S & J Journal

1. Create a list of items needing attention. Start at the curb in front of your house with a notepad and pen and walk through the house. Jot down anything that "leaps" out at you. 2. Have a friend perform a walk-through of your home. Add their ideas to your list. 3. Repaint the front door and trim. 4. Open the front door and make sure it doesn’t squeak, groan, or drag. 5. Wash the mailbox and paint it if necessary. 6. Get an attractive mat for the front door for people to wipe their feet. Replace worn, badly stained, or personalized ones. 7. Clean out the flowerbeds. Make a distinct border between the beds and lawn. 8. Invest in a few flats of flowers that will last the entire growing season and will add color and beauty to the front of your home. 9. Prune bushes and trees. Remove any dead shrubs or low laying tree limbs. 10. Buy a flowering plant and place it in a window that is passed by frequently. 11. Remove any personal or family photos hanging on t...

It finally has happened! Our inventory of single family homes in Coral Gables dropped  to less than 300 properties (295)...the lowest it has been since the peak sales period of 2005-06 when prices were at their highest and we were down to less than 200 homes. Then inventory slowly expanded to over 650 homes in the sluggish years of 2007-08 and buyers were scarce. Today, of the 295 homes on the MLS, 123 properties are less than $1M, and 172 homes are at $1M or above. Now is the time to buy in the Gables while you still have a selection of affordable properties.

In terms of international real estate sales, California used to be at the forefront of the market in 2007 and 2008; but in 2009 it was Florida that took the lead – and still has it. Almost one-third of international real estate bought in the U.S. in 2011 was in Florida. 30% of those deals took place in the Miami/Miami Beach/Fort Lauderdale market according to the National Association of Realtors. Residential inventory in Miami-Dade County fell from 25,769 in August 2010 to 15,405 in August 2011: in Coral Gables it fell from 746 to 506, respectively. The top five international buyer markets are Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and Colombia. Condominiums continue to be the international shopper’s residence of choice accounting for more than 70% of purchases (August 2011).

FACTOID:  310 homes are currently for sale in Coral Gables (September's # was 323). Inventory continues to drop.   Take a look at our new listing on 1509 Palancia .