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Showing posts from June, 2010

Foreign investors are buying up distressed condos at Epic and Wind in Miami

Even though the housing market is still stabilizing in Miami, there is definitely a bright spot on the horizon. Speculators who created this housing bubble are few to be seen and investors are coming up to the plate. Investors look to buy a rock bottom prices and either rehab and resell or hold these properties long term to build a nice investment portfolio of real estate. Take for example Downtown Miami. A group of foreign investors from Venezuela recently purchased 40 plus units at the Wind by Neo complex at bulk pricing for about $160-$170 a square foot. Furthermore, a group from Italy just bought 18 units the the Epic high-rise condo built by Italian Land developer and owner of CMC construction Hugo Colombo. Epic is the jewel building in downtown located at where the Miami River meets Biscayne Bay. We see more and more foreigners buying our real estate in Miami than ever before. The strong Euro is still a huge advantage for the foreign buyer, even though it was not as strong as

Opening Day experience at AIA national convention on Miami Beach

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On Thursday my wife Giselle and I were invited by our good friend Jorge Blet from Mechoshade to come visit the 2010 AIA national convention at the Miami Beach Convention center. We arrived via my Solar Utility Vehicle as it is known by these days and saw that the parking lot was full. I expected a good turnout as well inside. Boy was I wrong. The show itself was filled with wonderful vendors from all over the country showcasing their product lines. We met vendors from Chicago putting up Green roofs in Miami for several commercial buildings, Sustainable flooring companies using bamboo and coconut palms to name a few, however the halls were fairly empty for being opening day. As we walked down the mostly empty recession struck aisles Giselle and I were invited to eat upstairs at the Asian restaurant compliments of Mechoshade. Well let me tell you that it was the worst Asian food I have ever had along with it's dysfunctional staff made lunch an adventure. First of all the

Green Miami agent gets designation to help distressed homeowners

April 2010- Carlos del Amo of Coldwell Banker, today announced the creation of a new information Web site for Miami-area homeowners in distress . CarlosdelAmoGreen.com contains vital facts about the options available to these homeowners, to help them make the educated decisions about their future. “I developed this site with my community in mind,” Del Amo said. “When faced with the possibility of foreclosure, I’ve seen too many homeowners make poor choices, even walking away from their homes without calling their lender or a real estate agent. These people didn’t know the options available, or even how to find any information on their situation. "I want more for the people of Miami Dade County, and more comes with making informed decisions.” My site acts as a hub for information on the facts and issues for struggling homeowners, putting all the necessary information in one, easy-to-use location. The information and materials located on the site are regularly updated to refle

Dream in Green Fundraising Event at Coverings in North Miami

On Saturday night my wife Giselle and I attended the annual Dream in Green Fundraising event at Coverings in North Miami. Dream in Green's mission is to develop and implement programs that promote energy conservation and efficiency, environmental sustainability, and the use of renewable energy. This organization builds partnerships with local schools, governments, and businesses for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and our reliance on fossil fuels. One of the night’s special guests was Miami Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto M Carvalho. He received an award for his effort and excellence in promoting The Green Schools challenge, a unique program for educating K-12 students about environmental and energy challenges and getting them involved in real world solutions that reduce energy consumptions. The successful event attracted over 100 guests. There was also a silent auction with some unique and interesting items. Some of the items ranged from recycled handb

Miami's first green residential real estate company - Smart Growth Realty

Miami has been waiting for sometime for a company to take the reins in the Green residential building movement and that company is Smart Growth Realty. My vision as a 40 plus year resident of the city is to reduce the carbon footprint of Miami one home at a time by giving our clients a commission rebate to go towards green initiatives. With the proceeds from the rebate we want our customers to put the savings to good use. For example, using the funds to install programmable thermostats,plant indigenous trees native to the area, increase the indoor air quality by repainting the interior walls with NO VOC paint and many other ways to save energy ,water and provide for a healthier home. At Smart Growth we want our agents to enjoy the path we are heading towards energy independence. We will give them what we call smart tools that will make them produce a much higher level with the least enviromental impact. Technology was created for a reason and we believe that in today's instant g