South Florida Real Estate
February 21, 2023
Whether you are in the real estate market as a buyer or seller, choosing the right realtor for you is the most important early step in the process. But how do you know who to choose? Experience is Key Whether you’re buying or selling, your realtor should be experienced in your area. Building up a reputation and a basis of knowledge in specific areas give realtors a big advantage over agents who are less familiar with individual neighborhoods. Miami is a large, unique city with many different areas that appeal to different people for different reasons. A realtor who works mostly in Aventura might not know the nuances of smaller areas within Pinecrest. Moreover, real estate is moving fast! Buyers […]
January 17, 2023
If you are planning a move to Miami, let me be the first to welcome you! It is such a wonderful and unique city, so learning a bit about the different neighborhoods will be an important step in your search for a home. I have more than 25 years of experience selling real estate locally and am a native of South Florida. Helping people find their dream home here is something my team and I love to do! Each neighborhood in the Miami area has its own style and personality. Let’s talk about a few of those areas and their individual qualities. Coral Gables This family-friendly suburb is packed with charm! Known as “The City Beautiful,” its unique 1920s and […]
January 10, 2023
Miami has been the red hot center of a nationwide rental market boom. In South Florida, rent rose nearly 25 percent between the summer of 2021 and summer of 2022. On top of that, almost 97 percent of rental inventory in Miami-Dade County is occupied. Available properties have multiple applicants all hoping to score a place to live. While rent is up and inventory is down in major cities across the US, nowhere has it been as dramatic of a shift as we’ve seen here. Expectations for 2023 I expect the rental market will continue to have high prices and high demand throughout 2023, and likely beyond. The storm season we experienced in 2022 factors in to these high prices […]
January 3, 2023
Sometimes markets are easier to predict than others, and this one… well, there are a lot of moving parts. I’m certainly no fortune teller and any number of things could impact my best guesses. At any rate (pun very much intended), I’ll give you my thoughts as of now about what to expect with the Miami real estate market for the upcoming year. Will Housing Prices Go Up or Down? The next several months will be different, a “back to normal” market, but that doesn’t mean a loss of all the gains we have seen over the pandemic price surge. In fact, in most areas of Miami prior to 2019, I would say we were undervalued from a global perspective as […]
December 14, 2022
Building a new home from the ground up is a wonderful opportunity to create your dream home. Of course, finding the right location is at least half of the challenge. Shopping for land is a very different experience from being in the resale or pre-built housing market. This is far from a comprehensive list of things to consider, but it’s a good start to prepare you for the market. Location, Location, Location Searching for the right location to build a home is a bit different than finding a home in a desirable location. When you’re shopping for a house so much of what makes a location attractive is related to the existing homes and infrastructure. If you want to build […]
December 13, 2022
Have you been casually browsing houses for sale lately? When you find yourself daydreaming about buying a home it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. As much as we absolutely want to help you find a home to buy, we also want to help you make sure it’s the right time for you. We want all our buyers to go into their purchase with confidence. In a Good Financial Position You’ll need to have enough cash saved up for a down payment. 20% of the purchase price is the rule of thumb (though there are many exceptions) and a good amount to plan for. You’ll also need some savings set aside to pay for necessary repairs as they […]
December 6, 2022
Here in Florida we have seen some significant and immediate changes to laws regarding homeowner’s insurance policies in 2022. Two bills were passed and became effective immediately when they were signed by the governor in May. These are available to read in their entirety if you want to do a deep dive. We are all still learning more about these, and some of the impacts won’t be clear until we have a chance to see how they apply over time. In the meantime, let’s talk about what the landscape looks like today. The Upside Let’s start with the good news. New laws are in place to attempt to reduce fraudulent claims. Fraud especially related to roof claims has been a large factor […]
November 22, 2022
Under all the right circumstances hiring a professional staging company is absolutely worth the cost. I realize that is a qualified statement, so bear with me for a minute. The point is that there is absolutely value in the process of having a professional stage your home before it hits the market. Which side of the cost/benefit analysis that service falls on depends on several more specific details. In a Perfect World… As an agent, the ideal situation is to present the most picture-perfect version of the house we’re selling. If the seller has moved out, staging the home – with the lack of personal items – creates a blank canvas that prospective buyers can project their lives onto. Staging […]
October 25, 2022
Ready, set, sell! Miami is (currently) still in a seller’s market, and while homes are selling at lightning speed, the process for preparing your home to list does take a bit longer. When you spend adequate time preparing your property, you can expect it to sell faster and for more money. Taking a little extra time up front can really make a big difference when your home hits the market. Where to Start When Preparing Your Home For Sale We recommend starting the process at least six months in advance of when you actually want to list. A common mistake we see with sellers is they wait too long to contact an agent. Your agent wants you to succeed, and to […]