The International Builders Show in Las Vegas is always a great place to visit as a tradesman, designer, builder, homeowner or contractor. There are many ideas and trends that are shown that basically set the pace for the coming year's NEW and HOT IDEAS.
According to industry leaders if you want to sell that property this year follow these tips:
1) Go contemporary - Today's minimalist design you may mix straighter furniture elements and use two different colors repeated throughout (i.e. green and white). But remember to add those fun and bold accessories (could be a crazy mod orange chair or a traditional gilded mirror).
2) Don't think of lighting as utility - think of it as art - look at creative and funky shapes and designs. Remember they can be decorative as well as functional.
3) Green is in - efficient appliances, LED lighting etc., conservation is the way.
4) His and Her "everything" is in - from closets to vanity think in pairs!!!
5) Windows are huge - Buyers are looking for that floor to ceiling window that let's lots of natural light in.
6) Wood details are back in style - use them in light and dark tones on ceilings, moldings, floor inserts and more.
7) Mirrors are hot!!! They can be a focal point, make a room look larger and add glamour.
8) Electronics everywhere - think IPOD docking station in the kitchen, plasma in the bathroom etc.
9) Bring Nature in - use trees and tree design as decorative art. Try to seemlessly flow the outside in and the inside out.
10) Outdoor living serves as an extension of your house - remember pay attention to the outdoor entertaining areas think - pool plants, fire pits, great seating areas, hammocks etc.
Hope these tips help you whether you are just decorating or intending to sell. If you want more contact us here.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
EWM - The State of the market - Credit crises impact South Florida real estate market
This posting references the wise words and thoughts of Ron Shuffield, EWM Realtors President
"As we enter 2009, it's important to note that while the changes to our residential real estate market during 2008 were unprecedented, the opportunities that are evolving today are equally compelling. When all is said and done, it’s hard to imagine that we will ever see again a buyer’s market similar to what we will experience in the year ahead. Opportunities abound to purchase all types of housing at prices that we didn't dream possible two years ago. But, we will still have to dig out the real values. 33% of the total Miami-Dade and Broward MLS inventories are now listed as short sales and another 10% are listed as REO properties. That means that we are at a point where our buyers are now finding exceptional values in almost 50% of our listing inventory. While 2008 was the year of "analysis", 2009 will be the year of a sharp increase in the number of homes sold. Our industry sold 43% more single-family homes and condos in the 4th quarter of 2008 than we did in the same period in 2007; and, we believe that we will continue to see many more sales in 2009 than we experienced in 2008. Our buyers are recognizing the values that we are now offering."
Ron Shuffield's thoughts on the credit situation and how it affected Real Estate in 2008 and what his predictions will be for 2009.
"As we enter 2009, it's important to note that while the changes to our residential real estate market during 2008 were unprecedented, the opportunities that are evolving today are equally compelling. When all is said and done, it’s hard to imagine that we will ever see again a buyer’s market similar to what we will experience in the year ahead. Opportunities abound to purchase all types of housing at prices that we didn't dream possible two years ago. But, we will still have to dig out the real values. 33% of the total Miami-Dade and Broward MLS inventories are now listed as short sales and another 10% are listed as REO properties. That means that we are at a point where our buyers are now finding exceptional values in almost 50% of our listing inventory. While 2008 was the year of "analysis", 2009 will be the year of a sharp increase in the number of homes sold. Our industry sold 43% more single-family homes and condos in the 4th quarter of 2008 than we did in the same period in 2007; and, we believe that we will continue to see many more sales in 2009 than we experienced in 2008. Our buyers are recognizing the values that we are now offering."
Ron Shuffield's thoughts on the credit situation and how it affected Real Estate in 2008 and what his predictions will be for 2009.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Warren Buffet's Words of Wisdom
Everytime I write a blog I always make sure it is real estate related. However once in a while the lessons we learn every day transcend an industry and can affect our whole outlook on life.
Today's blog I leave it to you to reflect on the wise words of Mr. Warren Buffet, who is the ultimate owner of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell (EWM Realtors) and for whom I work...
Subject: Warren Buffet in 2009
Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health.Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future.This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older.
This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.
Hard work: All hard work brings profit; but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Laziness : Sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.
Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income.
Spending: If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.
Savings: Don't save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.
Accounting: It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.
Auditing: Beware of little expenses; a small leak can sink a large ship.
Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet.
Investment: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I'm certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.
Warren Buffet Opportunities are never lost. The other fellow takes that you miss.
Today's blog I leave it to you to reflect on the wise words of Mr. Warren Buffet, who is the ultimate owner of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell (EWM Realtors) and for whom I work...
Subject: Warren Buffet in 2009
Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health.Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future.This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older.
This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.
Hard work: All hard work brings profit; but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Laziness : Sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.
Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income.
Spending: If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.
Savings: Don't save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.
Accounting: It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.
Auditing: Beware of little expenses; a small leak can sink a large ship.
Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet.
Investment: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I'm certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.
Warren Buffet Opportunities are never lost. The other fellow takes that you miss.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Aventura, Miami Beach & Sunny Isles
Forget about shopping for a condo, now you need to shop for a building!!!
Sitting down with a cup of tea in hand I opened the Miami Herald Saturday morning, to see a blaring headline…”New rules raise bar for condo mortgage”
I got to thinking about the gist of this article and how was it going to impact our already suffering values of property. The new Fannie Mae guidelines in essence say that in order to qualify for new financing:
1) At least 70% of the units in a new condo building must be presold
2) No more than 10% of units can be owned by a single entity
3) No more than 15% of units can be more than 30 days past due on association fees.
4) No more than 20% of a condo can be devoted to commercial space
5) All condos new and old, must have fidelity insurance, which protects the association funds from fraud.
6) The seller is not allowed to help with down payments or offer other perks like deductions of association unless they are disclosed.
7) Condos must have hazard insurance
8) When investors buy in established projects, at least 51% of units must be owner occupied.
The article continued to debate whether this is good or bad. (Most contributors and Realtors quoted were saying it was disatrous) . Are we being a little too strong a little too late? After all it was not the condo buildings that got the market into this mess. It was the practice of easy lending that allowed buyers to purchase properties way beyond their means.
Now when a buyer is interested in purchasing a condo they first have to sort out which buildings are even viable options. It is very important that a Buyer work with a Realtor who is current with their market knowledge and knows the financial conditions of neighborhood buildings.
For those of you cash buyers, this news is like winning the lottery as your buying power has just exponentially gone up and you will have great power when it comes to negotiation.
Written By
Debra Golan
The Golan Team
EWM Realtors
786-333-6200
Forget about shopping for a condo, now you need to shop for a building!!!
Sitting down with a cup of tea in hand I opened the Miami Herald Saturday morning, to see a blaring headline…”New rules raise bar for condo mortgage”
I got to thinking about the gist of this article and how was it going to impact our already suffering values of property. The new Fannie Mae guidelines in essence say that in order to qualify for new financing:
1) At least 70% of the units in a new condo building must be presold
2) No more than 10% of units can be owned by a single entity
3) No more than 15% of units can be more than 30 days past due on association fees.
4) No more than 20% of a condo can be devoted to commercial space
5) All condos new and old, must have fidelity insurance, which protects the association funds from fraud.
6) The seller is not allowed to help with down payments or offer other perks like deductions of association unless they are disclosed.
7) Condos must have hazard insurance
8) When investors buy in established projects, at least 51% of units must be owner occupied.
The article continued to debate whether this is good or bad. (Most contributors and Realtors quoted were saying it was disatrous) . Are we being a little too strong a little too late? After all it was not the condo buildings that got the market into this mess. It was the practice of easy lending that allowed buyers to purchase properties way beyond their means.
Now when a buyer is interested in purchasing a condo they first have to sort out which buildings are even viable options. It is very important that a Buyer work with a Realtor who is current with their market knowledge and knows the financial conditions of neighborhood buildings.
For those of you cash buyers, this news is like winning the lottery as your buying power has just exponentially gone up and you will have great power when it comes to negotiation.
Written By
Debra Golan
The Golan Team
EWM Realtors
786-333-6200
Friday, January 23, 2009
Hollywood Beach Florida - Staging Sells a Luxury Penthouse at the Diplomat
What a great post to write!!! We just closed our first luxury sale of the year. The Penthouse at the Diplomat is a magnificent 4700 sf+ 4 bed 5.5 bath + media room with stunning ocean and bay views just sold!!!
When we got this listing almost 9 months ago it was a sprawling and almost cavernous space. We hired stagers who came in and staged the entire place making it go from a space to a home.
If you own a property that isn't selling or if you are getting ready to list it for sale, think about staging the property. It really helped us and the Sellers in this case.
The Diplomat Oceanfront residences is located on the ocean in Hollywood Beach adjacent to the Westin Diplomat Hotel and residents of this building can enjoy all the services of the Westin Diplomat Hotel including room service, spa facilities, maid service and concierge. The apartment sizes range from 2200-7000+ sf. There are currently 30 properties for sale at the Diplomat Oceanfront Residences. We love showing properties there and all the clients that we have sold there absolutely love it!!!
If you are thinking about moving to the Ocean and want to wake up by the beach, this is a great building to consider and you can count on the Golan Team to get you the best deal.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Should you buy Residential Real Estate with a Commercial State of Mind?
Bay Harbor Islands, FL – Luxury Real Estate
Should you buy Residential Real Estate with a Commercial state of mind?
When you go and buy the home you live in, it is a fact that you buy it with your heart and mind. Your heart takes in the decor, the paint on the walls, the amount of sunlight that streams in through the windows, how the bedrooms are laid out, the color of the kitchen granite etc. etc. etc. None of these factors really ever play in the decision making of a commercial property.
When purchasing a commercial property it is all about the numbers. The paint of the wall or the type of flooring is of less concern then does it work on a price/ft basis, or the income it will generate or the return on investment it will produce.
Of course some of the commercial conditions for purchase do not apply for a property you are going to live in, but certain trends remain common between commercial and residential real estate primarily - that is - location, location, location. Just like prime commercial real estate in an excellent location will fetch a higher price so to does this analogy work with residential real estate. So the question begs to ask – in this day and age where financing is tight and everyone is approaching real estate with caution should we approach Residential real estate (the house you will call home) with a commercial approach of buying it solely from a financial analysis?
Case in point – I am negotiating on a wonderful house in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida. This is a single family home neighborhood within walking distance to the beach, the shops at Bal Harbour and just minutes from South Beach. My client, who is a long time commercial buyer is approaching this purchase solely from a commercial aspect. He looks at the market and makes his offer accordingly. The Seller has rejected the offer...do you agree?
In analyzing Bay Harbor Islands Single Family homes over the past two years since this shift has begun we found the following information:
There have been only 23 single family homes sold in Bay Harbor Islands (this number reflects those sales we have sales price information for) since Jan 1, 2007. 11 of these properties were located either on the canal or wide open bay and 12 were on dry lots. The market year on year from 2007 to 2008 declined on average 21% (we analyzed waterfront properties average square price year on year). Though this number seems high it is actually much less than then the average Miami-Dade county drop which was 35% in the same time period (Source Trendgraphix).
We are finding more and more of Buyers are becoming more purchase savvy in this Real Estate market and are buying their homes with this frame of mind. As Realtors it is becoming more challenging to deal with this objection and convince a Seller that their property must not only meet a Buyer’s wants, needs and desires, but also stand up to the market shifting downward and the Buyers low purchase price offerings.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Aventura, Florida - Condo Sales are Up.
How many times in the recent weeks and months have you read negative press about the South Florida Real Estate market? How many times have you read positive reviews? I can almost guarantee the numbers are much higher for the question than the second one.
Well I am here to burst the bubble!!!
The numbers are fantastic.
In 2008 there were 748 condos sold in Aventura. That is a whopping 27% more than was sold in 2007 (only 589). Furthermore in the last quarter of 2008 there was a 55% increase in condo sales over the same period a year before (179 vs 120 units).
According to the same report, (Facts and Trends by Trendgraphix) there are currently 79 condos in pending sale in Aventura, which tends to make me believe that we are heading into a strong 2009 that should exceed even last year’s figures.
So for all of you that are sitting on the fence waiting for this “bubble to burst” --- guess what, the shift has come!!! Get off and buy while you still have great opportunities. Prices are at their all time low and with a good selection of foreclosures, short sales or just well priced units – there are a lot of opportunities out there.
Speaking of a great opportunity. Yesterday we listed a two bedroom two bathroom condo at Turnberry Isle at only $259,126. That’s only $170/ft. It has a huge terrace and is in a building with great amenities such as media room, state of the art gym, billiards room, stunning pool, various party and card rooms as well as a lounge, library and conference room.
If you would like me to email you some pictures contact us at info@golanteam.com and we will be happy to send you photos and more information.
In the meantime, whether you choose to buy or sell please call us for a confidential conversation of how we can be off assistance to you.
Regards
Eyal & Debra Golan
THE GOLAN TEAM
EWM REALTORS
www.golanteam.com
info@golanteam.comSouth Beach - Miami Beach - Surfside - Bal Harbour - Sunny Isles Beach - Aventura - Hallandale - Hollywood Beach - Fort Lauderdale – Boca Raton.
Well I am here to burst the bubble!!!
The numbers are fantastic.
In 2008 there were 748 condos sold in Aventura. That is a whopping 27% more than was sold in 2007 (only 589). Furthermore in the last quarter of 2008 there was a 55% increase in condo sales over the same period a year before (179 vs 120 units).
According to the same report, (Facts and Trends by Trendgraphix) there are currently 79 condos in pending sale in Aventura, which tends to make me believe that we are heading into a strong 2009 that should exceed even last year’s figures.
So for all of you that are sitting on the fence waiting for this “bubble to burst” --- guess what, the shift has come!!! Get off and buy while you still have great opportunities. Prices are at their all time low and with a good selection of foreclosures, short sales or just well priced units – there are a lot of opportunities out there.
Speaking of a great opportunity. Yesterday we listed a two bedroom two bathroom condo at Turnberry Isle at only $259,126. That’s only $170/ft. It has a huge terrace and is in a building with great amenities such as media room, state of the art gym, billiards room, stunning pool, various party and card rooms as well as a lounge, library and conference room.
If you would like me to email you some pictures contact us at info@golanteam.com and we will be happy to send you photos and more information.
In the meantime, whether you choose to buy or sell please call us for a confidential conversation of how we can be off assistance to you.
Regards
Eyal & Debra Golan
THE GOLAN TEAM
EWM REALTORS
www.golanteam.com
info@golanteam.comSouth Beach - Miami Beach - Surfside - Bal Harbour - Sunny Isles Beach - Aventura - Hallandale - Hollywood Beach - Fort Lauderdale – Boca Raton.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Aventura, South Florida Condos - Blogging Works.
Most people come the New Year make all these resolutions about losing weight, getting their finances in order etc. etc. etc. Along with those resolutions that are all so easy to make and oh so hard to keep, is the resolution about becoming a constant blogger!!!
It is now the 14th of January 2009 and I am sitting to write my first blog of the New Year (Happy belated holiday everyone!!!). I, like the other resolutions we make this time of year, intend to remain a consistent blogger as this will reap us all rewards – For you, the reader it will give you an insight to what is going on with oceanfront properties and Intracoastal properties in Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles, Aventura, Hallandale and Hollywood. It will also help you as you get closer to making a purchase or selling decision.
So you ask, why start today. On August 25, 2008 a viewer on Trulia asked about vacation homes within walking distance to restaurants and a synagogue. I answered the question ( http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Miami_dade_County-286097) and described how great it is as a Religious Jew to live in Aventura. I haven't thought about that post in months but you will never believe what has happened...Two nights ago I received a phone call from a prospective Buyer from Northern New Jersey who is looking to relocate to Miami. They were not sure where to settle and did a google search for synagogues and Jewish communities in Miami. Guess what – our blog post popped up and they read my comments with interest. After a little more investigating they went to our website, http://www.golanteam.com to check us out and then contacted us. Yesterday we spent the day showing them properties and have identified two that match their needs.
This Buyer came directly from a blog~!!!! Wow I guess everything they say about blogging really is true...Stayed tuned ...I will be back!!
It is now the 14th of January 2009 and I am sitting to write my first blog of the New Year (Happy belated holiday everyone!!!). I, like the other resolutions we make this time of year, intend to remain a consistent blogger as this will reap us all rewards – For you, the reader it will give you an insight to what is going on with oceanfront properties and Intracoastal properties in Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles, Aventura, Hallandale and Hollywood. It will also help you as you get closer to making a purchase or selling decision.
So you ask, why start today. On August 25, 2008 a viewer on Trulia asked about vacation homes within walking distance to restaurants and a synagogue. I answered the question ( http://www.trulia.com/voices/profile/Real_Estate_Pro-Miami_dade_County-286097) and described how great it is as a Religious Jew to live in Aventura. I haven't thought about that post in months but you will never believe what has happened...Two nights ago I received a phone call from a prospective Buyer from Northern New Jersey who is looking to relocate to Miami. They were not sure where to settle and did a google search for synagogues and Jewish communities in Miami. Guess what – our blog post popped up and they read my comments with interest. After a little more investigating they went to our website, http://www.golanteam.com to check us out and then contacted us. Yesterday we spent the day showing them properties and have identified two that match their needs.
This Buyer came directly from a blog~!!!! Wow I guess everything they say about blogging really is true...Stayed tuned ...I will be back!!
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