BLOG
May 7, 2019
Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases we will ever make. While it’s wise to come into the search process with an open-mind, it’s also important to bring with you a healthy dose of level-headedness because knowing when to trust your gut can be just as important as other “hard” factors when it comes to making a home decision. Fortunately, there are other clues to help guide you toward (and steer you away from) your perfect home, and many of those initial clues can be found by taking a closer look at the real estate listing. For many of us, we begin our search online and then narrow down a selection of homes we’d like to tour […]
April 23, 2019
Successfully staging your home is one of the best ways to sell your home quickly and for the best price. It’s often surprising to home owners how a little cleaning and design work can totally transform the appeal of your home to prospective buyers. When done successfully, you invite buyers in and encourage them to see themselves living in the home. The best ways to stage your home Clear the clutter – Too much clutter makes a space look small and uninviting. It can also be a big distraction. Your goal with staging is to highlight the best features of your home, but if a buyer is distracted by looking at rows of dishes and mugs, they won’t […]
April 16, 2019
Whether it’s your first time buying a home or you have multiple experiences with the process, there are always a few considerations you should think through before embarking on the journey. Most importantly is ensuring your financials are in order and that you have a thorough grasp on what you can afford, but just as important is making sure you are mentally and emotionally prepared to take the leap. If you’re thinking about buying a home, ask yourself these three important questions first. What’s driving your motivations to buy? Surely there are numerous advantages to renting or staying in your existing home, so spending some time understanding what’s motivating you on your new path to purchase can be insightful […]
April 9, 2019
Many people think they can save money if they bypass a realtor. Perhaps they dislike the idea of paying commission fees or think they can navigate the transaction process themselves. But in this DIY era with How-To’s for pretty much everything on YouTube, working with an experienced real estate agent can still save you money, even when accounting for any kind of transaction commission fees. Here’s why: Time is money Finding the right home or preparing your current home for a sale is time-consuming, to say the least. While you can scour the internet for listings yourself, scheduling viewings, playing phone-tag, and driving around disparate neighborhoods in disorganized fashion can be exhausting. Whereas it’s an agent’s full-time job to […]
April 2, 2019
Searching for the perfect home can be a long journey for some, so when you finally find the right one, it can be tempting to jump right in to making an offer. While competitive markets can require us to act quickly, you want to be sure you’re prepared by taking care of these five things first. Get pre-approval from a financial lender– Before making an offer, it’s essential to have all of your financials in order and have enough on reserve to cover your deposit and closing costs. In Miami, when you’re often competing with cash-only offers, securing pre-approval is 100% necessary before you make an offer. You should have this stage complete before you begin looking at homes. […]
March 26, 2019
Perhaps you’ve decided it’s time to simplify your home life, or maybe you’ve grown tired of small-scale living and have your sights set on a bigger place with room to grow and entertain. Regardless of your motivations, phase in life, or other factors, deciding to move into a bigger or smaller home brings many of us to a crossroads. For some, it is purely a financial decision, and for others, the variables are vast. Here are a few key factors that often drive decisions to upsize or downsize: Location If high-rise, downtown living is where you want to be, there are obvious sacrifices that need to be made in order to accommodate your location preferences. While you may […]
March 19, 2019
There’s no getting around it. It’s expensive to live in South Florida. Living here means we have to pay a premium on a lot of things, like keeping our homes cool from the intense sun and heat and protecting our properties from damaging hurricane winds. All of these necessities come at a cost, which can most commonly be seen in the form of energy bills and homeowners insurance premiums. Fortunately, there is a solution that can help make an immediate impact that won’t necessitate massive changes to your monthly budget. In Miami, homeowners can make energy-efficient improvements to their homes through low-cost, long-term financing. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)-eligible home improvement projects include everything from upgrading your HVAC system […]
March 12, 2019
Whether you’re considering selling your home in the near future or are looking to make small upgrades that you can enjoy yourself now, taking steps to meaningfully increase the value of your home is something many homeowners look to do. The question often is whether the effort is worth the payoff. Starting small will give you the opportunity to evaluate your home and your goals from a fresh perspective. Here are some easy places to start if you’re looking to boost your home’s value. Start from the outside in Everyone knows the power curb appeal can hold in luring potential buyers. It also can go a long ways in boosting your home’s value. Make a good first impression […]
March 5, 2019
If you’re looking for charm, sophistication, and casual elegance, look no further than “The City Beautiful.” Unique and stunning architecture is the name of the game, and the city’s civic leadership helps ensure the community is always looking its best. When conjuring up images of Coral Gables in your head, think original 1920s-era Old Spanish-style homes complete with intricate details, arched doorways, elaborate fireplaces, and more. Its location is also unbeatable – just southwest of downtown Miami. If you want to learn more about the Gables and its residential real estate history, check out these blog posts: The Chinese Village The Dutch South African Village The French Normandy Village The French Country Village The Italian Village Featured listings in […]