Remember the great music in the movie, Peter and the Wolf?  How about the music that Sleeping Beauty and her prince waltz to when they first meet in the forest?  So many children’s movies contain great classical music.  The New World Symphony will  be presenting some of that music in their Stories in Music: Concert […]

According to Forbes’ America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes, South Florida luxury real estate is not faring too badly, compared with states like California.  Granted, California has more expensive ZIPS according to the statistics used by Forbes and almost all of those ZIP codes show a decrease in price, but still, only four South Florida ZIPs […]

The following were all topics in the news last week and all of them have an effect on our real estate market: South Florida home sales surge, prices plunge, mortgage rates fall to lowest levels since May, Florida’s unemployment rate is up, Florida foreclosures are up and may be increasing, another condo developer files for […]

In the current real estate market, a lot of attention has been given to staging a home to help it sell.   I am a big fan of staging, but think curb appeal is even more important.  After all, it doesn’t matter how nice your home looks on the inside if buyers drive up, take a […]

In the current real estate market, a lot of attention has been given to staging a home to help it sell.   I am a big fan of staging, but think curb appeal is even more important.  After all, it doesn’t matter how nice your home looks on the inside if buyers drive up, take a […]

Growing plants in South Florida is very easy.  When I first moved here, I remember someone  telling me,  “plant once and cut it forever” .  Well, after successfully growing tomatoes, jalapenos, and a variety of peppers by simply throwing seeds from my kitchen into assorted pots, I am convinced that growing just about anything is […]

The government’s first-time homebuyer tax credit is set to expire on December 1, 2009.  That gives buyers a little over 3 months to: qualify for a mortgage find their home negotiate a contract have inspections done get an appraisal get a financing commitment and close on the house by November 30. Any one of the […]

Two sentences in today’s Wall Street Journal article by Brett Arends sums up all of the often conflicting real estate news these days.  “A real-estate purchase needs to make sense on its own terms.  And measure it on cash flow today, not the hope for capital gains tomorrow.” This advice makes sense in any real […]

I found another reason to love South Florida, CHEAP fishing licenses!  I  purchased annual fishing licenses for my sons to go out for mini lobster season and thought I had been charged incorrectly.  The cost for an annual license was $17!  I paid $52.70 for an annual license in Pennsylvania so one of my sons […]

“Long term Miami will outperform the rest of the country.  In 10,20, 30 years, prices will be rising faster in Miami than in the rest of the country,” states Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors.  The important item in this quote is the time frame.