Real Estate Feast

2430 Swanson Ave.–Open House Review

I inspected this house in north Coconut Grove when it was open last week.  Swanson Avenue is a very pleasant, quiet street with the benefit of easy access to downtown Miami and Coconut Grove shops and restaurants.  The kitchen has been redone and the home has lots of charm, especially the cloistered back yard.  (There’s a storage shed which has seen better days, but that could easily be removed.)  There’s even a fireplace.  This 1945 three bedroom, two bath house is listed by Coldwell Banker at $639,247, right in the same price range as its immediate competitors in the neighborhood.  But the problem is that very little has sold in the area recently.  So even if your competition is priced about the same, if everybody’s price is too high to sell it doesn’t matter. 

Realist values this home at $450,000.

My pricing verdict:   Better than Realist, but still overpriced.

I don’t let my buyers pay too much or my sellers ask too much.  It’s just not good business.  If you’d like to see this house (and get my specific opinion as to what it should sell for) or any other home in South Florida, you can reach me at 305-401-8058 or bishopric.r@ewm.com.

541 Bargello–Nice but overpriced, I think.

I inspected this open house listed by Avatar Real Estate Services at $725,000.  The house is in decent shape, built in 1970 and looks like the kitchen was redone at some point.  But it is not really improved and needs updating.   It’s a 4/2.5 with a pool. 

Pricing a house is subjective, but in my opinion, this is overpriced based on objective comparable sales in the area within the last six months.  Realist, one of the automatic pricing tools available to realtors, puts this house at between $500,000 and $600,000. 

Based on my own research, my pricing verdict:  Significantly Overpriced!

I don’t let my buyers pay too much or my sellers ask too much.  It’s just not good business.  If you’d like to see this house (and get my specific opinion as to what it should sell for) or any other home in South Florida, you can reach me at 305-401-8058 or bishopric.r@ewm.com.

3811 Wood Ave.–Spectacular Grove Home

$100 Gift Cafe Pastis Winner!

Berit Webner, of EWM Coral Gables, was the lucky winner of our $100 prize.  She’s seen here with Philipe Jacquet, Chef/Proprietor of Cafe Pastis, the delightful French bistro located at 7310 Red Road in South Miami.   Berit was one of the many agents to visit the spectacular architect-designed 2-bedroom/2-bath home on 39,000 square feet near South Miami during our promotional open house period.   Located at 5353 SW 60th Place, this is a unique home in the middle of its own Fairchild Tropical Gardens complete with koi ponds, wandering paths, a meditation platform and waterfalls.   It is available for $799,000.  If you’d like information about this or any other fine home in easy-living South Miami/High Pines, you can reach me at 305-401-8058 or bishopric.r@ewm.com.  I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

New Counseling Service in South Miami/High Pines

Father Roger M. Tobin, M.S., M. Div., who recently retired as Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, has opened a new counseling service in the area.  Miami Area Pastoral Services will help people find their way in this difficult world by providing pastoral-based counseling services.  For those of us who have known Roger, we are sure that his new venture will be successful and will help many many people in years to come.  Father Tobin can be reached at RevRMT@gmail.com or 305-668-3080.  The office is located at 7800 Red Road, Suite 124, South Miami, FL 33143. 

If you are interested in real estate in easy-living South Miami/High Pines, you can reach me at bishopric.r@ewm.com or at 305-401-8058.  I’d be glad to answer any of your questions.

New High Pines Sale–the Real Story

7420 SW 53rd Place closed yesterday for $600,000.  This was on the market for just eight days at an asking price of $699,000.  At $600,000 this translates to just under $300 per square foot for this 2015 sq ft 3-bedroom, 3-bath 1947 High Pines classic home.  It was not improved, but was very nicely appointed, complete with working fireplace and a 12,500 square foot lot.  But here’s the real story.  Three years ago the owner tried to sell it herself and was asking over $800,000.  At the time I talked to her and suggested that she could realistically expect no more than $750,000, if that.   She thought very little of that and subsequently watched the prices decline all around.  And now got much less than she could have had she priced her property correctly three years ago.  But make no mistake, this is a good price for a property in High Pines in this market.  I’m sure the neighbors will be glad to see that 7420 SW 53rd Place went for this price.  If you’d like to find out about easy-living High Pines/South Miami, you can reach me at 305-401-8058 or bishopric.r@ewm.com.

Spectacular private retreat near South Miami

Private estate near downtown South Miami

Here’s a virtual tour and photos:  5353 SW 60th Place, listed at $799,000 (previously over $1 million) is a beautiful, architect-designed two story home with a master bedroom and sundeck at the top of a sweeping staircase overlooking a private 39,000 square foot garden with koi ponds and a resort-style pool and deck. This is the residence of a local artist who specializes in sculptures of birds and butterflies.  His works dot the area and are for sale. Enter the “Koi Gardens” iron-gates and you’ll find yourself in a relaxing escape just five minutes from downtown South Miami, but a world away from all the hustle and bustle.  You can reach me at 305-401-8058 or bishopric.r@ewm.com to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Spectacular Re-Model in Miami Springs–$575,000

Worthy of Architectural Digest!

This 1954 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 2,600 square-foot home in Miami Springs has been completely re-modeled by the owner/construction professional.  He spared no expense.   An over-sized covered porch overlooks a magnificent pool and patio area worthy of Architectural Digest.  There is a guest house with its own covered porch that features a summer kitchen.  Marble floors, wood inlaid ceilings, tasteful wall coverings, and textured columns grace the interior that features an expansive eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances.  There is both a full-sized living room and family room. The home is on a full lot and a half in the heart of Miami Springs, the City of Trees.  Miami Springs is a delightful hideway north of Miami International airport and has golf courses, lakes, pedestrian walkways and has achieved national recognition in its efforts to promote a healthy tree canopy. 

I’d be glad to show you this home or any other in Miami Springs or South Florida.  You can reach me at bishopric.r@ewm or 305-401-8058.

High Pines beauty sold: $505,000

This property has closed for $505,000.  Original asking price was $650,000.  Easy-living High Pines doesn’t get any better than this.  Enjoy life in the heart of one of the most desirable neighborhoods in South Florida.  Quiet tree-lined streets, families strolling with their kids and dogs, this is Florida the way it used to be.  This home features a large, enclosed back yard with porch perfect for family life.  Walk to Sunset Elementary, one of the finest schools in the area.  And the restaurants and shops of South Miami are just two minutes away.   This three-bedroom, two-bath home is situated on a huge 12,500 square foot lot with back yard completely fenced in.  Features open living room, dining room, kitchen and two-car garage complete with storage loft.

If you’d like to see this fine home or would like information about any South Florida real estate, especially South Miami and Coral Gables, you can reach me at bishopric.r@ewm.com or 305-401-8058.

Finally–new kitchen renovation finished!

After three and a half months, a wall of Miami-Dade County building department permits, dozens of various workers wandering in and out, eating off paper plates with plastic forks out of cardboard boxes, the kitchen is finished. My life has sort of come to a halt in the last few weeks trying to get this job done. That, and a bad bout of illness, has kept me away from the blog for a while. Assuming we pass our plumbing, gas, electrical and mechanical/ventilation and then the master permit inspections in a few days, my life will get back into order enough to get back to somewhat regular blogging. I’m going to start covering South Miami more extensively–what’s happening, local events, local politics, restaurants, etc. So at least once a week I’ll be out there with my trusty camera seeing what’s going on and reporting about it.

If you’d like to know anything about South Florida real estate, in particular South Miami and Coral Gables, you can reach me at bishopric.r@ewm.com  or 305-401-8058. I’ll be glad to answer any of your questions.