There are some terrific prices on foreclosed properties right now.  There are homes for sale in Pinecrest Fl that are foreclosures.  If you see one that you like, let me suggest a couple of things.  First, be prepared with a preapproval letter in hand so that you can act quickly.  Second, don't be surprised if your agent suggests that you offer over list price. I have been working with a couple for about four weeks now; they're well qualified and ready to buy.  We have submitted three offers on three different foreclosed properties and our offers have not been accepted because other buyers have offered more!  Just yesterday our fourth offer was accepted on a foreclosed property; of course it was for more than list price and the property had been on the market for just one day when I had... 07/15/2009

  Pinecrest FL might soon have it's first "Dog Park"!  The Village Council is considering turning the Veterans Wayside Park on US1 and 112 Street into a dog friendly park like Palmetto Bay did with their Wayside Park on US1 and 161 Street.  I think it would be a terrific idea since dogs aren't allowed in any of our other parks here in Pinecrest.  I sadly don't have my beloved Bichon Frise, April, anymore, but I certainly would enjoy stopping by and visiting with some four legged friends.     07/09/2009

Between 2004 and 2007 some builders were using "Chinese Drywall" in the construction of new homes.  This drywall has been found to emit sulfide gases that can corrode electrical wiring, components of air-conditioning systems and other household appliances.  It is extremely expensive to correct and it is questionable if a home owner's policy will cover it.  Currently I am not aware of what this gas can or has been doing to a person's health living in one of these homes.  But if it's doing this to these systems I just can't imagine what it can do to someone's lungs. If a homeowner knows that his property has Chinese Drywall he, and his real estate agent, must disclose it to any potential Buyer.  The reason I write this today is because it has come to my knowledge that not all homeowners a... 06/26/2009

This has nothing to do with real estate but I couldn't help but share this with you.  In one of my realtor magazines I read about this USB flash drive to back up my hard drive. You just plug it into a USB port, press the button on the flash drive and that's it. Well I went to the company's (SanDisk) website and it said, "Introducing the first USB flash drive with a backup button. No wires. No fuss. Just an easier way to protect your favorite photos, videos, songs and more-so you'll always have them with you. Well I ordered a 16GB flash drive from Buy.com for $45.04, shipping included. It arrived today! Well it true - I plugged it in clicked OK/Next and that was it. About an hour later, while I still worked on the computer, I was backed up. I plugged the flash drive into my laptop (I jus... 06/25/2009

  This has been an exceptional year for mangoes here in Miami-Dade county. As I drive through Pinecrest I so enjoy looking at all the trees just loaded with mangoes. For all you mango lovers - on July 11th and 12th, Fairchild Gardens will be having it's annual Mango Festival. The festival features mango trees, lectures, auction, food and a children's program. I have attended several times and it's just such a nice family outing. For more information click here:   http://www.fairchildgarden.org/livingcollections/tropicalfruitprogram/Fairchilds17thAnnualInternationalMangoFestival/ 06/23/2009

I'm thinking of starting a new Miami Weekly round-up to talk about events occurring in South Miami-Dade that might be of interest to some people.  This week we're going to start with some events for the week of June 20, 2009. All events are from Social Miami, a local newsletter that I recommend all to subscribe to. Arsht Center : Fuerza Bruta at  playing through July 5.  A 'Play' where reality takes a back seat!  A hip urban space directed by Miami's best DJs, multimedia art installations created by local artists, and a signature Barton G. restaurant inspired by the show. At show time, audiences are ushered onto the main stage where they are engulfed in a 360 degree spectacle featuring mind-blowing visual effects just inches above the audience. Argentinean creative genius Diqui James, c... 06/18/2009

Pinecrest doesn't have any scheduled fireworks displays but our neighbors to the south, Cutler Bay, has a wonderful display every year at the Black Point Marina: 24775 SW 87 Avenue, 305-258-4092.From Pinecrest, head south on Old Cutler Road, then make a left on SW 87th Avenue, the marina is at the end of the street. I have been going to this display for several years now and it is just beautiful. Please note - get there early! 06/18/2009

To get your offer on a foreclosed property accepted I have found it helps to: 1. Act quickly; the good buys are going very fast - sometimes within hours! 2.  Fill out the contract and the additional forms required by the bank completely; they just don't have the time to chase you down to ask you question. 3. Make your offer as strong, simple and clean as possible; this is not the time to get creative, have contingencies, etc. 4. Submit your offer with a bank letter verifying proof of funds or a pre-approval letter from a recognized lending institution. 5. Be nice to the listing agent - she can really help you out!   06/15/2009

Pinecrest Snapshot as of June 4, 2009 Currently there are 245 homes for sale in Pinecrest. There are 44 under contract scheduled to close. 18 Homes sold/closed. May's highest sale was for $2,300,000 lowest sale was for $350,000.   06/04/2009

Remember, most of South Florida is still under water restrictions imposed by the South Florida Water Management District.  Whether you use municipal water or well water, the water is coming from the same water table - the restrictions apply to everyone!  In Pinecrest the first citation costs $75.00, second $250.00 and third $500.00. The regulations allow even-numberd homes to water from 12:01 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays; odd-numbered homes on Wednesdays and Saturdays.        05/28/2009

Click to see what your Pinecrest Home is Worth!  The quantity of homes for sale is relatively unchanged, the quantity of sold homes is down 44%, while the number of pending homes is up 35% from same time last year. The rise in pending home sales indicates that buyers are buying again and that sales will be up when these homes sell.  Months of Inventory in Pinecrest The months of inventory in Pinecrest is up 78% from same time last year. Many sellers are still not realistic in their asking prices, therefore numbers of homes on the market just keeps rising, slowing down a recovery. Average Square Foot Prices in Pinecrest Average Square Foot prices of homes in Pinecrest has fallen 25% in the past year. The falling prices in Pinecrest has spurred a bit of activity in the marketplace this pa... 05/26/2009

An Explanation of Florida’s Property Tax Portability Exemption The other night some friends were wondering aloud how they could afford to move into a nice condo and sell their home in Pinecrest. They assumed that since they had lived in their home so long and their tax base was so low because of the Save Our Homes ammendment, that the taxes on a new purchase would make the new move just too expensive. So we started to talk about the Florida Portability Exemption. I don't think I explained it to well as I should have as I was rusty on the thought.  I did some homework and have decided to share the information with everyone.  I think you will find it interesting and find that it is possible to either "Move Up" into a condo after selling your Pinecrest, Coral Gables or Palmetto Bay home, ... 05/01/2009

Home prices are closer to stabilizing today than at any time in the past nine years. Based on the latest data, median selling prices for new and existing homes combined now equal 2.9 times median household incomes, nationwide. This is exactly the ratio that prevailed during the halcyon days of the 1980s, when sales and construction of housing were booming. Three years ago, just before the housing bubble burst, this ratio was 4.5 times incomes. Add in the fact that interest rates are much lower today than they were two decades ago and housing is even more affordable. Lynn Cromer is a real estate sales and marketing professional for Coldwell Banker in beautiful Pinecrest, Florida. For more information on Pinecrest, Florida or the communities of Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay and Coconut Grove... 03/12/2009

Thank you to Miamism for the idea of breaking down the market updates monthly. Mortgage rates are slightly up this week, to 5.15%. Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft said mortgage rates followed a rise in bond yields after the Commerce Department reported that gross domestic product plunged in the fourth quarter of 2008 at an annual rate of 6.2 percent, the worst showing in a quarter-century. Pinecrest Real Estate Report I am breaking down Pinecrest into 2 categories: East of Ludlam & West of Ludlam: There are currently 98 homes on the market in this Pinecrest area. Highest priced listing: $6,499,000 (located at 6500 SW 98 Street) Lowest priced listing: $699,000 (short sale located at 6601 SW 124 St) Pending Sales: 6 Closed Sales in Feb: 4 Below you can see that the average list ... 03/07/2009

The annual Taste of Pinecrest, a fun family day to support our local schools will take place Sunday, March 8th from 11 am to 5 pm at the beautiful Pinecrest Gardens.  This is a fun-filled day for the whole family featuring entertainment, tastings from area restaurants and a children's ride area.  Parking and admission are free. 02/28/2009

Pinecrest, Florida is becoming affordable again! Bring on the buyers! Pinecrest is really becoming affordable! I thought I would show you just a few of the homes that are currently on the market for under $600,000. Neither of these homes are short sales or in foreclosures. 9300 SW 71 Avenue, Pinecrest, Florida is listed at $574,900. It features 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 2367 square feet per the tax record. It was built in 1958 and has lots of recent renovations. The house is located on a quiet street and the house has accordion shutters, no pool and resides in the Pinecrest Elementary School District. The second home that I think is a wonderful is located at 13300 SW 83 Avenue, Pinecrest, Florida. It is a 3 bedroom 2 bath home with just over 2000 square feet. It features a pool, updated ... 02/23/2009

In Pinecrest in 2007 there were 150 listed properties sold with an average sale price of $1,454,808.  In 2008 there were 136 listed properties sold with an average sale price of $1,116,094.  As we all know, real estate is very local.  In Miami-Dade County during the same time period there was a decline in sales price of 41%, while here in Pinecrest our decline was approximately 23%.  Pinecrest continues to be a very desirable area making it a very good investment.  02/23/2009

Absorption Rate in Pinecrest, Fl East of Ludlam Road As a mentioned in Part 1 of my post concerning the Absorption rate of  homes in Pinecrest, Fl, the term absorption rate considers dividing the current number of homes for sale by the rate at which they have been selling. This will in turn help you understand how the inventory of homes on the market affects the sale prices in the Pinecrest Real Estate market. The longer the absorption rate, the longer it takes for a home to sell. This post will show us the absorption rate of homes East of SW 67 Avenue, commonly known as Ludlam, and mostly consisting of homes located on acre properties. There are currently 69 homes on the market listed between $890,000 and $6,499,000 with 31 homes sold in 2008 between $800,000 and $4,150,000. The calcul... 02/14/2009

Effective January 1, 2009, Citizens will not insure any residential structure located within the "Wind-Borne Debris Region" (all of Miami-Dade County)with an insured value of the structure of $750,000.00 or more that does not have shutters or other "opening protectors" on all openings.  A property will be in compliance if the shutters or opening protectors comply with the Florida Building Code in effect at the time of installation.  This means that if you buy a single family home where the structure is worth more the $750,000.00 be sure that it has approved window protection or you might have a difficult time finding wind insurance.   02/11/2009

From our mayor's office: "On Friday, January 30th your Council and I marked the official designation of the Village of Pinecrest as an official Tree City USA - installing a sign so designating us on Ludlam road near Old Cutler Road.    The  event celebrated the  Village of Pinecrest's acceptance into the Tree City USA program, sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation  This was not an award as much as a commitment the Village is making to continue to value its trees as an important component of residents' quality of life.  Since the Village's founding, we have planted more than 12,000 trees in public spaces including swales, parks and the U.S. 1 median.  Most of them were planted during an intensive six-year effort in which we invested $250,000 annually in new plantings." 02/09/2009