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October 25, 2016
Halloween is just around the corner, and hordes of costume-clad kids will be hitting the streets in search of candy. Miami offers an array of Halloween activities for people of all ages — parties, haunted houses, costume contests, and special events. South Florida’s family-friendly neighborhoods also provide safe and festive spaces for trick-or-treating. Coral Gables and Palmetto Bay, in particular, are top trick-or-treating spots. Here’s why: Coral Gables From a kids point of view, Coral Gables is perfect for Trick-or-Treating. There are few oversized lots, which means more homes per block and therefore more candy. What’s more, certain areas are well known for handing out the best candy (don’t worry, I won’t spill the secret here. You’ll have to contact me). […]
September 20, 2016
It’s a fact: home renovations can be pricey. But, if you plan to spend seven or more years in your home, it is certainly worth the investment to ensure you get the wind mitigation discount on your insurance. It also can be worth it to summerify your home to both keep your ac from working on overdrive and keep your electric bills way down. But what about those of us that are not sure how long we’ll be in our home? Should we just soldier through higher insurance rates and bills from FP&L? Until recently, that’s what most people did. But then the Ygrene loan program came along. Distributed through the privately funded YgreneWorks program, this loan covers just about […]
September 13, 2016
Selling a home is (obviously) not something you want do on the spur of the moment. It’s a big decision and ensuring your home will sell for its true value takes some planning ahead. We always encourage people thinking of selling their home in the next six to twelve months to have a realtor conduct a walk-through right away so that you can have a list of action items to cover and ensure your home puts its best for forward the day that we put it on the market. Be Proactive By taking a look at the ‘boring’ aspects of a home before an offer is on the table and making sure they are in good order, you can ensure […]
September 6, 2016
With so much information available at our fingertips these days, it’s normal – and recommended – to do some research before making a relatively small purchase, such as a television or a phone. When it’s a bigger purchase (say…a home), it’s a no brainer to Google everything about a neighborhood, such as school quality, distance to grocery stores, driving times to your office, et cetera before you put in an offer. And, of course, you need to “interview” each house, asking questions and getting information, to make sure it’s the right fit for you. The same is true for homeowners when they’re looking for the right realtor to sell their home. It’s so important that you do your research! I […]
August 31, 2016
If you’ve been around long enough, you probably call it Cutler Ridge or even just Perrine. And if you’ve been around for that long, you also probably remember that what is now Cutler Bay was one of the places that Hurricane Andrew hit the hardest. Because of this, Cutler Bay’s homes are some of the newest in Miami-Dade County. This means that they’re built to the latest codes and are best prepared to handle anything South Florida weather can throw at them. The city was officially established in 2005 with borders running from SW 184th Street (Eureka Dr.) east of U.S. 1 to the coast, and north of Black Point Marina. It’s one of the county’s most family-friendly cities with […]
August 25, 2016
Year in and year out, Pinecrest is one of Miami’s most in-demand markets. And for good reason: it offers large houses on oversized lots with access to excellent public and private schools, a state-of-the-art library, and fantastic recreational facilities. With a population of about 20,000, and a total area of 7.6 square miles, it borders South Miami to the north, Kendall to the west, Cutler Bay to the south, and Matheson Hammock to the east. In the last 10 years, Pinecrest has devoted extensive resources to improving the quality of life for its residents, including the creation of new parks (Pinecrest Gardens is the crown jewel of the village’s park system), enhanced development of free Wi-Fi hubs in key locations, […]
August 16, 2016
It’s a commonly held adage that the best time of the year to sell your home is in the spring, as parents with kids will be shopping then to move over the summer and not disrupt their children’s school year. It seems logical, and it’s a large part of why you see so many homes hit the market in March and April every year. But here’s the problem: everyone else thinks it’s a good idea. That means your home potentially has a lot more competition to grab the attention of your future buyer than you would at any other time of the year. So what is a homeowner to do? With more than 18 years in the industry, here are […]
August 9, 2016
The path from renter to homeowner is not always an easy one. Though it’s an exciting time, finding your dream home can be stressful, moving can seem like a herculean task, and tackling the unboxing and organizing process takes a bit of time. But once you’re in your new house and settled, the benefits of homeownership are many. One big change is that you are now in charge of all the little (and big) problems that can arise in your home. As a renter, your landlord took care of those little fixes that you are now responsible for. How can you take care of the little things and prevent unexpected home repair costs? Here are a few tips for proactive […]
July 27, 2016
I can’t speak for you, but this summer has felt like a scorcher to me. It just begs for an excuse to get out of the city, escape the heat, and head into the mountains. At the same time, I realize that doing so is a luxury that many never have the opportunity to do. This is exactly why I’m so proud to be so deeply invested (along with my family) in Big City Mountaineers. For more than 25 years, we have been involved with BCM, helping kids that have never had a chance to spend time in the wilderness, often that have never left the city where they were born, learn some important life skills and experience life outside […]