help customers make educated decisions with complete financial information necessary to purchase condo-hotels.

Look for Part II of this series with expectations from condo-hotel buyers. Same article appears in http://www.miamism.com/

other sources for condo- hotels information:

• Miami, Florida - Ines Hegedus-Garcia - Condo Hotel Craze
• Celebration, Florida - Colleen Kulikowski - Orlando Florida | What is a Condo Hotel?
• The Mortgae To Go Guy - David Podgursky -  Florida Mortgage Loans | Condo-Hotel/Condotel Financing Explained
• Clearwater Beach, Florida - Cyndee Haydon - Clearwater Beach Florida Condo Hotels - growing option in Luxury Vacation Homes and Resort Ownership

We only have a couple of days left of Project Blogger and I could not just let it end without saying good bye.  It's been 14 gruesome weeks of this event and I call them gruesome not because they were unpleasant, but because it was a lot of work!  All of us involved had full-time jobs (and in real estate that means 7 days a week), and had busy personal lives during the competition.

Coaches, apprentices, judges and others went out of their way to give it their all and I have to tell you that looking around at the result is amazing.  Those that had not even blogged before have a great voice, those of us who had blogged but not successfully are starting to see results.  People inside and outside this event have benefited from the whole process and the knowledge shared.  Take a lot at these incredible blogs created as a result of Project Blogger:

• DenverFresh.com
• Living in Plainfield
• Route66Living
• Live in Los Gatos
• The Brick Ranch
• Real Estate Sizzle
• South Beach Real Estate Blog
• and of course my own Miamism

Some have complained about the judging, about the changing criteria, about different degrees of involvement from different apprentices and coaches, but the reality is that Project Blogger is a COMPLETE SUCCESS!  I can speak for me when I say that what I have learned is priceless and if asked to do it again, I would do it without a doubt (maybe a bit differently from the start, but would take it on just the same).

When meeting with Kevin Tomlinson this week for a brief period he said something that stuck to my mind like glue.  He said he had learned in 14 weeks what would have probably taken 1 year!  Talk about information overload!! 

I am extremely and forever grateful to Paul Chaney for picking me to be his apprentice.  I had been contemplating the creation of a blog outside of Active Rain, a hybrid site that would eliminate my boring static site and the competition gave me the push I needed.  I know that all the coaches will still be available to answer any questions and to give advice - it's their nature, it's who and how they are.

I am writing this now because I am going on vacation tomorrow and won't be around to post it on Sunday.  But I thank everyone that was involved - from coaches to apprentices and especially Active Rain for creating such an innovative competition that has helped many.  I really hope there is a Project Blogger II and everyone involved the first time around will have great input on how to make it even better.

and my last words for this competition are.....BLOG ON!

You have read all over the place that we are in a buyer's real estate market.  What exactly does that mean?  It simply means that there is more supply than demand.

If you want to sell a property in a buyer's market it is important to be prepared because you will have a lot of competition. It is a slow market and you must make sure your property is in tip-top showing condition. You have to make sure that your property stands out from the rest and shows better than the rest. This means following every single piece of advice that's out there for getting your home ready for selling, including minor repairs, painting, decluttering, depersonalizing, staging.....you get the picture.

Lately, I have been walking into properties with a problem that goes beyond staging and the regular "home preparation recommendations" - and it's all about the SMELL FACTOR!

I have to tell you that this is a touchy subject; people don't like to be told that their house stinks and they get defensive.

There are tons of reasons why your property may have not so pleasant odors.  Are you a smoker, do you have pets, has there been any type of water intrusion, is there a dead animal in the premises?  Whatever the cause, it has to be addressed.

The first step is to recognize the problem.....much like discovering an addiction.  Then you must identify the source of the problem (if it is a dead animal, remove it; if it's a water leak, repair it; if it's smoking, you may want  to avoid smoking indoors during the selling process).  And finally, there are many suggestions to remove those lingering smells.   ***WARNING:  do not to try to mask odors with other odors, it's a formula for disaster!***

• Energy Star suggestions for Mold, mildew or musty odors
• Mr. Fix-It has solutions from pet to sewer odors
• There's even a Skunk odor eliminator
• Care 2 Greenliving ideas for carpet odors
• Good Housekeeping deodorizing ideas
• Ozone Air Cleaners are a wonderful option - but be aware of EPA warnings

According to Tim Jacob from The UK's Cardiff University, "There are suggestions that smell can influence mood, memory, emotions, mate choice, the immune system and the endocrine system (hormones). We can communicate by smell - without knowing it. In fact the sense of smell could be said to be at the mind-body interface".  So be brave and don't be afraid address the issue, you have the power to influence by the way your house smells.

A little birdie told me (actually e-mailed me.....thanks Dave) that the Sellsius guys, were going to be in Miami on Sunday and Monday so I jumbled my schedule around and gave them a call to see what their plans were.

We agreed to meet near Miami Ink in SoBe (I admit I was a little scared about going into a Tattoo Parlor....but this is Miami.....what the heck!).  Rudy and Joe ended up being the nicest, most down to earth guys and it was such a pleasure to meet them.

For those of you that may not know about Blog Tour USA, Rudy and Joe, the brains behind The Sellsius Real Estate Blog, are interviewing people throughout the US about blogging and real estate.  They have a camera at all times and they not only interview Realtors, but people walking down the street and in this case beach.  They did play the tourist part when we walked on the beach at Ocean Drive and 9th Street; they went straight to the beach to get their feet wet.  What do you think of this great Tourist Shot?

Check them out in action.  A random woman on Ocean Drive who ended up being a Realtor and super nice....she had even heard about my Miamism blog.....ya think?

And just when I thought the day could not get any better, Kevin Tomlinson shows up!  He is such a cutie in person and I gave him a hard time about being afraid of Ardell. 

So Cheers to Sellsius and Blog Tour USA - may your trip continue to be a great success!  (...and wait 'till you see this coming MIAMISM FRIDAYS......Hmmmmm)

Condo-Hotels have become extremely popular in the past couple of years because of many reasons and Miami is full of these type of projects in every price range imaginable.

• Condo Hotels are usually luxury, high-rise properties in incredible and desirable locations.
  
• They are built in great vacation destinations near beaches, casinos, theme parks or golf courses.
  
• They are backed and operated by prestigious hospitality companies like Sonesta, Trump, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and Four Seasons, which makes it desirable for anyone to invest in these type of projects.
  
• They also offer great amenities from full-service spas, fine-dining, resort-style pools and great guest services. Nothing short of a great luxury vacation get away.

I think it is important to know the pros and cons of condo-hotel ownership and will dedicate a series of blog posts to this subject. My first article, Condo Hotel Craze is an introduction to The Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort and gives a brief overview of how condo-hotels work.

The concept of this project is simple:

TRUMP + SONESTA + BEACH RESORT = LUXURIOUS VACATION GET AWAY!

**photos courtesy of www.sonesta.com/SunnyIsles **