Andre's Blog

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By Mauricio Bosch

Coming from Biscayne Bay a beautiful cluster of buildings can be appreciated from the distance. It's the new Miami residential metropolis that blends with the financial capital of the Americas. This amazing city under the tropical sunshine is the home of the beautiful and exclusive Brickell condos. Its downtown Miami and Brickell that together form this amazing cosmopolitan silhouette called the Miami skyline.

Multiple examples of different architectures and styles coexist together in Brickell and downtown Miami. Impressive office buildings and landmarks along with spectacular residential Brickell condos have been built transforming the once calm and quiet city of Miami into an exciting new cosmopolitan Mecca of the 21st century. Multiple styles and designs can be appreciated in this sophisticated residential and business area. People from all over the world are now living in these magnificent new sleek sculptures also called Brickell condos. Amid the most beautiful Miami condos are the ones located in Brickell like the unique Jade Brickell Miami, a marvelous residential luxury building that set the trend for new developments than now are part of this upscale neighborhood. Glass balconies and floor to ceiling windows became the norm and the style to follow probably because of the freshness and the coolness it evokes. That freshness is also a reminder of the ocean and the blue skies that are gracefully reflected in those balconies when looking from a distance in a city full of warm and action.

Today young professionals and families call this amazing city their home. Every building is a mini city in itself, with amenities like the ones you see in a 5 star resort. Brickell condos are really some of the trendiest places to live today in Miami. The convenience of being able to live close to work and at the same time having all the fun the Magic city can offer is a magnet for those seeking the best Miami lifestyle. New residential Brickell condos like The Plaza, Axis condos, Jade Brickell, Skyline, Emerald condos, and Icon Brickell are very good examples of great Miami living.

Icon Brickell is a world apart yet a piece of this spectacular mixture of Brickell condos. At Icon Brickell residents can enjoy a city within a building with 5 restaurants, a majestic spa, and the largest swimming pool in Florida, theater, a spectacular night Club with a roof top pool called Club 50, and an intriguing interior design by Philippe Stark.

Other luxury wonderful buildings in the area are the impressive Santa Maria and the Bristol Tower, pioneers of the new Miami glass architecture. Living in one of these wonderful buildings is today more possible than ever before, due to a severe local real estate market correction after the booming construction times that gave birth to most of these great structures. Good opportunities can be found both in Brickell condos for sale and Brickell rentals, now more affordable than ever before.

FOR RENT: Met One Condominiums - 300 South Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33131

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By Johnny Brooks

The latest housing market headlines are either encouraging or bleak, depending on your community. Foreclosures are steady, home prices are down and new-home-sales are stagnant. With so much bad news, many buyers are sitting on the sidelines, afraid to make a move. It's hard to believe, but we are now five years removed from the peak of the housing bubble. Many experts and economist say waiting for the bottom may not be the smartest strategy.

For one thing, there's no agreement on when or if the U.S. real estate market has officially touched bottom. Real estate is local and therefore what constitutes the bottom for the country is meaningless for those looking to buy or sell homes in their own neighborhoods. Prices in some markets have not yet hit their lowest point, but they aren't that far off. In other areas,only the pace of total sales has been affected, prices have held firm or actually increased.

Just like the weather, there are large local variations in home prices. In the National Association of Realtors annual report on Metro home prices, almost half the markets posted price increases. In the most desirable neighborhoods like Davis,California, my area of expertise, there could be a price to pay by waiting. More than a few homes this year had multiple offers. In that scenario, this erases the potential savings you thought you achieved by waiting.

For some people, the value of the local public schools will play an important role in their buying decision. A well-designed house in an established area,with a good public-school district will hold it's value. These communities don't get hurt as much as the whole market and they recover faster. The other factor buyers need to consider is how much longer interest rates will be at these historical lows. Sometimes home buyers get so fixated on getting the lowest possible price, that they forget just how little difference an extra $10,000 in the home price can mean to their monthly mortgage payment.

Assuming a buyer pays $310,000 rather than $300,000, on a 4 percent thirty year loan, you would pay an additional $55 more a month. Over the long haul, buyers should be more concerned with an interest rate increase than if property values drop another two or three percent. Here are a few reasons why buyers should consider this an optimal time to pursue a home. Do your homework and verify how stable prices are in the neighborhood you are interested in, specifically prices within a mile radius of the subject property. Be rational and smart, if you plan on buying and then selling that home in less than five years, I would suggest renting instead. If you can stick it out for at least five years, economist say you'll probably ride out any downturn and come out ahead in price.

If your rents rivals a mortgage payments. This is fairly obvious, why pay someone else's mortgage off. Put that hard-earned monies toward your own mortgage. Every individual buyer will have to make that critical decision on the right time to buy a home based on many factors.

Take control of your home search with the Home Buyers Scouting Report® Over 6 million listings from thousands of real estate companies. Offered in all 50 states.

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Aventura is a great place to live. Dubbed the City of Excellence, Aventura is located in the north eastern portion of Miami-Dade County.  This trendy neighborhood has great shops, new neighborhoods, parks, golf courses, and tons of restaurants.

Aventura is located around Biscayne Boulevard, including Miami Gardens Drive, Ives Dairy Road, and Country Club Drive Circle.

In the heart of Aventura you’ll find the Aventura Mall with Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Nordstom and an abundance of stores. Excellent dining is not an exception in Aventura; restaurants like Morton’s, The Cheescake Factory, PF Changs, Heavy Burger, Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak and many more are available to residents and visitors.

There's also an incredible selection of high rise condo communities to live in Aventura that any buyer would love to call home: Turnberry Isle was one of the first developments and it is still a 5 star place to live: with it’s private golf course, resort and spa. Other places to live in Aventura include 3030 Aventura, Alaqua, Artech, Atlantic One, Atrium Aventura, Aventura Marina, Bella Mare, EastSide, Hamptons South, Hidden Bay, La Vogue, Marina Grande, Mystic Point, Park Central Aventura, Peninsula, Peninsula Two, Porto Vita, Skylofts, Terzetto At Aventura, The Atrium, The Parc, The Point, The Venture, Turnberry On The Green, Turnberry Village, and Uptown Marina Loft.

Search condos, townhomes and homes for sale.  Click here to make your next property search easier and faster.

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your real estate needs...Experience is Priceless!  Miami Best Real Estate Team, 786-704-8482 www.OnePlaceOpenHouse.com

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By Cedric Loiselle

Becoming a homeowner is the dream of many people, and many are making this dream a reality by buying foreclosed homes. Foreclosed homes are properties that have been surrendered to the bank by owners who could not pay the mortgage and were forced to return the home to the lender in order to settle the debt. Once the bank has reclaimed these homes they tend to sell them quickly because banks don't have any real need for real estate other than the money it returns. These sales, generally done through an auction, can allow aspiring home owners to purchase a home for much less than would be possible otherwise.

Getting Started

If you want to learn about purchasing a foreclosed, the best start is consulting a local real estate agent or lawyer that deals with such properties. These professionals will be able to tell you what properties will come available soon and how you can get in on the auctions. They will also be able to fill you in on the laws that apply to the short sale process and foreclosed properties in your area. Many independent real estate agents make much of their annual income through purchasing foreclosed homes and "flipping" them, or fixing them up and reselling them for much higher prices. Keep this in mind when consulting a real estate agency because they may try to persuade you to purchase a home through them rather than attempting to purchase one through a foreclosure.

Going It On Your Own

Rather than consulting professional help through a real estate agent, you can pursue purchasing a foreclosed home on your own. One way to do this is to acquire a listing of properties that have been foreclosed upon in your area recently. These lists, which are sometimes free and sometimes available for a low cost, allow you to look through all of the properties that have recently been foreclosed upon, as well as the asking price by the new owner. These lists make it possible to see a large number of properties quickly and easily. They can, though, feature inflated prices. If you want the absolute lowest price you can when it comes to buying a foreclosed home, though, you should go direct to the source and try your luck at a foreclosure auction.

If you want to go this way, first you must look through newspapers and online listings of homes that will be foreclosed upon soon and the date of the auction. You must then secure the funding to purchase the home. You can't go to an auction, "win" a home and then figure out how to pay for it.

Buyer Beware

Purchasing a foreclosed home is generally an "as is" situation. Before you purchase a foreclosed home, it is a good idea to inspect the home so you can be prepared for what you are buying. Because these homes have been foreclosed upon due to nonpayment, they are sometimes in neglected condition. You don't want to waste all of the money you save by buying a foreclosed home having to fix it up. Once you have learned how to buy foreclosed homes you can move toward accomplishing your goal of owning your own home, at an amazing price.

Having the right information on how to buy foreclosed homes is crucial if you want to be successful with either the short sale process or buying foreclosed homes for profit. Yes there is money to be made in this but you really need to know what you are doing.

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By Sarah Katie

So, you have decided to put your house up for sale in the market. Your house has been appraised and you have set your asking price and listed it with your real estate agent of choice. You wait anxiously for prospective purchasers to view your property and make an offer. Several months have passed and in spite of your optimism, not one offer has been received. Your agent isn't as forthcoming as she should be with feedback but the one phrase you have heard her say repeatedly is that your house just doesn't show well. But, what does this really mean?

Owners are often so proud of their home, which has been their favorite retreat for years, that they assume that others would be just as excited about its layout, decor and fittings. But, in order for buyers to see a house as a must have, they need to envision themselves living there. This can be extremely difficult if your property is too personalized, too cluttered or not renovated to standard.

Especially if still occupied by the owner, a house may have too many mementos and customized touches that may distract a buyer from seeing its true potential. Clutter makes a house seem smaller and disorganized. Furthermore, fix those leaky faucets, paint that stained wall and replace the broken tiles.

Many people wrongly assume that simply dusting, vacuuming and mopping will make their house sell. You need to prepare your house for sale after you have cleaned, painted and made minor changes.

Staging is presenting your home in the most attractive light which appeals to the majority of buyers. The fundamentals of staging a property for sale include depleting it of most personalized effects, neutralizing the decor so it appeals to all tastes, arranging furniture to maximize space, cleaning it until it sparkles and repairing any areas of the house that need attention. You can make your house look bigger, brighter, warmer and attractive by home staging.

Staging isn't difficult and doesn't have to be expensive. However, owners often find it challenging to be objective when they love their home just as it is. Have your agent schedule a viewing of a comparable property which is well staged, so that you can see how to make your house rise to the occasion.

Staging can not only help to sell your house faster but it can help you get closer to your asking price. Just as a job hunter will dress for success, so you want your house to look its best.

If you're looking to buy or sell your home give us a call.  When it comes to choosing a professional to assist you with your real estate needs...Experience is Priceless!  www.OnePlaceOpenHouse.com

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Here to stay and firmly established in the U.S. mortgage market, biweekly mortgage payments are gaining momentum. First introduced into the U.S. in the early 1980's by several small Northeastern Banks, the idea of biweekly mortgages has its origins in Canada.

This concept soon became the popular choice nationally within less than a decade after it's arrival placing the biweekly payment plan in the forefront of Canada's mortgage industry around 1972 for several good reasons. Consider the following:

1. Most people are paid weekly or biweekly, therefore, it is reasonable to have as an option "biweekly mortgage payments".

2. On a biweekly mortgage payment schedule, one half of a loan's monthly payment is made and credited to the account holder every two weeks. This is equivalent to making 13 monthly payments instead of the usual 12 monthly payments reducing the loan's payoff time.

3. Faster accumulation of equity build up of up to 300%, plus a reduction in interest owed on the loan due to your prepayment is the result of using a biweekly payment schedule; that's without any increase to your monthly output. In other words, you'll get more value per dollar and save thousands as well; as much as 25% to 30% in interest over the life of the loan.

Combine the benefits of a biweekly payment schedule with a union between an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) mode of account servicing that is governed by Regulation "E" of the Federal Reserve to a plug into the internet and you will find a super-efficient, safe, consumer-friendly method of paying a monthly obligation that won't take a huge bite from one paycheck. It doesn't take nuclear physicists to understand why this type of arrangement is frequently referred to as the "Common Sense Mortgage".

Now that there's breathing room because money has been "freed-up" and also saved by using a service such as this, go on an excursion for some sunshine, sand and surf, have dinner at a five-star restaurant, or better still, invest in your financial future. It's your money. Once you've tried this equity acceleration program (EAP) for yourself, you'll realize its value.

With more available choices, creating enjoyable lifestyles and looking out for your family's financial well being is easier today than it ever has been. The bad news is that time is not on you side with a standard monthly mortgage payment on a 30 year loan. As a matter of fact, you are not getting the most for your money. The good news is that help is here; the technology does exists giving consumers unparalleled conveniences plus an advantaged boost.

Welcome to the 21st Century!

If you're looking to buy or sell your home give us a call.  When it comes to choosing a professional to assist you with your real estate needs...Experience is Priceless!  www.OnePlaceOpenHouse.com

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By Gerb Juarez