Latin Spice – The Hottest Food Festival in Town! Saturday, December 10, 2011  Pinecrest Gardens ~ 11000 SW 57th Avenue, Pinecrest (Miami) Florida   Latin Spice Festival Part 1: Noon - 6:00 p.m. 25 booths featuring delicious Latin Cuisine (Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, etc) Wine and Spirits from Latin America Shop the colorful displays of arts and crafts Enjoy a day of music, dancing and entertainment Play dominos Cigar Rolling Best Dish in Show Competition General admission $5  ~  Children 12 and under free   Latin Spice Part 2: 6:30 p.m. ~ ?  Chino Nuñez Orchestra "In the Spirit of Salsa"    Party On ~ Hot Dancers and Hotter Music ~ Bring Comfortable Shoes!  The evening heats up as Grammy Award Winner, “Chino” Nuñez and his Salsa Band set the state ... 12/06/2011

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions – November 2011 12 homes sold in Pinecrest in November. The lowest closed sale price was $270,299 and the highest was $1,100,000. As of November 30th there were 176 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 32 homes under contract pending sale.   For your Free Market Analysis in Pinecrest ~ give me a call.   12/05/2011

I am frequently asked, "is this property in a flood zone?".  To my surprise, Florida is not one of the top 10 states to file a flood insurance claim! National Flood Insurance Program Statistics: Floods are the #1 most common natural disaster in the United States. Over the past 10 years (2001-2010) the average flood insurance claim paid in the US was nearly $48,000 per year. Over the past 10 years (2001-2010), flood insurance claims averaged just over $2.6 billion. The average flood insurance policy is about $600 per year. People outside of high-risk areas file over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding. The NFIP paid $709 million in flood insurance claims to homeowners, business owners, and renters in 2010.     State:           Total Number of 2010... 11/29/2011

Latin Spice at Pinecrest Gardens  Indulge your appetite for Latin culture at this unique and delicious festival.  Saturday, December 10th Noon – 6:00pm Pinecrest Gardens 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL  Food, music, arts and crafts from Central and South America, Portugal and Spain. This is a one-of-a-kind festival that celebrates all Latin cultures in one extraordinary setting.  Admission $5.00  ~  Children 12 and under free   Then the evening heats up as Grammy Award Winner, “Chino” Nuñez and his Salsa Band set the Banyan Bowl on fire!  Hot Dancers and Hotter Music; this will be one concert that will keep you asking for more – you won’t be able to stay in your seat!  Salsa Dance Show  6:30pm  ~  Concert  8:00pm Tickets $25.00 includes Festival Admission See YOU There! 11/28/2011

Pinecrest Homes for Sale - Three reasons to buy a home in the Village of Pinecrest, FL There are many neighborhoods to choose from in the Miami / South Florida metropolitan area. You have the very popular Coral Gables, South Miami, Brickell, West Miami, The Roads, Bay Point, Miami Beach, Aventura, and Doral. In my opinion though the best neighborhood value in all of Miami is the Village of Pinecrest area. It has a median sale price of $690,000 for the sales from Aug. 2011 to Oct. 2011 as well as an average price per square foot of $223, $5 dollars lower than the nearby and more well known City of Coral Gables. Pinecrest boasts larger lot sizes and larger average house sizes. It also has some of the best schools in the area (refer to my post on the Palmetto school district) as well as p... 11/21/2011

Realtor.com has just published Florida Markets Dominate REALTOR.com Top Ten Turnaround Report.  I am currently working on the Pinecrest Florida year end real estate market report and I see Pinecrest Florida is have another strong real estate sales year.  Year-to-date, only 18% of homes sold in Pinecrest have been short sales or foreclosures.  This is way below Miami-Dade County where 58% of the homes sold year-to-date have been distressed sales. Here is an excerpt of the REALTOR.com report: Though the past four years have seen many cities suffering from large numbers of foreclosures and a loss in home values, ten of these real estate markets are now leading the nation towards a general recovery and stability of the housing sector. Realtor.com’s Top 10 Turnaround Town Report, based on th... 11/21/2011

What a fun and interesting site!  Here at the Realtor.com Community Report site, you enter a primary zip code to view a report, and for comparison, you can enter a second zip code.  You can compare population, education, income, cost of living, crime, climate, etc. Try it…you’ll like it! 11/15/2011

Looking to buy a home in Pinecrest, FL? Buy a home with us and get a 1% buyer rebate at closing! We here at ownpinecrest.com know how tedious and expensive it can be to purchase a home so we are doing our best to facilitate that process by providing world class service in assisting you in finding your dream home as well as looking out for your best interests in doing so. We also like to help our customers out by providing every single buyer that closes on a home with the Ownpinecrest.com a whopping 1% buyer rebate at closing to help out with your closing costs or maybe some new furniture or other house warming gifts.  We can help you find the perfect home for you as well as help you obtain a great loan quickly and efficiently. Do not hesistate to call us or email us with any questions y... 11/13/2011

Homes for sale in the Village of Pinecrest, FL under $500,000 I would like to take a moment to review properties for sale in the village of Pinecrest, Fl that are under $500,000. The median home value in the area is approximately $711,714 and properties on the low end of the price spectrum sometimes get lost in the shuffle with the higher priced listings getting all the attention from their respective listing agents. There is great value in these properties and they may be priced unrealistically low during the current financial crisis with lenders eager to approve very low short sale values and move lender owned REO properties off of their books. Click below to find properties in the Village of Pinecrest under $500,000. Homes for sale in the Village of Pinecrest, FL under $500,000 11/13/2011

Brunch at the Gardens - Sunday Brunch at Pinecrest Gardens - November 20th, 2011 The cool weather has finally arrived in Pinecrest. Now is the time to enjoy and explore the many outdoor events and activities Pinecrest has to offer. One event that should not be missed is the spectacular Pinecrest Garden Sunday Brunch. From an assortment of freshly baked croissants, French bread, and pastries to a craving and omelet station. The brunch is led by Thierry Isambert, owner of Thierry's Catering, who blends multicultural cooking techniques for a perfect breakfast experience. This event will be held on Sunday, November 20th.    Sunday Brunch Menu Select Sundays 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Assortment of Freshly Baked Croissants, Danishes, And Bagels Assorted Home Made Jams, Jellies, Butter and Cream ... 11/12/2011

Corporate Relocations to Miami - Pinecrest: Executive Heaven South Florida is home to many of the world's top corporations and employers and there is constant influx of employees and contractors relocating to the greater Miami metropolitan area. Miami is a great city with lots of great neighborhoods but some stand out from the crowd. In my opinion the Village of Pinecrest is Miami's best value in terms of average size of homes, lot size, affordability, public schools and convinient location. Consider the Village of Pinecrest, FL  if being relocated to Miami area. Pinecrest is a great value for a high end residential community characterized by large lots and outstanding public schools. It is not a city of high rise buildings or congested streets but instead a vibrant but relaxed residen... 11/10/2011

Best Elementary School District in Miami - Palmetto School District - Pinecrest Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, Sunset Elementary Hello Everyone, I would have to agree that the best elementary schools in the area are those in the Palmetto School district located within the  Village of Pinecrest, FL. The top schools are Pinecrest Elementary, Palmetto Elementary and Sunset Elementary. I hear nothing but good things from parents with children enrolled in the schools. I also hear of parents that don't live in the area trying to get their children enrolled by any means necessary, including lying about their address.   A more honest way to take advantage of these great schools is to actually move to the Village of Pinecrest area. It is a wonderful neighborhood conveniently located south of D... 11/10/2011

Pinecrest, FL Short Sales & Foreclosures for Sale Under $500,000 The real estate & financial crisis between 2008-2011 has created an unprecedented amount of foreclosures across Florida and the entire United States. This environment makes it great for buyers to find opportunities to buy great properties at great prices in great neighborhoods around South Florida. The Village of Pinecrest, FL is a fantastic South Florida Neighborhood with great schools, locale, large lot sizes and although it didn't suffer price declines as harshly as other areas, deals still exist and now is definitely the time to buy! Here is a fresh list of short sale and foreclosure listings in the highly sought after Village of Pinecrest, FL Foreclosures Short Sales and REO's in Pinecrest, FL under $500,000 Buy a ho... 11/09/2011

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions – October 2011 12 homes sold in Pinecrest in October. The lowest closed sale price was $280,000 and the highest was $2,000,000. As of October 31st there were 174 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 32 homes under contract pending sale. Contrary to popular belief, and I have the numbers to prove it, Pinecrest real estate does not slow down during the holiday season!  Interest rates are at historic lows, excellent time to put your property on the market.  Call me and let's get together to discuss the pricing and marketing of your property...and let's get it SOLD! 11/09/2011

There are so many wonderful restaurants in Pinecrest Florida!  Pinecrest is a municipality within Miami-Dade County and Miami is a very culturally diverse city; the selection of restaurants in Pinecrest reflects that diversity. I wrote Pinecrest Restaurants on my website to share with you all the restaurants I have been to in Pinecrest and what I have had to eat there.  Most restaurants in Pinecrest are along South Dixie Highway (US 1).  If you have been to a restaurant in Pinecrest, liked it, and think I would also enjoy it, just email me or give me a call – I’m always ready to try a new restaurant! 11/01/2011

10/28/2011

Food Trucks at Pinecrest Gardens  Saturday, October 22nd, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Indulge your appetite for Food Truck Fare in the Gardens Parking Lot under the Banyan Trees. You can choose from 15 of South Florida's very best food trucks, including Kitchen Kabob, Your Mama’s Paella, Ms. Cheesious, Pork Shop, Monster Burger, and Real Chill.  Parking is Free. 10/19/2011

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions – September 2011 15 homes sold in Pinecrest in September. The lowest closed sale price was $332,300 and the highest was $4,000,000. As of September 30th there were 165 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 35 homes under contract pending sale. 10/07/2011

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will be providing a convenient method to renew your driver license, obtain a replacement driver license, change a name or address on a driver license, get an identification card, renew a vehicle registration or purchase a specialty license plate.  To renew an expired or expiring license or obtain a Florida Identification Card you must bring a certified birth certificate or valid passport, Social Security card and two forms of proof of residence e.g. voter registration card, deed or rental receipt.  Fees are based on services.  No appointment necessary.  Pinecrest Community Center 5855 Southwest 111 Street Thursday, September 22 9:30 - 3:00 p.m. For more information please call 305-284-0900 09/20/2011

Pinecrest Gardens will be holding two Volunteer Welcome Receptions on Thursday, September 15th.  Please join us from 10:00 to 11:30 am or 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in our Gardens Gallery Hibiscus Room to meet the staff while enjoying refreshments and the beauty around you. Pinecrest Gardens volunteers have been in integral part of the Gardens history and contribute to every aspect of the Gardens operations.  A diverse group of people, they have a sense of commitment to something greater than their own personal needs.  Pinecrest Gardens volunteer’s learn new skills, make a positive impact in the community and advance the Gardens mission of connecting people to our rich botanical heritage, our historic preservation and our commitment to culture, education and entertainment. Volunteers are needed ... 09/08/2011