Have you ever been in a restaurant and your waiter or waitress was serving you and they had nasty  finger nails or they smelled like they have not had a shower or bath? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Nasty.  How come they are not clean?  Are they lazy or just do not care? When I see this I just excuse myself and do not eat there.  I tell them this before any food is  ordered of course. Any thoughts on this folks? Any one have any similar experience and what have you done? 09/18/2011

Coral Gables real estate is rebounding with at least seven new luxury apartment and office buildings being developed around the downtown core.  Many projects proposed during the housing boom in the last decade were put on hold when the economy slowed and the fact that construction is beginning in Coral Gables is a sign that a rebound has begun. Developers and lenders have invested a quarter-billion dollars in financing toward these projects that are either under construction or scheduled to break ground soon.  Over the next three years, more than two million square feet of new space will occupy locations around Ponce De Leon Boulevard.  These new projects could bring up to 1,000 new residential units and dozens of new businesses and restaurants to the area. The affluent population proxi... 08/18/2011

Miami-Dade County Florida Home Buyer Assistance Program Process and Time Line 1.  County sponsored home buyer education class is required. 2.  Home buyer is APPROVED and signs contract for home. 3.  Lender sends Reservation Form with contact to county. 4.  With-in 5 days, home is inspected by county staff. 5.  If necessary, lead based paint assessment is completed. 6.  Lender sends loan package to county. IF NO REPAIRS ARE NECESSARY...... 7.  County approves application package. 8.  County contracted appraiser completes appraisal. 9.  Home buyer meets with home buyer counselor. 10. Mortgage package e-mailed to title company. 11. Home buyer assistance check is released by county after HUD 1 is approved. 12. Closing occurs at the offices of the title company. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE V... 06/06/2011

CORAL GABLES HOTELS, MOTELS & RESORTS FOR SALE IN CORAL GABLES, FL.PLEASE INQUIRE FOR CURRENT STATUS!Contact Kate or Vick,Your Hotel, Motel & Resort Specialist(407)230-7807 / (407)865-2840InvestmentAcquisitions@gmail.com PLEASE CALL FOR CURRENT & UPDATED INFORMATION ON WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN Coral Gables.Are you looking looking for Hotels, Motels & Resorts to add to your local or Global investment portfolio?   We can represent you in acquistion of any  hotel, motel & resort property in the U.S.Bankrupt Properties / Bank Managed Properties / Regular Sale/ Broken Asset.Proper representation is paramount during the procurement process. Contact a specialist familiar with the fundamental knowledge of the hotel / motel / resort world.The foundation of our asset acquisition procurements is the d... 04/26/2011

Are you interested in Buying real estate in Coral Gables, Florida? Have you considered the development called Cocoplum. You can find very nice deals in Cocoplum. This is your chance to make purchase at a fantastic low price. The real estate market in 2005 - 2006 took a dive and it has taken 4 years to stabilize. In many developments / communities in Coral Gables prices at record lows, in some cases lower than what they have been for 10 - 15 years ago.     If you need mortgage to purchase your property in Cocoplum, then you first step is contact your local Florida bank. It is much easier to obtain a mortgage of a single family home verses a condo. If you are in the market for a condo, then your lender needs to check which are the developments that are approved for Fannie Mae or FHA finan... 02/01/2011

This is a story about a Reverse Mortgage in Coral Gables, Miami, Florida… Many believe that the Reverse Mortgage is for the poor, desperate, or those on the verge of foreclosure.  My grandfather feels the same way, but after years of explanation and my Aunt Uncle, and I offering our support my grandparents used the Reverse Mortgage for themselves.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about the program.  This blog is not about the program and how it works; rather it’s about different clients of mine who have closed using the program and why they did it.   I March of 2010 a prospective client, whose home is in Coral Gables, contacted me via the internet.  He didn’t give me a phone number to call, instead he left his address and fax number.  Many people do things ... 01/26/2011

Cocoplum Real Estate News-Recap 2010 For single family homes in Cocoplum here are the 2010 statistics, newsworthy sales and current listings for sale there. In Cocoplum, there were 24 closed sales in 2010 of which 8 were waterfront properties. The average sale price was $2,221,146, or $365 per square foot. They sold on average for 85% of the list price in 234 days (average days on market). The highest sale was for $4,500,000 located at 7901 Los Pinos BL, which was $399 per square foot and occurred on July 1, 2010. Five houses on Cocoplum are currently in contract or pending sale. With 37 homes currently available for sale, the current absorption rate is about 19 months to sell all of the current inventory. Right now, the least expensive home for sale in Cocoplum is for $1,300,000 locat... 01/14/2011

  Coral Gables Real Estate News-Recap of 2010 For single family homes in Coral Gables, here are the 2010 statistics, newsworthy sales and listings for sale there. In Coral Gables, there were 397 closed sales in 2010 of which 54 were waterfront properties. The average sale price was $982,029, or $1,106 per square foot. They sold on average for 91% of the list price in 151 days (average days on market). The highest sale was for $14,100,0000 located at 158 Prospect DR, which was $470 per square foot and occurred on March 30, 2010. The lowest sale was for $63,500 located at 212 Grant DR, which was $47 per square foot and occurred on April 16, 2010. 72 houses on Coral Gables are currently in contract or pending sale. With 416 homes currently available for sale, the current absorption rate is... 01/13/2011

  Gables Estates Real Estate News-Recap of 2010 For single family homes in Gables Estates, here are the 2010 statistics, newsworthy sales and listings for sale there. In Gables Estates, there were 4 closed sales in 2010 of which 3 were waterfront properties. The average sale price was $4,488,750, or $523 per square foot. They sold on average for 80% of the list price in 161 days (average days on market). The highest sale was for $10,500,000 located at 500 Arvida PW, which was $618 per square foot and occurred on August 6, 2010. The lowest sale was for $250,000 located at 8880 SW 11 ST, which was $116 per square foot and occurred on July 30, 2010. One house in Gables Estates is currently in contract or pending sale. With 11 homes currently available for sale, the current absorption rate ... 01/13/2011

Cocoplum is an great community to live in. You can take advantage of the low real estate prices in Coral Gables and find a super deal right now. How can you get access to these buying opportunities? The first step is to educate yourself. You can consult with a local realtor. Our agents at Interinvestments Realty  can assist you.   If you need a mortgage to buy your home in Cocoplum, then you should contact a local mortgage professional. There are a few mortgage brokers or banks locally in Cocoplum that know the area and properties. Real Estate is a local business. We recommend that you work with professionals that are doing transactions in Coral Gables. They know the area.   We are delighted to start researching what are the best options for you in Coral Gables. Consult with one of our ... 12/28/2010

Are you interested in purchasing real estate in Cocoplum? There are great looking properties at very attractive prices. Buying real estate today is much better that it was in 2005 or 2006! You have the time to pick and choose... Coral Gables is offering wonderful communities for you to consider and Cocoplum is one of them.   If you need a mortgage to buy your home in Cocoplum, then you should contact a local mortgage professional. There are a few mortgage brokers or banks locally in Cocoplum that know the area and properties. Real Estate is a local business. We recommend that you work with professionals that are doing transactions in Coral Gables. They know the area.   You can start searching today to find the home of your dreams in Coral Gables can be very easy, visit our company websi... 12/13/2010

The Reverse Mortgage Counseling has become more in depth and complex, but this is better for the borrower.  In the past, the Reverse Mortgage’s mandatory FHA Counseling was nothing more than the person spending 30 to 45 minutes explaining how the program works.  This never told the counselor if the borrower actually knew what they were getting into.   I am glad this change came about, because unlike me, there were (and are) many unscrupulous Mortgage Lenders out there who will say as little as possible and take advantage of people.  I always explain every document in the application.  The funny thing is, I don’t feel comfortable just having the clients sign away.  Instead, I prefer to at the very least summarize the disclosure or document they are signing.   The new counseling explains ... 11/25/2010

The area in Coral Gables that is located west of US1 is much larger than the area east of US1 so it is not surprising that there are more home sales in the west.  So far this year there have been 212 homes to sell west of US1 and only 125 to sell east of US1.   The average list price of a home west of US1 is $958,000 while the average list price of a home east of US1 in Coral Gables is $3,503,000.  The drastic difference in price can be attributed to all of the waterfront properties on the east side, as well as the gated communities (Snapper Creek, Cocoplum, Gables Estates, Journey's End etc.) that are located east of US1.  Another interesting figure is the average selling price per square foot in the two areas.  The average selling price per square foot for a home west of US1 is $212.... 11/19/2010

For many years, realtors main focus was on the client pertaining to the home they are helping a client buy and sell. However, things have changed a great deal since those simple relationships. Economic conditions and new techonology is transforming the realtor-client relationship, for the good and the bad. Realtors nowadays need not only find the best homes for the best price for their buyers, and list a clients home at the optimal price in relation to it's market value in these conditions, but they must provide counsel to their buyer on improving their credit score and encourage them to put as much money down initially as they can. We have learned from past mistakes that if you cannot afford a home, don't jump into it feet first hoping that you win the lotto or you get a huge raise. Th... 11/17/2010

International buyers make up almost all of the condo and house sales in Florida, especially in Miami. Why not tap into these usually untouched resources? Firs things first, learn Spanish! Many realtors do, but for those who don't speak it (including myself unfortunately) learning to communicate with these potential clients is key. In addition, these potential buyers are looking online for all of this information, so if you are not online get on it!  Global real estate is the future of the industry. Knowing how to communicate with these clients in addition to speaking their language is so important- knowing how they do real estate in their country and how they do business in general helps tremendously.  11/12/2010

It may not be a glorious triumph over this bad economy, but its a start! According to FloridaRealtors.org, existing condo sales in Florida rose by 15% in the third quarter. This is great news for those still waiting to sell their condo, as they may see this as a good chance that the condo they have had on the market for over a year might be close to being sold. However, as with all good things there sometimes comes the bad. The price of these condos actually dropped since 2009 by 21%. In 2009 condos selling for $106,000 now sell for $84,000. But alas, we should always look on the bright side. Closing more sales leads to better market conditions, happy sellers, happy buyers (really happy buyers!), and a happy realtor. It is best not to dwell on the negatives because although the market i... 11/11/2010

IPhone fans are waiting for the launch with Verizon Wireless as a second choice for carriers other than the exclusivity of AT&T. While there are not too many details on the matter such as specific release date, price tag or monthly plans, the one thing that is certain is that the Iphone would arrive at Verizon too next year. Tthe deal was already confirmed, even if nothing went official until now. It appears that Verizon might have had the chance to carry the Iphone ever since day one, but it turned down Apple because of Mac maker's tight policy on its iconic device.Verizon turned down the offer mainly because “Apple and CEO Steve Jobs wanted too much control over how and where the devices would be sold - and too big a cut of the monthly service fees.However, following the release of th... 10/29/2010

This weekend was the 2nd Annual Edible Garden Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden which was sponsored by Whole Foods (which is my favorite place to shop). There was a terrific Scarecrow Contest. Here are some of the scarecrows featured!                                             This Festival is a celebration of the delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs grown in our homes and community gardens throughout South Florida. As I blogged about in Organic Gardening in Palmetto Bay, our growing season is now upon us and we have many opportunities to buy local fruits and veggies as well through our Farmer's Markets. Chef Norman Van Aken and his wife and son Justin were preparing foods for us!                                              I am finding that gardening in my backyard give... 10/24/2010

Sometimes by heading outside your search area a little bit you may find a home that perfectly suits your needs.  Deering Bay is further south than other Coral Gables communities however their estate homes are worth viewing if you haven't been able to find new construction in the $1,500,000 to $2,500,000 range elsewhere.   The estate homes in Deering Bay have great amentities such as a manned 24 hour guard gate, beach access, golf and bay views, tennis courts, Arnold Palmer golf course, fitness center, dock spaces plus much more.  There are maintenance fees that apply.  To view a list of single family homes in Deering Bay Estates please click here. If you are interested in buying, selling, building or renting and are looking for a real estate agent who specializes in Coral Gables, pleas... 10/13/2010

President Obama visited Alonzo Mourning's house (photo above) last night in Gables Estates for a fundraising event   If you were out on the roads yesterday you probably got stuck in some the traffic closures.    Mourning purchased the property in November of 2005 for $12,700,000 and he recently placed it on the market for $14,500,000.   His home features over 13,000 square feet of living space on a 35,000 square foot lot with 8 bedrooms, 8 baths and breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay.   The home is listed by Coldwell Banker. If you are interested in buying, selling, building or renting in Coral Gables and are looking for a real estate agent who specializes in the area, please feel free to contact me at 305.342.1623 or send me a note here. To view this post in its original form, click h... 10/12/2010