Coral Gables and Coconut Grove

Coral Gables Progressive Open House Wednesday October 28th - Public Welcome! 12:30-2:30

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:08:51 -0500

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Using Facebook to Sell with Soul - a few dos and don'ts

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:10:53 -0500

Jennifer Allan, the Queen of Selling with Soul, has mentioned more than once that Facebook is just not her thing. If you don't know Jennifer, you should subscribe to her blog, Sell with Soul, first then come back and read this post. Selling with Soul is all about working with your SOI (Sphere of Influence) and really catering to them in a professional, friendly and, as Jennifer says, competent way. It is NOT spamming, cold calling, gimmick driven real estate sales, but basically treating your clients as you would want to be treated yourself. I think Jennifer has gotten a bad taste in her mouth by having possibly too many "friends" on Facebook to be able to have meaningful relationships with as well as become tired and bored of all of the Mafia Wars, Farmville and other inane updates. (for full transparency, I have played all these games and actually enjoyed them, just not allowed them to spam my friends with my game updates).

I have come up with a Dos and Don'ts list of Selling with Soul on Facebook (or how to not piss your friends off) "friends" in this posts means your Facebook Friends,

1. Use the comment or "like" button to let others know you are reading their status updates and agree, share their pain or just enjoyed it. People love to know they are being read.
2. Do follow your friends updates to see what their interests and hobbies are, it is much easier to build a good solid foundation for a relationship with someone when you share a common denominator
3. Do use FB to alert you when it is their birthday (but Don't use FB to wish them a happy birthday, everyone does and it will get lost in the shuffle, give them a call instead)
4. Do post interesting info that you think your friends might find interesting and useful (but don't over-do it, FB is more about the interaction than just posting tons of links) This does NOT mean your listings (see Don'ts)
5. Do be yourself, flaws and all, it allows people to feel comfortable with you and build trust in you as a "real" person, not a marketing version of yourself
6. Use the "chat" feature to say hello to people you haven't spoken to in awhile
7. Create "groups" so that you can filter who you send certain updates to. I.e. if you are having an open house, or there is a sale coming up, you might want to only update your local friends on this. You can create as many groups as you want. Do this early in your FB life, you will be glad you do.

DON'T

1. Use FB as a spam media to post your listings relentlessly. If you have a nice one, you can, of course throw it in, but the quickest way to be unfollowed is to post nothing but real estate stuff over and over again. Seriously. FB is the most personal and relaxed social media and anything perceived as hard selling is taboo.
2. Allow the games like Mafia Wars, Farmville, etc. to post your updates. You can still enjoy these, but honestly, noone else cares what level you reach, who you knocked off or what tree you harvested
3. Stalk people, or anything that could perceived as stalking - use the "if it quacks like a duck" test
4. Tag people in photos without their permission. Not everyone likes to have pictures of them posted that they haven't seen before or like
5. Be upset if someone you send a friend request does not accept. Some people keep their FB very private and some rarely use it so there are lots of reasons (not directed at you) which could explain their reasoning. Let it go.
6. Get so addicted that you stop making personal contact (calls, direct emails) etc. Facebook does not replace more personal contact with your Sphere, only enhances it.

7. Take it personally if someone interacts less than you'd expect or hope, as mentioned above, everyone has their own Facebook protocol

8. And finally, DON'T let irritatig posts and games keep you from FB. If someone bugs you but you don't want to "unfriend" them, hover your mouse over the right side of their post on your wall and the "hide" button comes up and wahlah, they are hidden. You can do the same for irritating games, etc. like Mafia Wars, etc. When a new status from someone comes up, hover to get the "hide" as above, but choose application instead of friend.

Facebook can be as much or as little as you want it to be. If used with care and mindfulness, you can learn more about your friends (both personal and professional) while introducing them to a deeper level of yourself, both of which can build better relationships. This can build trust and deeper connections that can help build your SOI, one friend at a time.

cartoon by Tim Bolton

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Clean house - Zen Style

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:17:51 -0500

Fifteen years ago I moved to Germany, and all of my "stuff" fit onto one pallet, that is to say, 3'x3'x3'. Life was simple and I only carried with my the necessities; my photos, books and a few special things. Somehow, I lost my way and have collected what seems to be 15 pallets of "stuff". Do I need 15? No! Do I need just one, well, probably not, but I am guessing that the number is a lot closer to the lower end of the spectrum. (I'm thinking the 80/20 rule is probably dead on here) This stuff actually stresses me out, both consciously and unconsciously. We live on 2.5 acres with a home and a guest house, not a conducive atmosphere for keeping things simple and minimized. But times, they are a chanin'. In an effort to simplify our lives, we are moving back to the city (Coral Gables) so we can drive less and enjoy more. This will mean a significantly smaller slice of geography and I welcome the motivation to downsize.

Back to the basics. If I wear it keep it, if not, find it a new body. If I use it keep it, if not, find it a new user. If it brings me joy or peace, keep it, if not, find someone it does. Pare down, clear out, clean up. When we move, I want to know what is in those boxes are the gems of life, nothing less. That each one means something and will be used, cherished or enjoyed.

Our homes are an outward refelction of our internal selves, and too much clutter has led to a clutterd self. I need to free that up and refreh, regain the balance and lightness of having less, but special.

This is going to take some work and it is daunting. I have the boxes, I have the bags, but getting off my feet and starting has eluded me. So I decided to write this blog as a testament to my intent to clean out this home and life, one box at a time until I am down to the right stuff, the good stuff, and then it won't be stuff, it will be our lives.

Wish me luck!

Update - To track my progress read my blog janie's search for simplicity and beauty

image courtesy of thomas faivre-duboz

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The Number ONE Real Estate Marketing Tool I could NOT live without! my "Ode to Realbird"

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:23:56 -0500

New Active Rain member Cheryl Ritchie asked me not too long ago what are the Real Estate marketing tools that I could not live without and I answered unequivocally "Our Blog and RealBird". If I did nothing else, and had no other tools in the world to market our business and our listings, I could still do an amazingly good job at marketing our firm and our listings with these two alone. I would drop my designer website, I would drop Realtor.com featured listing status, I would drop open houses and just about everything other than our MLS dues in order to keep these two real estate marketing tools. "Wow" I can hear you say, "how can one tool be all that?" I am not going to go into why a blog is important, if you are on Active Rain, you know that, but I am going to tell you why RealBird is the Swiss Army Knife to Bear Grylls the Realtor.

We use RealBird for four CORE activities for our business

to win us listings
to promote those listings in a way that makes us look like we have a professional design and advertising firm for each of them
to find us buyers
to brand and promote our business

This is NOT a tutorial, but will give you an overview of what Realbird can do for you, your business and your listing clients if you aren't already using them.

Almost Every Link Below is a Real Life example of how I have used Realbird, they are worth clicking on to see the applications

**** EXAMPLES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG ****

Winning Listings

Sellers want one thing, they want their house sold. They understand that for their house to be sold, it has to be marketed well. They know this means extensive Internet coverage but they are also proud of them homes and want them to look great in that marketing. Before we even go to a listing presentation, we purchase the the domain for their street address. At the listing presentation, we show them a few single websites we have for our other listings, and reassure them we already have the domain name for their address (also keeping any other agent from getting it, sneaky right?). We show them on Google how when you google the address of one of our listings, how our single property websites on Realbird come up at the TOP of Page One on Google (with a PIC!). No matter what they know about SEO, they know this is important. Normally, that alone, seals the deal, they want a site for their home like our other listings and they want it number one on Google. (yes, I know this is very lonnnnggggg tail, the address, but it is impressive to them, which wins the listing, Goal 1 accomplished). If we REALLY wanted a listing, I might go to the extra effort to go by and take a few outside shots of the home, if accessible, and create a RealBird single listing site in DRAFT form and tell them all it is waiting for is the inside pictures (which I can take right then with my camera) and have it up and published by the end of the day if they want (closing the deal).

Promoting our Listings

Promoting your listings on Realbird is extremely easy. They have a listing promotion tool which is my FAVORITE tool in My Listing Swiss Army Knife. This is what helps me create these beautiful single property websites. Everything a potential buyer could want to know about a listing is accessible to them. You have your basics, of course, such as pictures and descriptions, but you can also add custom media, chat, market stats, neighborhood info, video, Google maps with Street views where available and basically any other thing you can dream up to promote your listing. The expandability and function is limited only by your imagination.

Once the single property website is created, it's time to promote it and Realbird has made that easy as well. They have codes to embed it in Active Rain and Localism, codes to drop it into Craigslist, Backpage and Kijiji, plus over 150 social bookmarking options via Add This and Ping.fm. such as Twitter, Deli.cio.us, Facebook, etc. Oh yeah, they syndicate for you to all the biggies including Zillow and Trulia automatically so you don't have to worry about that! They also provide you widget and slideshow codes which you can use to promote your listings on various blogs and websites. They have also made additional promotion option through iPromote as easy as a click of a mouse. Oh, need a non-branded Virtual tour for your MLS? They've thought of that to. As an add-on, you can get this for whicheverlistings you need. Man are they good!

Finding Buyers

Realbird helps us find buyers in several ways, but the main three are through the amazing SEO of the single property websites, the Custom Search Engine and the aggregate listing map. Consumers surfing the web come across our listings quickly and easily and not just by googling the address as mentioned above (because after all, how likely is that?) but the keywords used to describe our properties. Here I googled "Davie Horse Property For Sale" and our Realbird listing is in the top three. Once on our single property listing site, they can easily view all of our other listings as Realbird puts a link to them right on each properly site (as well as to our most recent blog posts). The SEO for these sites is, hands down, the best for both regular and longtail key words.

The second HUGE buyer tool they offer is the Property Seach Engine which pulls all the listings from Google Base. The search engine can be loaded with certain search criteria (say location and price) and you can promote these links all over (blogs, Craigslist, Facebook, twitter, Market Reports etc.) and buyers searching the Internet will find you search engine results (and you). These can be either links or embedeed. They will also see your own featured listings as a separate tab and can register if they choose. If they find a listing they would like more info, they will contact YOU to see the property. I also use this when answering consumer questions on Zillow, Trulia, etc. Another way to engage the consumer.

The third and very useful tool they offer is the Facebook Profile and Page search engine tools. You can add the Search Engine mentioned above to either your Profile or you Page and the buyers don't even have to leave your Facebook page to search lisitngs. Your own listings are featured in their own tab.

Branding and promoting our business

Realbird makes it very easy to cross market any traffic you get to your search engine, blog or single property site. Your own featured listings are shown in the Cool Iris Photo Wall of the Facebook page and profile search add-ons. They are highlighted as featured listings on the search engine site. Your most recent listings and blog posts are shown as links on each single property website. One of their sneaky and great features is if you look at the "Nearby Homes for Sale" button on the Google map on your Single Property Website, it takes them to the Search Engine, Genius! One of my favorite tools is the listing map. Here we are able to show all of our listings on a single map which we promote everywhere.

Realbird has literally thought of everything a Real Estate agent needs to promote themselves and their listings and made it extremely efficient, powerful and impressive. The service is completely expandable for your needs and budget. You can sign up for free and use many of the services and tools for FREE, yes FREE! Then, you can upgrade to Pro Account to have full use of the rest of the tools. Some of the services (such as domain names and non-branded tours) are add-ons which you can add (or not) on a listing specific basis as needed.

If you have Facebook, My Blog Log and Twitter accounts, they also publish those links on each property site or search engine to push traffic to those social media sites.

I write this at my own peril, thinking I may sound like a Jim Jones, so don't just take my word for it.... other great Real Estate marketing professionals such as Katerina Gasset, Ashton Coleman, Donna Bigda and many many others are also avid fans as well (their links are Realbird love)

Here is the Cliff's Notes Versions of What I love about Realbird:

Single Property Listing Site with full professional Desinger look and high functionality

Search Engine site with unlimited promotion options

Facebook Searchtab

Listing Map

OR SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SEE ALL OF THE EXAMPLES

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Cool Iris Photo Wall of Miami Featured Listings

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:48:39 -0500

Map these properties Powered by RealBird.com

MORE REAL BIRD COOL APPLICATIONS

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Coral Gables Real Estate Market Update for September 2009

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:38:06 -0500

Coral Gables Active Listings - 465 (very similar to last month)
193 are "luxury listings" (ie over $1,500,000) (very similar to last month)
36 are short sales (very similar to last month)
4 are foreclosures (more than last month)
Median List Price - $1,199,000 (same as last month)

Coral Gables Pending Sales - 94 (very similar to last month)
17 are "luxury listings" (up from last month)
26 are short sales (a few less than last month)
18 are foreclosures (very similar to last month)

Coral Gables Closed Sales - 31 (up slightly from last month)
4 were "luxury listings" (fewer than last month)
4 were short sales (very similar to last month)
3 were foreclsoures (same as last month)
Average List Price - $694,742 (less than last month)
Average Sold Price - $618,981 (less than last month)
List price to Sold Price Ratio - 92%

Higest Closed Listing - $1,850,000 (lower than last month)

Lowest Closed Listing - $205,000 (a short sale)

What does this mean to you?

If you have a listing in the luxury market, there is stiff competition with over 1/3 (almost 1/2!) of all listings in Coral Gables in the top 10% of Miami-Dades' pricing ("luxury listings"). Listings in the upper price point are selling at a much slower rate than the lower price points and there is 1.5 years of inventory on the market (a sellers market is closer to 6 months, but still a good sign, we were up to three years several months ago). In order to be a viable listing, the price must be correct and the marketing top notch. Without both, listings are having a slow time moving. The GOOD sign is that properties are really moving, the inventory is down and the sales are up, so seller, things are looking up!

If you are on the hunt for a "bargain", they are out there, but they go quickly. Most foreclosures sell quickly and close to, or above list price. In order to have the best chance of snatching one of these deals up, work with an experienced Coral Gables Broker who is comfortable with foreclosures (like me, hint hint ;-). They will advise you as soon as a new property comes on the market or drops in price to be within your price range. They will also knows the special ins and outs of purchasing foreclosures. Properties are going faster than before, especially the well priced ones, now is the time to look before the market completely turns. Look at the market reports from earlier this year and you will see the trend in sales....

Check back next month for the Coral Gables October month in review!

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Enjoy peace and relaxation on this 2.5 AC parcel with 2 homes in Miami Dade Co - 45 Min to Coral Gables

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:00:25 -0500

2.5 Acres with two homes near Kendall Drive in Miami

Overview
Maps
Photos
Description
Market Stats

$375,000

Single Family Home
For Sale

Main Features

5 Bedrooms
4 Bathrooms
2 Units
Interior: 3130 sqft
Lot: 2.50 acre(s)

Location

12300 SW 199th Ave
Miami, FL 33196

Janie Coffey

Papillon Real Estate
(786) 252-4970
janie@papillonllc.com
http://www.PapillonRealEstate.com

Listed by: Janie Coffey and Shelly Montalvo

Our recent listings

2.5 Acres with two homes near Kendall Drive
Renovated Old Spanish Charmer on Gorgeous Street
5 AC in Bridlewood Ranches
Pool home with 3-stall hurricane-safe horse barn and workshop in the Redland for Sale (Miami Horse Farm)
Horse farm for sale in Miami-Dade 5,500 SF/2.5 Acres

Subscribe to our listing feed

See more Miami, FL real estate for sale

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A Map of the stunning communities along Old Cutler Road in Southern Coral Gables

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:44:08 -0500

If you drive along Old Cutler in Coral Gables, starting around the Cocoplum circle heading South, you see quite a few communities tucked away on either side of Old Cutler. Did you ever wonder what each one was? Here is a map which will help you make sense of those hidden enclaves. You will also see just how far south Coral Gables winds it's way down the Bay, many do not know quite how far South the southern border of Coral Gables is!

Here is the Map to help you visualize where they are:

View Coral Gables Luxury Communities in a larger map

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Where are Miami's Historic Homes?

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:52:03 -0500

Miami has many more historic homes and districts than many people are aware of. Although first claimed by Spain in 1566, Miami first started to develop into a settled area in the 1800s by Henry Flagler and friends Julia Tuttle and William Brickell. Most historic areas hug the coast for obvious reasons (prior to Flagler's railroad, the only way to reach Miami was by boat).

Miami really saw prosperity and growth in the early 1900s as developers Merrick, Collins and Curtis built such communities as Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Miami Springs. Dual disasters of a bursting real estate bubble followed by the great Hurricane of 1926 all but halted new development for many years until nearly the end of the Second World War. By then, such great architects such as Walter De Garmo had long stopped designing homes, but many designs have stayed with us throughout the years.

Many historic homes in Miami have recognizable features; Mediterranean, Moorish or Adobe designs; use of such unique building materials as coral rock, decorative (whole and broken) tile work and mosaics and Pecky Cypress Dade County Pine; arches, porticoes and arcades and more. Since most of these homes were built before air conditioning, many have been retrofitted to accommodate central AC. One thing you won't find are the hall closets most Northerners are used to (no need!)

The oldest existing house in Miami still situated in it's original position is located in Barnacle State Park, it was built in 1891.

Very few homes built before 1900 still exist, but one is currently for sale at 6801 Maynda St in Coral Gables. Dating back to 1899, it is Coral Gables's oldest private home.

If you love Historic Homes as much as we do, we are sure you will find something to tickle your fancy in Miami!

PS: Our sister company (Papillon ReDevelopment) is a Florida State Licensed and Insured General Contractor which specializes in historic renovations and additions, ask us for details and photos of our work!

Top Miami Neighborhoods where you can find historic homes for sale are:

Coral Gables

Coconut Grove

Miami Beach

Miami Shores

Morningside

Bay Point

Miami Beach

Below is a Map of the Areas where you are most likely to find historic homes in Miami

View Miami's Historic Districts and Communities in a larger map

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$15,000 Could Move You into this FHA qualified Mini-Horse Farm in Homestead FL $395,000

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:07:12 -0500

$15,000 Could Move You into this FHA qualified Mini-Horse Farm in Homestead FL $395,000

Overview
Maps
Photos
Description

$395,000

Single Family Home
For Sale

Main Features

4 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
1 Partial Bathroom
Interior: 2485 sqft
Lot: 1.25 acre(s)

Location

28645 SW 190th Ave
Homestead, FL 33030

Janie Coffey

Papillon Real Estate
(786) 252-4970
janie@papillonllc.com
http://www.PapillonRealEstate.com

Listed by: Janie Coffey

See more Homestead, FL real estate for sale

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Coral Gables Open House Saturday October 3, 2009 - JUST REDUCED $799,000

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:52:24 -0500

Coral Gables Open House Saturday 10/03/09 -- $799,000

Renovated Old Spanish Charmer on Gorgeous Street

Overview
Maps
Photos
Description
Open House

$799,000

Single Family Home
For Sale

Main Features

3 Bedrooms
3 Bathrooms
Interior: 3005 sqft

Location

537 San Lorenzo Ave
Coral Gables, FL 33134

Janie Coffey

Papillon Real Estate
(786) 252-4970
janie@papillonllc.com
http://www.PapillonRealEstate.com

Listed by: Janie Coffey and Shelly Montalvo

Our recent listings

Renovated Old Spanish Charmer on Gorgeous Street
Horse farm for sale in Miami-Dade 5,500 SF/2.5 Acres
Designer 10 Acre Horse Farm for Sale in Davie, FL
5 AC in Bridlewood Ranches
Beautifully renovated coner lot in Saga Bay

Subscribe to our listing feed

See more Coral Gables, FL real estate for sale

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DISTRESSED HOMEOWNERS DEFRAUDED BY ATTORNEYS - EXPOSED IN CALIFORNIA

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:58:13 -0500

Via Richard Zaretsky, Florida Real Estate Attorney (Richard P. Zaretsky P.A. ):

I have previously written about how attorneys can be great and how they can be bad in the field of helping distressed homeowners. Now the California Bar Association has published the preliminary results of an investigation into those attorneys supposedly offering services to help distressed homeowners in one of the hardest hit states.

Attorneys, especially real estate attorney, but also divorce and family law, criminal and commercial law practitioners have had a few dismal years. Finding a new niche appeared easy to some attorneys, especially with promises of "loan modification experts" telling them to just refer the business their way for a referral fee.

As stated in my previous blog articles, the problem is several fold. For one, attorneys to get this business were paying illegal referral fees to non-attorneys. Another is that they were practicing law in states without a license in that state. And yet another is that they were fronting for loan modification firms but not really doing any work for their "client". And the "client" actually was the loan modification firm and not the distressed homeowner.

In my practice, which includes extensive work on short sales and loan modifications as well as foreclosure defense (whatever that means), we have people coming in showing us examples of: Attorneys sending non-legal "salesmen" out to solicit business for a company that the attorney then gets a "legal fee" from; giving false information - I can't say it is "wrong" information because it just isn't; and attorneys offering "delays" as a solution to a distress homeowner - typically saying, "we will delay and delay (for which you will pay me a monthly fee) while you don't pay your mortgage (and stay in the house for free, or collect the rent from your tenant) and then when the bank finally gets through the delays we will offer to settle with them for a modification or whatever". Sound lilke a plan to you?

Distressed homeowners should seek help -- BUT: 1. Be realistic in expectations; 2. If it is too good to be true, it isn't. 3. If you are being pushed to sign up, DON'T! 4. Get recommendations and actually check them out!

Copyright 2009 Richard P. Zaretsky, Esq.

Be sure to contact your own attorney for your state laws, and always consult your own attorney on any legal decision you need to make. This article is for information purposes and is not specific advice to any one reader.

Richard Zaretsky, Esq., RICHARD P. ZARETSKY P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAW, 1655 PALM BEACH LAKES BLVD, SUITE 900, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33401, PHONE 561 689 6660 RPZ99@Florida-Counsel.com - FLORIDA BAR BOARD CERTIFIED IN REAL ESTATE LAW - We assist Brokers and Sellers with Short Sales and Modifications and Consult with Brokers and Sellers Nationwide! Shortsales@Florida-Counsel.com New Website www.Florida-Counsel.com. See our easy to find articles at TABLE OF CONTENTS - SHORT SALE AND LOAN MODIFICATION ARTICLES.

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An open RANT to short sale listing agents in South Florida (a select few, you may recognize yourself here)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:22:04 -0500

Dear Short Sale Listing Agent,

I've been showing, or trying to show a lot of your listings recently and have a few suggestions that might improve your business, your reputation and your actual ability to SELL and CLOSE your listings. I'm sure you "just weren't thinking", or "just too busy", or just didn't know", but here are some things you shouldnt' do if you want to actually preserve any of the above (business, reputation and closed sales):

1) Don't use your comment section intended to highlight the property features to potential buyers with a load of legal B.S. and disclaimers about the short sale. The comments (or remarks) section is to SELL your listings to buyers, you know, tell them about how great the property is?! Entice them to see it! We know you have certain things you need to tell us about the short sale, that is what BROKER remarks are for. 9 out of 10 of you have decided that marketing and selling your listings isn't really important at all, just covering your big butt!

2) Don't forget to actually take a picture of the PROPERTY! Hmm, with nearly 30,000 single family listings in South Florida, many at very competitive prices, which do you think buyers are going to select to go see? Yes! The ones that give them an idea of what the property actually looks like! Most buyers will never even look at a listing with no pictures. Did you ever consider that it is your JOB to sell the home? To SAVE your CLIENT from foreclosure? Or did you just list 100 short sales, throw them on the wall and hope a few might stick and disregard all the others (as they slip into foreclosure with no idea why - maybe you just told them"it's a tough market out there" to cover your professional negligence)?

3) Don't hire a 3rd party negotiator who doesn't know what they are doing. If you don't feel comfortable negotiating short sales yourself (or feel that you "need to be out there doing what I do best, selling homes" - and you clearly are not in the category with #1 and #2 above) make sure who ever you hire KNOWS what they are doing and is not so overwhelmed with files that they can't handle the processing in a timely manner. Oh, and don't expect MY buyer to PAY for YOUR negotiator. If you don't want to do it, you pay for it, get the seller or the bank to pay for it, but not MY Buyer!

4) Don't neglect your 3rd party processor, the seller or the selling agent. Just because there is a contract being negotiated does NOT mean you can dump YOUR job on your negotiator, the selling agent or anyone else. You still need to be involved and informed of the deal from start to finish. Don't push off duties to others. If your only job were to get listings, then you'd be a business development agent, but you are a real estate agent (or BROKER) and you are to be actively involved and informed the whole time, you are getting paid to be so!

5) Don't be so far removed from your seller that they rent the house out and never bother to tell you. It isn't pretty for selling agents with buying clients to walk into an occupied home using a lock-box combo that YOU put on the MLS only to find the home FULL of people and you sound surprised when notified of this as the selling agent stands in front of the home with shocked buyers. How often do you even speak with your sellers? ohhh I know, you "just didn't know".....

6) Don't list the home at 25% (or plug in a number) below what you know to be an APPROVED sale price. Has this ever worked for you? If the lender has agreed to take $X, maybe even several months ago, what ever makes you think that they are now going to take considerably LESS and how do you think a buyer is ever going to agree to go UP 25+% from list price?

7) Don't keep the property in ACTIVE status if you are no longer showing it. If you have an offer (or several) that you submitted to the lender(s) then put it in BACK-UP or CONTINGENT. Why are you wasting everyone's time?

8) Don't forget to keep the selling agent and the seller up to date. Yes.... we know this is a LONG process, and you are SOOO busy, but if you might actually keep us updated on a weekly, or even bi-weekly status, we'll all feel much calmer and are much more likely not to get a trigger finger and drop out of the deal. Buyers are especially nervous as time goes by and if we aren't keeping them up to date, who is to blame them when they are waiting in short sale purgatory, not knowing if they are going to go to heaven or hell for months on end?

9) Don't for goodness sake, advertise a commission that you KNOW is a LIE. I don't mean adverting a customary commission, we know that needs to be approved by the lender, but I mean a HIGHER than customary commission and then add the little disclaimer "commission must be approved by lender". Well, unless you are a miracle worker, I have rarely (actually never) seen a bank approved higher than customary percentages. If you can do that, great, then get that done up front and advertise that it is, but don't use the bait and switch game. If you are that devious from the get go, I'm basically not going to trust a word you say... ever.

10) Don't treat everyone like second class citizens. Just because this is a short sale, it does not mean that you can treat the seller, the buyer or the selling agent with any less respect, professionalism and attention than you would one of your "regular" sales.

If you don't like short sale listings, don't take them, if you don't have the patience for short sale deals, don't take them, if you don't have the patience with short sale sellers, don't take them. These deals often require more heart, more time, more attention and more business acumen than the regular sales your are out there listing and selling. If you don't like them, just don't take them. Refer them to someone who does and can!

I hope Mr. and Mrs. Short Sale Listing Agent that I haven't offended you too much. I hope that you might actually see a thing or two differently and change your errant ways. I really might WANT to help you sell YOUR Listing, and my BUYER might really WANT to buy your listing, but if you don't do your job, don't treat us with respect and professional courtesy we might just go to one of the other 30,000 listings in South Florida instead, you ain't the only game in town. I also feel so sorry, so very sorry for your poor seller who ends up foreclosed on because you "just didn't have time" or "just didn't know"!

Sincerely,

Ms. Short Sale Selling Agent and friends

PS, if you were wondering if this letter is to YOU? If you have any question if it is, then YES it is!

8p4du2rafy

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Coconut Grove Real Estate Market Update for August 2009

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:33:36 -0500

Coconut Grove Active Listings -240 (similar to last month)
68 are "luxury listings" (ie over $1,500,000) - (similar to last month)
35 are short sales (similar to last month)
5 are foreclosures (similar to last month)
Median List Price - $867,500 (same as last month)

Coconut Grove Pending Sales - 31 (similar to last month)
3 are "luxury listings" (up from last month)
15 are short sales (up from last month)
3 are foreclosures (down from last month)

Coconut Grove Closed Sales - 9 (similar to last month)
0 were "luxury listings"
1 was a short sale
3 were foreclsoures
Average List Price - $614,000
Average Sold Price - $533,000
List price to Sold Price Ratio - 87%
Higest Closed Listing - $1,055,000
Lowest Closed Listing - $465,000

What does this mean to you?

If you have a listing in the luxury market, there is stiff competition with over 1/4 of all listings in Coconut Grove in the top 10% of Miami-Dades' pricing ("luxury listings"), Listings in the upper price point are selling at a much slower rate than the lower price points and there are 4 years of inventory on the market (a sellers market is closer to 6 months). In order to be a viable listing, the price must be correct and the marketing top notch. Without both, listings are having a slow time moving.

If you are on the hunt for a "bargain", they are out there, but they go quickly. Most foreclosures sell quickly and close to, or above list price. In order to have the best chance of snatching one of these deals up, work with an experienced Coconut Grove Broker who is comfortable with foreclosures (like me, hint hint ;-). They will advise you as soon as a new property comes on the market or drops in price to be within your price range. They will also knows the special ins and outs of purchasing foreclosures.

Check back next month for the Coconut Grove August month in review!

Visit past Market Reports (scroll down once you click the link to see all)

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_________________________________________________________________________________

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Coral Gables Real Estate Market Update for August 2009

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:17:04 -0500

Coral Gables Active Listings - 468 (same as last month)
195 are "luxury listings" (ie over $1,500,000) (same as last month)
34 are short sales (same as last month)
2 are foreclosures (fewer than last month)
Median List Price - $1,199,000 (same as last month)

Coral Gables Pending Sales - 95 (same as last month)
11 are "luxury listings" (same as last month)
30 are short sales (same as last month)
19 are foreclosures (same as last month)

Coral Gables Closed Sales - 25 (same as last month)
6 were "luxury listings" (same as last month)
3 were short sales (same as last month)
3 were foreclsoures (same as last month)
Average List Price - $1,005,000
Average Sold Price - $892,000
List price to Sold Price Ratio - 90%

Higest Closed Listing - $2,550,000

Lowest Closed Listing - $215,000 (a short sale)

What does this mean to you?

If you have a listing in the luxury market, there is stiff competition with over 1/3 (almost 1/2!) of all listings in Coral Gables in the top 10% of Miami-Dades' pricing ("luxury listings"). Listings in the upper price point are selling at a much slower rate than the lower price points and there are 3 years of inventory on the market (a sellers market is closer to 6 months). In order to be a viable listing, the price must be correct and the marketing top notch. Without both, listings are having a slow time moving. The GOOD sign is that properties are really moving, the inventory is down and the sales are up, so seller, things are looking up!

If you are on the hunt for a "bargain", they are out there, but they go quickly. Most foreclosures sell quickly and close to, or above list price. In order to have the best chance of snatching one of these deals up, work with an experienced Coral Gables Broker who is comfortable with foreclosures (like me, hint hint ;-). They will advise you as soon as a new property comes on the market or drops in price to be within your price range. They will also knows the special ins and outs of purchasing foreclosures. Properties are going faster than before, especially the well priced ones, now is the time to look before the market completely turns. Look at the market reports from earlier this year and you will see the trend in sales....

Check back next month for the Coral Gables September month in review!

Visit past Market Reports (scroll down once you click the link to see all)

Customized Monthly Market Reports delivered right to your email!

Bookmark with me your favorite listings on

FREE Customized Monthly Market Reports delivered right to your email!

Free HOME VALUATION!

Free MLS Search!

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_________________________________________________________________________________

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Speechless Sunday - where the "blue" in Blueridge came from

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:03:17 -0500

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Old Spanish Historic home in the heart of Coral Gables for Sale, 3/3, $799,000

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:33:00 -0500

Come home to your spacious 3 bedroom, 3 bath renovate historic home in Coral Gables and enjoy peace and tranquility just minutes from great dining, shopping and entertaining. Merrick Park is just minutes away as is downtown Coral Gables. Designer bathrooms add a spa-like relaxation in your new home.

Visit past Market Reports (scroll down once you click the link to see all)

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_________________________________________________________________________________

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Join our Email List, visit our Website, Call me at 786-252-4970 or email me at janie@papillonllc.com

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want to be in the know with current event, eats and treats in Coconut Grove?

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:25:45 -0500

If you are a fan or resident of Coconut Grove or own a business and don't follow the Coconut Grove Grapevine, you SHOULD!

The Coconut Grove Grapevine is your one stop shop for events, dining, dirt, news, politics and life in the Grove.

Updated throughout the day with info, photos, goings-on, it's all there. See a crazy sight on the street and wonder what that was all about? Go visit the Coconut Grove Grapevine. New restaurant open and wonder how the food is? Go visit the Coconut Grove Grapevine. Wonder what's up with the crazy politicians, bureaucrats and parking? Go visit the Coconut Grove Grapevine! Seriously, anything you might be thinking about int he Grove, it's on the vine!

COCONUT GROVE CALENDAR

COCONUT GROVE RESTAURANTS

COCONUT GROVE PICTURES

COCONUT GROVE LINKS

They are on twitter, and facebook, offer an RSS feed so you can get your Grove on however you like!

They also have tons of advertising opportunities for local Coconut Grove businesses, if you don't believe, check out who does!

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Coral Gables Real Estate Market Update for July 2009

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:24:35 -0500

Coral Gables Active Listings - 472 (down from last month)
203 are "luxury listings" (ie over $1,500,000) (down from last month)
35 are short sales (down from last month)
4 are foreclosures (less than last month)
Median List Price - $1,250,000 (up from last month)

Coral Gables Pending Sales - 99 (Up from last month)
12 are "luxury listings" (up from last month)
31 are short sales (up from last month)
20 are foreclosures (up from last month)

Coral Gables Closed Sales - 29 (up from last month)
6 were "luxury listings"
3 were short sales (up from last month)
2 were foreclsoures
Average List Price - $1,338,000
Average Sold Price - $1,121,000
List price to Sold Price Ratio - 87%

Higest Closed Listing - $5,500,000

Lowest Closed Listing - $630,000

What does this mean to you?

If you have a listing in the luxury market, there is stiff competition with over 1/3 (almost 1/2!) of all listings in Coral Gables in the top 10% of Miami-Dades' pricing ("luxury listings"). Listings in the upper price point are selling at a much slower rate than the lower price points and there are 3 years of inventory on the market (a sellers market is closer to 6 months). In order to be a viable listing, the price must be correct and the marketing top notch. Without both, listings are having a slow time moving. The GOOD sign is that properties are really moving, the inventory is down and the sales are up, so seller, things are looking up!

If you are on the hunt for a "bargain", they are out there, but they go quickly. Most foreclosures sell quickly and close to, or above list price. In order to have the best chance of snatching one of these deals up, work with an experienced Coral Gables Broker who is comfortable with foreclosures (like me, hint hint ;-). They will advise you as soon as a new property comes on the market or drops in price to be within your price range. They will also knows the special ins and outs of purchasing foreclosures. Properties are going faster than before, especially the well priced ones, now is the time to look before the market completely turns. Look at the market reports from earlier this year and you will see the trend in sales....

Check back next month for the Coral Gables August month in review!

Visit past Market Reports (scroll down once you click the link to see all)

Customized Monthly Market Reports delivered right to your email!

Bookmark with me your favorite listings on

FREE Customized Monthly Market Reports delivered right to your email!

Free HOME VALUATION!

Free MLS Search!

Call Janie at 786-252-4970!!

Want more news? Subscribe in a reader!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Please use any of our FREE and EASY Real Estate Tools: Custom Real Estate Reports, Search for Properties

Join our Email List, visit our Website, Call me at 786-252-4970 or email me at janie@papillonllc.com

and please join us on these great social networks:

Coconut Grove July Real Estate Market Report (Jul 2009)

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:26:31 -0500

Coconut Grove Active Listings -248 (similar to last month)
65 are "luxury listings" (ie over $1,500,000) - (down from last month)
36 are short sales (similar to last month; 4 are luxuray properties)
5 are foreclosures (fewer than last month)
Median List Price - $867,500 (up from last month)

Coconut Grove Pending Sales - 30 (similar to last month)
0 are "luxury listings" (same as last month)
8 are short sales (similar to last month)
9 are foreclosures (similar to last month)

Coconut Grove Closed Sales - 11 (double from last month)
1 was "luxury listings"
1 was a short sale
1 was a foreclsoure
Average List Price - $720,582
Average Sold Price - $660,000
List price to Sold Price Ratio - 92% (up 5% from last month)
Higest Closed Listing - $1,400,000
Lowest Closed Listing - $124,000 (a foreclosure)

Visit past Market Reports (scroll down once you click the link to see all)

Customized Monthly Market Reports delivered right to your email!

Bookmark with me your favorite listings on

FREE Customized Monthly Market Reports delivered right to your email!

Free HOME VALUATION!

Free MLS Search!

Call Janie at 786-252-4970!!

Want more news? Subscribe in a reader!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Please use any of our FREE and EASY Real Estate Tools: Custom Real Estate Reports, Search for Properties

Join our Email List, visit our Website, Call me at 786-252-4970 or email me at janie@papillonllc.com

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Coral Gables Green Cleaning Alternatives!

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:34:55 -0500

Looking for Green Cleaning options in Coral Gables? Try STEAM! Topsteamer provides green and steam cleaning services for all of your cleaning needs. They provide a whole host of cleaning services for Miami-Dade and Broward residents and use the power of steam and environmentally friendling cleaning solutions.

That the us EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) recommends frequently cleaning your carpet to have a better indoor air quality. Here are some of the cleaning frequency guidelines:

2 persons non-smoking every 6-12 months
2 persons with smoking every 4 months
with young children every 6 months
with young children and pets 3-6 months.

If you follow these guidelines you will have a healthier home for you and your family and a carpet looking its best.

Here are a list of green cleaning services they provide:

Carpet cleaning
Emergency water extraction
Upholstery cleaning
Carpet and rug cleaning
Marble, Tile and grout cleaning
Automobile and boat cleaning
Spot cleaning
Commercial and Residential
Pet stains
Mattress cleaning

"I have a dog in my apartment Top Steamer has beencleaning my carpet every three weeks for the last three years. They are very good, professional, reliable and trust worthy. I truly recommend them."

Ines Sosa
Merrick Park
Coral Gables, Fl.

Top Steamer provides a whole host of cleaning ideas on their blog

You can follow them on twitter

Keep up to ddate on their YouTube Channel

Save this number in your phone, you never know when you'll have an emergency and you'll be glad you have it 305-631-5757 or visit our website today www.topsteamer.com

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Join our Email List, visit our Website, Call me at 786-252-4970 or email me at janie@papillonllc.com

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Cocoplum, one of Coral Gables' most exclusive communities! (no bridges to bay)

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:17:20 -0500

Cocoplum is, without question, one of Coral Gables' most exclusive real estate communities. The Islands of Cocoplum is a gated community on on the waters of Biscayne Bay. 440 estate homes sprawl throughout 350 beautiful acres, all on 15,000 square foot or larger lots, most with direct access to the bay. Residents enjoy a club house, pool, gym, 24-hour manned guard gate, full service yacht club and luxury living in this master planned community. There are no bridges to bay, giving homeowners easy access to the waters of Biscayne Bay.

Cocoplum goes back to the Coral Gables beginnings in the 1920s. There was originally a beach, called Cocoplum Beach (now Tahiti Beach, in the deep heart of Cocoplum) which is mentioned in numerous historical newspapers during the early years of Coral Gables' Real Estate development.

There are currently 44 homes for sale in Cocoplum, Coral Gables

they range from $1,390,000 to $8,495,000
the average listing is priced at $4,037,943 and has 6,000 sf with 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms

5 homes sold in 2009 to date in Cocoplum

they closed between $1,269,975 and $9,750,000
the avearge closed sale was for $4,093,000 and had 7,000 sf with 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms

Here is a link to the Current Homes for Sale in Cocoplum

(note: did you know Cocoplum is in the top 10 most wealthy communities with a large Latin/Hispanic population in the country?

View Coral Gables Luxury Communities in a larger map

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Foreclosures (REOs) in Coral Gables, are there any?

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:34:48 -0500

People always ask us if there are any foreclosures in Coral Gables. Sellers want to know if their property values are protected and buyers want to know if there are deals to be had in one of Miami-Dade's most prestigious addresses. Yes, but they come on the market infrequently and the competition is fierce. The stability of the Coral Gables has mostly protected it from foreclosures. There have been short sales, but due to the desirable address, they normally do not make it all the way to foreclosure and are sold at the short sale stage. Even those are not nearly as common as they are in the rest of Miami-Dade County.

Let's compare the numbers: Coral Gables Foreclosures vs Miami-Dade Foreclosure and see how they compare

Total Listed Single Family Homes

Miami-Dade 10,218
Coral Gables 483

Total Listed REO Single Family Homes (Foreclosures)

Miami-Dade 578 (5% of total listings)
Coral Gables 7 (1% of total listings)

Total Closed Single Family Homes 2009

Miami-Dade 5,114
Coral Gables 166

Total Closed REO Single Family Homes 2009 (Foreclosures)

Miami-Dade 3,029 (59% of total closed sales)
Coral Gables 29 (17% of total closed sales)

As you can see by the numbers above, foreclosures make up only a fraction of the market in Coral Gables (only 1.4% of active listings, 4 times lower than for the Miami-Dade market). They also make up a significantly smaller portion of actual closed sales (only 17% vs 59% in Miami-Dade as a whole).

Finding a foreclosure in Coral Gables is golden. You are assured of it's value due to the stability of the community and if you are one of the lucky ones to buy one, you make money the minute you walk out the door of the closing. The average foreclosure in Coral Gables is listed for $652,000 (there are only 7 currently) and the average actively listed home is priced at $2,227,000. This is not to say that REO's in Coral Gables are priced at 25% market value, but you can find them at significantly reduced numbers.

Case Study: We recently sold a client an REO for $410,000. He has updated it using our sister company, Papillon ReDevelopment and will be putting it back on the market in the mid $800s next week. He DID not put $400,000 into it, so he has managed to buy, renovate and still come out on top. Most of the foreclosures in Coral Gables are in need of renovations as they were going to be fix and flips which were purchased right before the market turned. We have sold several of these at great discounts. The one caveat is (as with many foreclosures), if they need repair, you might need to be a cash buyer as they will not meet loan criteria.

If you would like to be added to our Coral Gables Foreclosure List, please email me at janie@janiecoffey.com

Here is a list of the current Foreclosures in Coral Gables. Remember, our sister company is a licensed and insured General Contractor specializing in Coral Gables Historic homes, so we can work with you from start to finish.

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photo courtesy of TheTruthAbout

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Going Green in Coral Gables, FL; opportunities are all around!

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:58:02 -0500

Going green in Coral Gables can be easier than you think! Just looking around with eyes wide open, you will see lots of opportunities to green your day. Lets take a shor tour to see what we might find:

Here are the Top 10 Ways to join the Galbes goes Green Movement

1. The trolley travels the North/South Ponce de Leon Boulevard Route runs along Ponce de Leon Boulevard from the Douglas Metrorail Station to Southwest Eighth Street. This service runs every 10 to 15 minutes from Monday-Thursday: 6:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

2. Trade in your Clunker for a Smart fortwo for as low as $99/month.

3. Have a meal or have one catered by Green Gables Cafe, where they use fresh and the most organic ingredients.

4. Use OXXO dry cleaners, where they use Green Earth Cleaning products. Visit Coral Gables TV for more info on OXXO.

5. Rent offices spaces in the new Miami Green Office building.

6. Practice Yoga at the Green Monkey!

7. Treat yourself with a Green maid by MaidGreen!

8. Get your green bags for your shopping at Publix.

9. Stay at the Westin Colonade (a De Garmo design!) for a wonderful relaxing vacation. The Westin Colonade belongs to the Breathe fresh air program.

10. Have Machiko cut your hair, she only uses all-natural and organic products, so you can walk away with sun-kissed highlights without breathing in harmful chemicals.

If you look around, there are all kinds of little (and big) ways you can go green in Coral Gables, and more are on the way. Just one or two things can lead to three of four and before you know it, you'll be green all over, just like our City Beautiful. Just call me Jane of Green Gables!

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Photo courtesy of turtlemom4bacon

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Coral Gables, FL home to 5 of the top 10 Wealthiest Hispanic/Latin Communities in the US

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:47:12 -0500

Coral Gables, FL is the home to 5 of the top 10 Wealthiest Hispanic Communities in the Country (and Miami-Dade has 21 of the top 25 in the Country!). (Note; 9 of these are in Miami-Dade! Key Biscayne, Pinecrest (2) and Miami Beach make up the additional 4)

www.Higley1000.com is a website the covers integration in the country's most wealthy communities in the country. Dr. Higley is the an Associate Professor of Urban Geography at the University of Montevallo and the author of "Privledge, Power and Place"

Top 10 Hispanic/Latin Neighborhoods in the US (per US Census)

(ranked by percentage of households that are Hispanic in the neighborhood or suburb)

1: Cape Florida-Mashta Island - 51.8% (Higley #584) (Key Biscayne, Miami)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

2: Biltmore Golf Course - 48.6% (Higley #992) (Coral Gables, Miami)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

3: Granada Golf Course West - 47.9% (Higley #672) (Coral Gables, Miami)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

4: Southern Colonial Village-Riviera Country Club - 43.4% (Higley #469) (Coral Gables, Miami)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

5: Coco Plum-Gables Estates - 42.7% (Higley #64) (Coral Gables, Miami) DETAILED BLOG ON COCOPLUM
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

6: Deering Bay - 39% (Higley #326) (Coral Gables, Miami)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

7: Rockdale Estates-Cutler Bay Estates - 38.5% (Higley #25) (Pinecrest, Miami)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

8: El Paso Country Club - 33.4% (Higley #573) (El Paso, El Paso)
Search Live Local Maps----Search Google Maps

9: Mitchell Manors-Collins Heights - 31.9% (Higley #482) (Pinecrest, Miami)
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10: Star Island-Hibiscus Island - 31.8% (Higley #755) (Miami Beach, Miami)
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Coral Gables, with all of it's communities, is a beautiful place to live, and it is no wonder our nickname is "The City Beautiful" and it is not surprising that people with discriminating tastes choose to call it home.

Here is a link which tells you the countries most represented by the residents in Coral Gables, FL.

If you'd like to read more about Coral Gables, visited our other posts, we'd love to hear from you!

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