Cranes everywhere! What does this all mean?     In Greater Downtown Miami, developers have already completed seven new condo towers with a combined 1,900 units, and are constructing 23 more new condo towers with nearly 6,200 units in the area, according to the data. An additional 41 new condo towers with nearly 13,000 units are currently in the planning or presale phase of development. Besides the new condo towers announced for Greater Downtown Miami during this cycle, nearly 2,800 units are currently available for purchase on the resale market, according to data from the Southeast Florida MLXchange. In the first eight months of 2015, buyers acquired an average of less than 165 resale units monthly in Greater Downtown Miami. At the current transaction pace, Greater Downtown Miami has ... 10/01/2015

Active Rain Meet-Up in Beautiful Miami September, 2015  Last week we had an informal Active Rain Meet-Up in Miami with the charismatic and colorful Marco Giancola. We met for a brief chat at one of the favorite spots in the expanding Midtown section of Miami, the Sugarcane “Raw Bar Grill". It was a gorgeous day and the outdoor garden section was the perfect venue for our little get-together.  We hit it off right away, as I thought we would, exchanging lively stories of backgrounds and experiences. Actually, I’m not quite sure any stories got completely finished as we kept going off on different (although related) tangents. Of course, the dynamic and explosive Miami real estate market was part of the conversation, as was Active Rain, which is what brought us together.  It was great to be... 09/28/2015

 An Ibis Hotel is being built by Galwan, a Brazilian developer. This is the second new hotel this month that I have never heard of being built in Miami's Brickell area.Back in 2010  the lot had contained the home of a rooster-raising family, which a developer purchased and demolished for parking, sending the chickens to roam free. The proposed Ibis Hotel is planned to be 43 stories, with seven levels of parking and three levels of amenity space on the lower floors. It will have 520 rooms. Looks like a cool building from the renderings....stay tuned! 09/27/2015

If you have never heard of Fisher Island in Miami you will after this post. This striking penthouse is on the market with an asking price of $25 million. Imagine have a glass of wine on this terrace?Wrap around terraces with north, east and southern ocean views. The jetty on the left of the photo is where the cruise ships enter and depart Miami Harbor.Private beach anyone?  Interior living room.Kitchen with every modern convenience.MasterbathMaster bedroomEntry GalleryFive bedrooms and 5.5 baths in 7,600 sq. ft. There is an equity golf membership and private club for owners. Marina can accommodate your biggest yacht. This island is accessible by the islands private ferry or by your helicopter or your boat. Security is as premium on this discreet island just a hop to South Beach and down... 09/26/2015

You don’t necessarily have to make millions of dollars annually in order to make your home eco friendly. In fact, there is one simple step you can make that will not only help save the planet but also reduce your electricity bill by 30-50 dollars over the life of the bulb. There are many pros to switching out your old light bulbs for new compact fluorescent light bulbs, halogen incandescents, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light emitting diodes (LEDs)Other than the modern appearance,  energy efficient bulbs offer a lot more benefits for you, your wallet and the environment. Eco-friendly bulbs use 2/3 less energy saving you about 30-50 dollars on electricity bills. Eco-friendly bulbs prevent greenhouse emissions from power plants. Eco-friendly bulbs last on average  10 times longe... 09/25/2015

The sexiest master suite in Miami is for sale right now in one of the penthouses at Paramount Bay. What's a sexy master suite, you ask? Because it has massive windows looking out on Biscayne Bay, a wet bar and, if that's not enough, a bathtub right in the middle of the floor. Yes, right next to the bar. This is one of my favorite penthouses in Miami, and it's for sale right now. The asking price is $4.6 million, which, if you ask me, isn't bad for the location, the amenities and the killer master suite. Here's what you need to know. The building was built in 2010, so as these things go it's basically brand new. It has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms and all the things you expect in an ultra-luxury home: hardwood floor, wine cooler, designer appliances, the works. But this is the kicker. Th... 09/16/2015

  When passing by this vacant lot one immediately notices that there is a stretch limo half buried in it. Sink hole in downtown? Not likely, is it a comment on how the decadence of Miami real estate development will bury you, or at least your car, alive maybe?" Turns out, it kind of is.   For Downtown Art Days, Fringe Projects had artist Nate Page create a temporary installation at the future site of the YOTEL HOTEL. Okay I have to admit I am not familiar with this brand and will post on what I discover soon. 09/14/2015

Tibor Hollo is in his mid-80s, he's a Holocaust survivor and he's one of the most successful real estate developers in the history of Miami. According to a 2009 profile of Hollo in the Miami New Times, Hollo has been as influential in creating a downtown urban core as anyone else. In fact, there were moments during the '50s and '60s that it was ridiculous to think that there would be much, if any, development south of the Miami River. When Hollo proposed a tunnel under the river to connect with Brickell, he said, "those sons of bitches laughed me out of the room." Of course, to look at the city now is to see his vision alive. Brickell is the most dynamic neighborhood in the City of Miami — and it's only getting bigger. Miami's financial district is now the standard-bearer of urban livin... 09/08/2015

 Record sales month hit for June.    More single-family homes were sold in Miami this past June than any other month in Miami's history. The month beat a 10-year-old record set back in June 2005. In all, 1,390 single-family homes were sold in June according to the Miami Association of Realtors. That's 73 more than the 1,317 sold in June 2005, and 110 more than last June. In the first six months of 2015, 7,100 single-family homes have sold in total, up from 6,543 over the same period in 2014.Prices on those homes also rose by 14.9 percent from last year, with a median price of $280,000. Those home are also selling pretty close to their listing price, with the average sale worth about 95.1 percent of the initial asking price.    08/23/2015

  Bodies & Faces | Local Miami ArtistBorn in New York and from Puertorican decent, this self taught artist is making molds of women and creating the most captivating body and face sculptures in the local Miami area. Also known for his Wynwood murals, his whimsical art has caught the eye of many. "The concept of my work is of a rebirthing in nature and is a bit metaphysical. I would like to think my art has accomplished a new way of expressing the most inner feelings of human nature whether they be positive or negative."  - BelloTTo find out more information about Bello, check out his FaceBook Page: https://www.facebook.com/richard.belloart or Website: https://bello.see.me 08/14/2015

Brickell Flat Iron Penthouse-KitchenStunning 10 foot high walls of glass bring the shimmering city lights and the bay views right in. The Master bath  The Exterior of the building and surroundsTwo bedrom plus den 2.5 bath, 2500 sq ft of luxury 54th floor living. Come see what the Brickell Flat Iron is all about. Yours for $1.4M 08/13/2015

When it comes to closing a sale, there are several deal breakers that buyers always share with their agents. Mold, insects and pests, and animal odors are common reasons for doubting to put an offer on your home. Whether you are selling or simply looking for ways to freshen up your home here are 5 tips for eliminating pet odors and making your home look more attractive for buyers. 1. Give your pets regular baths with a odor controlling shampoo.This seems like a no brain-er but you wouldn't believe how many people I know that don't bathe their pets regularly. I recommend using an odor control shampoo. I like the ones with ingredients such as oatmeal, lavender and pine needle. Adding a few drops of sage oil really helps to neutralize all the odors.      2. Buy an essential oil diffuser.Es... 08/12/2015

     Blue Condo-$997,000     This 2 bedroom plus den corner unit with spectacular unobstructed bay views just hit the market. 1870 SQ FT  with floor to ceiling windows State of the art full remodeling including extra closets. Kitchen with granite countertops. Electric system roller shades, travertine marble floors and amazing 11" high ceilings.Fitness center, spa, business center, 2 separate heated swimming pools at 6th floor roof top gardens. fountains and Jacuzzis. 2 Assigned garage parking spaces and 1 storage space. 08/03/2015

  This charming 2/2 @2 Midtown has exposed concrete ceilings, groovy industrial-retro looking windows, and open breezy kitchen, and a nice view of central Midtown and all the hubbub around there. The unit has an open-plan kitchen, a bathtub with a view, mulitple terraces, and lots of windows looking in three directions. Not to mention shopping, bars and restaurants downstairs. Asking price: $759,000. Call for more info. 07/23/2015

07/05/2015

 A major museum dedicated to Latin American art will open in the city in 2016. Newly released renderings of the design by FR-EE/Fernando Romero Enterprise look very exciting: the four-story, 90,000-square foot museum will have asymmetrical, cantilevering terraces, a sculpture garden, and a giant public plaza. The futuristic Latin American Art Museum will contain three floors of galleries with work by emerging and established artists from the region(maybe this will be my big break as a painter), and the top floor will house a restaurant. It's all expected to cost $50M which in Miami means $75M when it's all said and done. Can't wait to see it! 07/04/2015

For the first time in the last ten years, Miami’s Wynwood Arts District has seized the chance to own a newly modern condominium. The construction and completion of 250 Wynwood makes it one of the most celebrated innovative neighborhoods not only for the Miami real estate business, but also in the entire United States.  This boutique live/work Miami apartment is located close to Panther Coffee, the town square of the area, and the building has eleven exquisite units. Every unit in 250 Wynwood building will be equipped with ceilings measuring 10 feet high, along with huge private balconies, large open living spaces, as well as full-size windows from floor to ceiling. The architect, Laith Sayigh, designed 250 Wynwood and is based in New York City. His exceptional experience perfectly blend... 07/01/2015

   Last week Solitair, a vertiginous new  rental high-rise soon to shoot up in Brickell courtesy of developers, ZOM and AIG Global Real Estate, just broke ground. The ADD Inc.-designed, 50-story tower will include 438 residential rental apartments and over 7,500 square feet of ground-level retail. A recent press release mentions that the building's architecture is inspired by the "Majule palm tree.Solitair's jagged façade accurately resembles the palm's patterned trunk, and will stand out in the Brickell skyline. The interiors, however, which supposedly draw from the same concept, are "urban, cool," and grey. Solitair's opening is planned for late 2017, no word on rental rates yet. 06/30/2015

Happy Fathers Day to all the good Dads but especially to the great ones. I am lucky enough to have a great one, a fun one, one that I knew always had my back no matter what and still does.When we were all very young he played baseball for the NY Yankees farm team and I went to every game. Most of them I got to sit in the announcer box and they let me control the score board. He took me to see Godzilla at the Drive-in movie theatre on a hot summer night.He taught me how to bake the best apple pies and how to make the meringue on a lemon pie a half a foot high.He tutored me in my Spanish classes that helped me excel in the language. I would never have been able to live in Miami if this had not occurred.He came to my swim meets, my tennis matches and encouraged me all through flight school... 06/20/2015

 What’s Stopping You? A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how nothing can stop you from making a great living as a Realtor except you because YOU can make the marketing calls every day.  As long as you make outbound calls every day, you will always have business coming in. So this leads one to the next obvious question, “What is stopping you from making the calls?”  Is it a legitimate excuse?   Most brokers can make 5 or 10 outbound calls in one hour and in most cases, that is more outbound, aggressive calls then most Realtors make in a week.  So why can you not block off one hour to make all your calls?  What stops you from making one hour of calls a day?  If that is all you need to do to succeed, why aren’t you doing it? Well, over the years I have made a couple of observations.  F... 06/15/2015