Today I attended the Coldwell Banker Previews Luxury Symposium; a training and educational event for the luxury property specialists.  I thought the following profiles were interesting. The Luxury Home Seller They’ve owned their current home for 8.8 years vs. 6 years. The majority are under 55 and 89% are married. Often self-made (6% inherited 20% or more of their net worth). Most are top executives, self-employed or business owners. They are keenly aware of what it takes to be successful and are typically hands-on with strong viewpoints. They trust their own instincts, are driven to succeed. They maintain a middle-class outlook and are pragmatic toward money and investments. The Luxury Home Buyer 31% are cash buyers 35% are retired (Millionaires) 36% are business owners (Millionaires... 08/20/2010

This can serve as a type of newsletter to help you confront insurance issues. Improve Your Insurance Score Paying all of your bills on time is one good way to improve your insurance score—and, in turn, lower your homeowners insurance premiums. Read Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Check-Up An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook. Read Homeowners Insurance: Are You Over- or Underinsured? Paying for more homeowners insurance than you need is a waste of money, but it can prove even more costly to get caught without enough coverage. Read Your CLUE Insurance Report Matters Your CLUE insurance report keeps your homeowners insurance claims alive for seven years—and that could cost you on your premiums. Read How to Corr... 08/19/2010

The Village of Pinecrest is looking into making better use of the Banyan Bowl amphitheater, located within Pinecrest Gardens.Pinecrest commissioned a study which included the opinion of Pinecrest residents to discover whether the initiative would be welcomed by them.  Overwhelmingly, the majority of Pinecrest residents are on board for using the 500-seat amphitheater to bring cultural events such as music and theater to Pinecrest.The study indicated that there are plenty of theater and music groups that could make use of the Banyan Bowl if it were upgraded.Read more about it here. 08/19/2010

  Every once in a while I am asked “How many homes are there in Pinecrest”?  Here’s the answer; there are 5,108 single family homes, 762 condominiums, 132 duplexes and 89 townhomes.  And if you are interested in any of these – just let me know!       08/19/2010

Yesterday, my Coldwell Banker office in Pinecrest, Florida had a great class called "Nuts and Bolts of Short Sales". It was given by Sunbelt Title's Attorney, Henry Ensler. Sunbelt Title has opened a Short Sale Assistance program, called Short Trac, that is extremely helpful. It was "created to facilitate the lender review and approval process on short sale listings with the aim of freeing up the sales associate's time to focus on marketing and business development activities.   Short Trac will help the seller facilitate communications between you, the lender and Sunbelt Title through the short sale process.   Short Trac is a statewide program utilizing local branch offices throughout Florida and the Short Sale Assistance Center  located in the Tampa Bay region. This service is offered ... 08/17/2010

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions –  July 2010 16 homes sold in Pinecrest in July The lowest closed sale price was $325,000 and the highest was $3,280,000. As of July 31st there were 201 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 48 homes under contract.     08/06/2010

Are you interested in a new home in Pinecrest? There are great looking condos or spacious homes at very attractive prices. Buying real estate today is much better that it was in 2005 or 2006. You have time to pick and choose. Pinecrest is offering wonderful communities for you to consider.     Financing is one of the biggest concerns. Don't be afraid and contact your local Florida bank to pre-qualify you. Find a bank what is active giving loans in Pinecrest. They will can give you the rates and the terms for the new mortgage. They can provide you with the Cash to Close, so you can know that will be your payment and how much money you will need to close the deal.     You can start doing your research online. Search for properties on Pinecrest now by visiting our website: http://www.inter... 07/28/2010

Looking to Buy in Pinecrest. We are living at a moment in time that you can adquire properties at historic low price points. If you are looking or your personal use or for investment, there are homes and condos in Pinecrest that you can pick up at incredibly low prices.   If you need a mortgage to purchase your property you need to get pre-qualified. You can get this pre-qualification over the phone. Speak to your Florida bank that is familiar with Pinecrest. If you are a foreigner and you wish to obtain a mortgage, then we can refer you to a couple of lenders that specialize in financing to foreigners.   You can start doing your research online. Search for properties on Pinecrest now by visiting our website: http://www.interinvestments.com  we have the all the communities in Pinecrest!... 07/28/2010

Are you a Pinecrest resident wanting a tree on the swale outside your property?  Although the right-of-way property is not legally the homeowner's, the public swale is to be maintained by the homeowner.  And who doesn't want to keep their surroundings looking pretty? Pinecrest has an Adopt-a-Tree program which provides trees at low-bid prices for interested homeowners.  Pinecrest has been designated as a Tree City, USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for their commitment to community forestry. The Village of Pinecrest has planted over 10,000 trees since 1997.  Not shabby at all. If you'd like more information about the Pinecrest Adopt-a-Tree program, click on the link. And remember that Miami-Dade County still has it's own program where they give two trees per year to homeowners of single f... 07/20/2010

A citizen is fighting the Village of Pinecrest for improper seizure of her home.  Or should I clarify and say, her property, as she does not live in the Pinecrest house.I just read an interesting legal article about the case involving Zenaida Gomez and the Village of Pinecrest.  Apparently Ms. Gomez purchased the Pinecrest home in 2006, in 2007 leased it to someone and in 2008 the Pinecrest police were called in to investigate some goings on in the home.The police found that the Pinecrest home was being used for an illegal hydroponics lab (proving that the Redland doesn't have that market cornered and that upper scale neighborhoods are not immune to criminal activity, but I digress).  Due to the activities going on at the home, the Village of Pinecrest proceeded to seize the home, throu... 07/11/2010

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions 20 homes sold in Pinecrest in June The lowest closed sale price was $260,000 and the highest was $2,000,000. As of June 30th there were 202 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 45 homes under contract. 20 homes sold in June!  Many of the agents I have spoken with recently are working with several Buyers.  If you are thinking of selling your property, NOW, before school starts, is the time to get it on the market – give me a call, 305-776-0010, Your Pinecrest Real Estate Specialist.   07/08/2010

Are you a buyer looking for a home in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, South Miami or the surrounding Miami area? Would you like to have an upper hand while searching for homes on the internet? Would you like to make your home search easier? You can do this by downloading the Blog That Ate Miami Real Estate Toolbar.  It's a small, little download that gives you a way to contact me on any home you find for sale on the internet, regardless of where you find it!       Imagine, one click and the information is sent to me so I can follow up on it for you.  There's no need to keep a running list of homes to send me.  Just click the Property Inquiry button when you find a home that interests you and the toolbar sends me the request.  No matter what site you found the home listing at.     It's also a g... 07/05/2010

The U.S. Senate passed two bills last evening previously passed by the House. Both bills still need President Obama's signature to become law, but that's expected to happen quickly.Homebuyer tax credit The Senate passed HR 5623, which extends the mandatory closing date to qualify for the homebuyer tax credit. The contract deadline does not change - homebuyers must have a contract signed by April 30, 2010 (an exception for active duty military) - but the previous closing deadline of June 30, 2010, has been extended to Sept. 30, 2010. The National Association of Realtors estimates that the approved bill will benefit more than 14,000 deals in Florida.National Flood Insurance Program Congress once again reauthorized a short-term extension for the National Flood Insurance Program to Sept. 30... 07/01/2010

Price it right…and they will come – in all markets!  I emphasize to Sellers the importance of pricing their property correctly – right from the start.  I explain to them why the best Buyers are the ones that will come to visit a property in the first few days of the property coming on the market.  These Buyers have been looking, know the market, are qualified and are ready to buy; their agent is just waiting for something new to come on the market to show them. The two major factors in determining price is location and condition; they are both interrelated, this applies to all markets.  My market is Pinecrest Florida; average sales price last year was $1,250,000.  In the past month I have put two properties on the market, properly priced for 2010, not 2005, and both have had offers acc... 07/01/2010

Come on out early, I would suggest by 5:00pm.  This is a very popular family event at Blackpoint, they do close the gates when the park gets full.  I'll see you there!     06/24/2010

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions 18 homes sold in Pinecrest in May The lowest closed sale price was $349,000 and the highest was $3,200,000. As of May 31st there were 192 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 50 homes under contract. 18 homes sold in May!  I have a couple of listings that have gone under contract in just a few days.  We are truly having a tremendous amount of Buyer activity; if you are thinking of selling your property, NOW is the time to get it on the market – give me a call, 305-776-0010, Your Pinecrest Real Estate Specialist.   06/08/2010

  Father’s Day Bar-B-Q – with all the fixings! Pinecrest Gardens 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest Florida   Sunday, June 20th – 12:30pm – 3:00pm   Reservations are required; 305-669-6990 $25.00 adults, $10 children, under 4 free       06/02/2010

As we are reaching the end of May when I write this, I thought it was a good time to give an update on the Pinecrest Market from the beginning of the year.  East of Ludlam: Active Properties: There are currently 89 homes for sale. 36 at $2,000,000 or higher, 32 homes are priced from $1,000,000 to $1,999,000 and 21 are below $1,000,000.  Pending Sales: There are 16 homes under contract, 5 which are short sales and 1 is a foreclosure.  Closed Sales: There have been 21 closings since the beginning of the year.  There were no foreclosures but there were 3 short sales.   Absorption Rates: The estimate of the rate at which homes will be sold each year is called the absorption rate. This absorption rate will help you understand how the inventory of homes on the market affects the sale prices i... 05/26/2010

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions 10 homes sold in Pinecrest in April. The lowest closed sale price was $399,900 and the highest was $3,150,000. As of March 30th there were 205 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 54 homes under contract. We are truly having a tremendous amount of Buyer activity; if you are thinking of selling your property, NOW is the time to get it on the market – give me a call, 305-776-0010, Your Pinecrest Real Estate Specialist.       05/10/2010

Pinecrest FL Real Estate Sales Transactions 15 homes sold in Pinecrest in March. The lowest closed sale price was $390,000 and the highest was $3,275,000. As of March 31st there were 199 Pinecrest FL homes for sale with 46 homes under contract. We are now in our spring sales season; if you are thinking of selling your property, NOW is the time to get it on the market – give me a call, 305-776-0010, Your Pinecrest Real Estate Specialist.       04/08/2010