The Real Estate Mango

Waterways Harbor and Marina in Aventura is Dirty with Trash and Deisel Oil Slicks

The Waterways harbor and marina is neglected and very dirty.  The smell of deisel oil permeates the air and this week, when I walked around the marina early in the morning, the smell was overwhelming.

Garbage from the boats is embeded in the rocks and is a geniune health hazard.  It is up to the management of the harbor to be sure that the pump works and pulls out polluted water and pulls in clean water.

This harbor is the centerpiece of the Waterways Development and all the beautiful townhomes and patio homes as well as the luxurious One Island Place and The Point of Aventura overlook what was supposed to be a gorgeous natural waterway leading out to the Intracoastal and the Ocean.

Each development pays a monthly fee toward the maintenance of the Harbor.  Someone has let us down.  I wrote to the Harbor Master on Wednesday and so far, no reponse.

As a realtor as well as a resident, this is important to me.  If you live in this area , it should be important to you, too. 

Contact the Harbor Master and demand that it be cleaned up!!

KLA SCHOOL IS COMING TO AVENTURA….REGISTRATION AVAILABLE FOR 2010-2011

THE SCHOOLS INSPIRED BY THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH IS OPENING IN AVENTURA!   This is wonderful news for parents of young children.  The school actually starts at children of 12 months of age and also offers Summer Camp.

At the moment there are locations in Miami and Coral Gables and to have this type of facility in Aventura gives our city another advantage for families who want to live here.

The KLA schools encourage children to develop their skills and strengths from the earliest possible age.

Click on the link to learn more about this method of  teaching.

For more information please call 305 377 0391   …   www.klascchools.com

There are great homes available in Aventura for young families…call me TODAY to see beautiful properties.  Buy while interest rates are low!!

Five Important Reasons Why Getting a Mortgage Is Getting Tougher Even When Rates Are Low

1.  Harder to Qualify.  Lending institutions are looking at credit scores with a magnifying glass.  In the past 620 was good.  NOW 680 is better and anything lower than 620  gets the potential borrower higher rates and higher fees.  740 gets you a terrific house but that is an optimum number that most people don’t have.  This is called the FICO score named after the corporation that produces it (Fair Isaac Corporation).  It is a statistical analysis of a person’s credit report.  

2. Income and Assets Subject to Greater Scrutiny  In the past, some loans were given without checking any of the financial figures of the borrower as long as he had a large down payment.  This is no longer true.  All the financial history of the borrower is examined at extreme lengths.  Foreign buyers have additional problems since their statements are sent from a foreign institutions and have to be verified carefully here and that takes more time.

3. Appraisals Come In Low  Since there are not as many sales to compare a home to, the appraiser has to branch out to like properties in similar close by developments and make adjustments.  They are very careful to not include any personal property so as to skew the result.  Their appraisal is usually counter checked by the lending institution and questioned.  This procedure is also different in that the appraiser cannot speak to any realtor in his work and must rely on the cold facts.

4. Condo Mortgages More Difficult to Obtain  In addition to qualifying the borrower, the lending institutions have to approve the condo that the borrower is buying in.  Cash reserves have to be documented, owner occupancy rates are evaluated, deliquency rates on monthly maintenance charges are examined  and if these facts don’t measure up to the standards set, then the loan is denied.

All scenarios make getting a loan, today, at these fantastic rates difficult.    Statistically, it is quoted that only 3 out of 10 loans are made.

If you are thinking of buying, get qualified by a  mortgage broker as soon as possible, before you start looking at properties.  Let him know all your financial situations so when you find the perfect home, you will not be disappointed.

How to Sell A Real Estate Property Fast and Efficiently in the 2010 Aventura Real Estate Market

Last  year, a retired couple contacted me to sell their townhouse in Aventura.  They knew the market was not what it once was, but they had plans.  The allure of  Jupiter and points north was their dream.

When I visited them, they were open to all  the information I brought with me.  There were very few sales in their development but there were sales in nearby subdivisions that were very similar.  I wanted to give them the best facts just as an appraiser will when their home has to be appraised for a potential buyer.

To their credit, they were open to advice.  They believed the facts shown to them.  They relied on the price point that I  suggested.

As soon as all the paper work was complete, all the photos of the interior and exterior of the home were taken, all the minor repairs were made by the seller, we put the house on the market.

Because it was priced right, calls came in immediately.  Within a week, we had three offers.  In the third week, an offer was accepted, closing date agreed upon and a SALE WAS PENDING!!!!

Again, because we priced it right and the offer was on target, the appraisal came off without a hitch.  The buyer got his mortgage and it closed as per the date on the contract.

SUCCESS STORY!   WHY!  Because the sellers were on board with the information given to them and they were well advised and savvy enough to know what was right!

Here is their testimonial for a job well done. 

 

 

What is New in Aventura Real Estate…How Have Sales Improved in a Year….What are the Keys To Selling

I feel ambitious, today so I will discuss real estate trends in general and Aventura Real Estate trends in particular.  First I want to show you a graph of sales of condos from February 2009 until now, April 2010.  Let’s see what progress we are making and what we can do to make it better:    To describe the graph opposite in a nut shell, inventory is down and sales are still at the same level, but since the sales have been consistent, we are doing better.   Our inventory has shrunk from 24 months to 19 months of properties to be sold.  Better but not great.

In my opinion, sales in Aventura need more aggresssive pricing.  Sellers must take notice of recent sales and realize that if they sold, it was because the price was right.  There is no magic bullet that will sell an overpriced home just because the seller wills it.

There are developments in the Waterways with terrific homes, right on the harbor that have been overpriced and are still for sale after a year.

What Aventura homeowners need, is good advice when pricing their homes and then fixing these homes so they look as beautiful and possible and hiring a real estate agent who knows the market, knows how to market and is there every step of the way.

Putting your home on the market is like getting a show ready for Broadway.   Step it up!!  Price it RIGHT!!  Sell it so you can get on with your life!!!

Call me today to answer any questions.  By the way, I sold a townhouse in Golden Pointe in one month.  All the others in this development are still on the market after a year.

Monsoon in Aventura This Morning…..But I Have Updates On The Real Estate Market

 He is happy in Aventura on a sunny day!!!   He knows that living here is the best, that prices in Aventura are at a all time low and that values abound.  He knows you can live here and enjoy the parks, the Waterways Harbor, your boat, the restaurants.  He knows all that but do you?

In this blog, I will feature some of the properties that I think are unique to the Aventura area at prices you will love.

TURNBERRY VILLAGE…..3 BEDROOMS, 3 BATHS, ….$385K

                                                     MARINER VILLAGE….3 BEDROOMS, 3 BATHS….$347K

                                                      SOUTH TOWER AT THE POINT……2 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS…..$399K

These are just samples of the wonderful values available in Aventura.  These condos are either on scenic Country Club Drive or Yacht Club Drive, with great amenities and location.

Check out my Property Search and call me today!

Today is a Great Day for America..Why I am glad the Health Care Reform Passed

People want to live their lives happily and without constant worry about money and health  Well, today is the beginning of a new era in America…Today we can see a future where our quality of life will improve.

So many times, I have seen the carefree faces of people sitting in the cafes of Europe enjoying the food, the air, the wine and the time to be human.  They take long paid for vacations.  They leave worries behind.  Once, while staying in Paris, my husband caught the flu.  A doctor was called by the hotel and in 15 minutes he arrived, gave an exam and medicine and voila!, he was better the next day.  No waiting in an emergency room.

Not so much in the U.S.  We work hard, and until now, we worried about what would happen if we lost that job.  How would we take care of our health?  Thoughts like these take the joy out of life.                                                 

We are closer to the day when we can lie in the sun and truly have peace of mind.

IMPORTANT MARKET INFORMATION FROM RON SHUFFIELD,PRESIDENT OF EWM REALTORS

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IT IS MY PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU THIS TREMENDOUS INSIGHT INTO TODAY’S REAL ESTATE MARKET.  PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.

Beware the Ides Of March … Caution for Aventura Real Estate

What better time than today, the middle of March to give advice to homeowners in Aventura and elsewhere in south Florida.

• Advice for Buyers….Now is the best time to buy in a decade or more.   Interest rates are low but they will be rising soon.  All indications are that banks see a rise in the very near future
• Advice for Buyers…..PRICES ARE VERY LOW…THE LOWEST IN TEN YEARS…Take advantage of the terrific deals available.
• Advice for Sellers…. Your asking price should be very realistic and should be slightly below the last sale.  Prices are not going up.  They are still going down and when the foreclosures reach the market in a few months, prices will go even lower.
• Advice for Sellers….Dress your home for success.  Remove all unnecessary personal items.  Remove all unnecessary furniture and accessories that hide the true character and form of your home.  REMEMBER….buyers want to visualize themselves in the space.  They need to see the space
• Advice for Sellers…Live in the present.  Yesterday’s prices are just that.  They may not come back for many years.  They are best forgotten

If these rules are taken seriously, the market will move.  Sales will increase and the activity will give health and vitality to the real estate market place.

I have seen townhomes sell in one month when priced right in the Waterways in Aventura.  The townhomes that are overpriced have been on the market for a year or more with no activity. 

Take a look at the properties on my site and call today to see these great homes.

 

Short Sales Drive You Crazy? Help Is On The Way…HAFA is coming to a bank near you..April 5

Due to the urginf of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the Treasury Department is going to imrove the short sales process.

So, if you are trying to sell your house because it is worth less than your mortgage, or if you are trying to buy a property that is in this position…on April 5, new rules will make both of these desires EASIER>>>

HAFA which means Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program will help in the following ways:

• Standard procedures for documents and deadlines
• Provides incentives : $1500 for borrower relocation assistance, $1000 for servicers to cover administrative costs, up to $3000 in short sales proceeds to be distributed to subordinate lien holders
• Program requires deadlines for SHORT SALES….withing 3 business days of receiving an executed purchase offer, the borrower (or agent) must submit a completed Request for Approval of Short Sale to the servicer (bank)
• WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS after the bank receives the RASS and all required attachments, the bank must APPROVE or DENY the request and advise the borrower.

We will see much faster action and more transparancy on Short Sales which have been a bain on our existance.  Banks will have to make quick decisions so we can move on the sale of properties before they are foreclosed.

Both buyers and sellers should welcome this new development.  Call me for further information.  Call me if you want to sell your home or want to buy a great deal.