A few months ago, we decided to overhaul the Miami Condo Investments website. Our aim was to create a Miami real estate website with more content and functionality than its predecessor. Today, we’re pleased to present the new look of Miami Condo Investments. The website is still a work in progress but we hope to have all bugs fixed and new content published within the next 30 days. Below, you’ll find a list of a few of the features added to the new website:
Message Board – Many of you have asked for a forum to discuss various topics related and unrelated to real estate. Hopefully many of you will make good use of it.
Photo Blog – I introduced this feature last month. Here you’ll find real estate related pictures that we have taken in and around Miami and Miami Beach.
Client Resources – Clients often have the same questions regarding the rental or sales process or questions regarding financing or closing costs. We felt that this would be a good section of the website to provide the answers to these frequently asked questions.
Earlier this afternoon, we also submitted our updated iPhone app to iTunes for approval. We hope that it will be approved and available for everyone to download by the middle of next week.
It’s amazing when I look back at the original Miami Condo Investments blog and realize just how far the website has come in terms of size and quality since that time.
Introducing the Miami Photos & Images Blog
Late Wednesday afternoon, we launched the Miami Photos and Images Blog. The new site gives us the opportunity to share great shots of Miami with locals and people from across the world as we capture the pictures throughout the week. As real estate agents constantly on the move, we consider ourselves ideal candidates to establish a grand collection of Miami photos. I can’t tell you how many times I am taken aback by a view or scenery and wish I could encapsulate the moment to share it with others. The Miami Photos and Images Blog will allow us to do just that. Our goal is to post at least one photo per day to the blog. That shouldn’t be a difficult endeavor to tackle given the advancement in mobile/cellular technology and the ease of sharing those pictures.
Every Friday, to keep the mood light and fun, we will post a “Funny MLS Picture of the Week” like the one below. You would be surprised by what some agents upload onto the MLS to “showcase” their listing. Then again, maybe we should be grateful that they were able to find the time in their busy schedule to actually upload a picture. It drives me crazy when I see a listing without any pictures. Anyway, my intention is to give you a laugh or two every Friday.
As mentioned in our last post, we’re planning to unveil the new Miami Condo Investments website some time next week. The Miami Photos & Images Blog will be one of the new features but we will also be introducing a way for visitors of the site to share their own photos with others.
Miami Real Estate Review FaceBook Fan Page
Yesterday afternoon, we launched the Miami Real Estate Review FaceBook Fan Page. We have big plans for the fan page so be sure to add us. Starting next week, we will provide daily updates in regards to the Miami real estate market. Important market news, recently closed sales and the best real estate deals currently on the market will be highlighted. The information will be provided in an abridged, concise manner to allow daily updates to be made possible. Of particular note to some, the Miami Real Estate Review Fan Page will have a discussion forum. Participants will be able to create discussion topics and provide their input.
Miami Condo Investments iPhone Application Now Available
I’m happy to announce that the Miami Condo Investments iPhone application is now available for download at the Apple iTunes store. Click on the image below to access it. Any feedback that you might have is much appreciated.
iPhone Application Release Update
Just wanted to give everyone an update regarding the iPhone application. It was submitted to Apple about two and a half weeks ago. Apple contacted me late last week stating that a few minor changes needed to be made. Those changes were made and the app was resubmitted this past Monday. We’re hoping that it will be approved within the next 2-3 weeks.
In preparation for the launch of the iPhone application I hired a graphic designer to create some marketing material. Here’s a peek at the business card design.
We’re wrapping up the finishing touches on the Miami Condo Investments iPhone application. We should be done by the end of this week. We then need to submit it to Apple for approval. The submission process usually takes 2-4 weeks. I’m hoping that it’ll be available to download at the iTunes store by December 1st. Not sure if I mentioned this before but I’m not going to charge for the application; it’s going to be a free download. Below, you’ll find some screen shots of the Miami Condo Investments iPhone application. This is going to be a serious app!
The Future of Real Estate
A few months ago, I referred to a secret project that I was working on that would crush my competition. We’ve had a few delays, but after a little over 3 months of work we are now very close to completing it. Today, I provide you a sneak peek of that project. It’s an iPhone application that will revolutionize the industry. I’ve done a ton of research on the capabilities and flaws of the iPhone and have thought of everything. I won’t go into the features of the application at this point for obvious reasons but I must say that I’m very proud of this little pocket rocket. In the picture above, you see the start up screen. I didn’t want to reveal too much at this time but I will unveil other screen shots within the next two weeks and go into all of the features of the Miami Condo Investments iPhone application. I’m also preparing to launch the same application on the Android platform early next year.
Early next month, I’m also planning to launch a new website. It’s coming along very well and it has exceeded all of my expectations. I recently brought in an assistant and showing agent to help me during these months of expansion. I’m looking to bring in 1-2 additional agents within the next couple of months. My plan is to solely concentrate on this website and the iPhone application and crank out 5-6 posts per week. Unfortunately, that means that I won’t be able to do anymore showings. However, you can be rest assured that you will always meet with a quality agent who knows the South Florida condo markets as well as I do (well maybe not that well).
New & Improved South Florida MLS Property Search for Condos
Many of you have already noticed that a much improved Miami condos search has now taken the place of the old property search. New search parameters have been added to allow your search experience to be more powerful and effective. For example, you can now search by year built, number of parking spaces and distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), as well as many other parameters. Additionally, you can now draw a shape onto the map to restrict the search to condos located within that shape. For example, in the picture above, I drew a shape around Brickell Key to restrict the search to only condos located in Brickell Key. Enjoy!
South Beach Vacation + Bargain Condos = Miami Condo Investments Tour
I’ve been kicking around this idea in the back of my mind for quite some time. I guess the timing just never felt right. Prices have now fallen to a more realistic level, however, and it may be time to at least discuss the idea to see if there would be any interest.
I’m proposing to hold a two-day tour of Miami and South Beach condos in June of this year. The tour would focus on the best condo deals in Brickell, Brickell Key, Downtown Miami, the Arts District of Miami and South Beach. The objective would be to educate nonlocal buyers, who may not be familiar with the various neighborhoods and condo developments, but may have an interest in buying here at some point in the future. It’s also an opportunity for local buyers to take a first-hand glimpse into the best condo investment deals in Miami. Weather-wise, June may not be the best time of the year to visit South Florida, but I expect the deals at that time to be even better than they are now.
The condo tour would be held on a Friday and Saturday, in which time we would visit 10 buildings and about 30 condo units. The tour package would include a 3-night stay at the Loews Hotel, a 4-star/4-diamond oceanfront hotel in South Beach; 3 breakfasts; 2 lunches; and the 2-day chartered bus tour. The cost would be $900 for one person or $1,500 for 2 people staying in one room. The 2-day chartered bus tour would also be open to local buyers who do not require hotel accommodations at a rate of $300 per person. To those who close on a condo that was placed under contract within 3 months of the tour, I would credit half the cost of the condo tour package at closing for those requiring hotel accommodations and the full cost to those paying the $300 rate.
I’d love to get your feedback about this idea, and I’m open to suggestions regarding the buildings that will be included in the tour. Please add your thoughts in the comments section and use the second poll below to vote on the buildings that you’d like to see on the tour (you may select multiple buildings when voting). I’m hoping to get around 20-25 interested parties in order to set this plan into motion.
[poll id=”7″] [poll id=”5″]
Housing Bailout Plan
It’s official! The U.S. Senate has passed a housing bailout plan that will end up costing taxpayers an estimated $25B. This is an estimate that the Congressional Budget Office says could potentially reach $100B. Now, it’s up to George W. Bush to sign on the dotted line to finalize it.
I’m NOT an advocate of this housing bailout plan. I saw too many people unwisely refinance their properties to withdraw money from the paper profits in their luxury homes in Miami in order to spend the money on new vehicles, surround-sound systems, large plasma TVs, furniture, clothes, etc. Now, the government wants the country to foot the bill for these people to reminisce about the times that they were living LARGE?
It doesn’t sound like a “plan” to me. Senator Charles Grassley, of Iowa, says it best when he states, “This bill has fallen prey to the special interests on Wall Street and K Street at an unjustifiable expense to taxpayers and homeowners on Main Street”. Who are we kidding when we think that we actually have a say in what happens in this country? Large corporate banks, mortgage companies, real estate conglomerates, developers and any other real estate-related entities have lobbyists that have the upper hand over what the American people actually want. We’re all just pawns with hopes to checkmate, but end up being eliminated after the third move.
You may also want to watch the video of Congressman Ron Paul’s comments on the housing bailout plan. It is quite interesting and makes you see the other side of the story from a true American who cares about this country.
