Growing up with a mom who was single, I never saw her buy a fancy car, beautiful clothes or shoes. She was a savvy shopper and was always at the clearance sale section at a department store and would cut savings coupons from the Sunday paper. She was happy to wear a simple gold watch, a gold necklace and a couple of gold diamond rings.Me, my sisters and brothers (one of my brothers is my twin) come from a poor to middle income family. My mother was one of the few of 16 children who got a divorce while we were still toddlers and let my father take everything as long as she didn't have anything to do with him. We moved to Miami and visited home once every couple or few years.She worked her simple job, came home everyday, never brought any strangers home and was pretty much content with he... 09/22/2007

Some homeowners which homes are being foreclosed are ripping tenants off. With so many homes in foreclosure, some unscrupulous homeowners are renting out their homes, taking three to four months of deposit and after a couple of months they take off. The tenants are forced to move out and become despondent at the event.While conducting a search for a friend of mine who is looking to rent a condo, something told me to look at the property tax records for the condo that she wants to rent. To my dismay, the result of the property's history confirmed that the homeowners were indeed in foreclosure. Red Flag #1Since the property is for sale by owner, I called and asked if the owner was willing to cooperate with me and pay a commission. They hung up on me! It's not that they hung up on me that ... 09/17/2007

Lounge music is chill music to your ears. If you're like me and enjoyed the compilation of Michael Cretu's Enigma, you will love the paradigm, seductive sounds of the popular and modern sound of Electronica, an emerging genre that took off in the 90's. And while Enigma's sounds were new age dance, it was a project that sold millions of records which provided a contemporary sound that was recognized worldwide. I am a big fan of Enigma and it's one of my favorites in my collections of world music. Whether you chill out with your friends, mate, collegues or family, lounge music has become a popular modern tune in lounge and wine bars, creating an ingenious ambiance of pleasurable rhythms while conversing amongst your peers. The store owner of a dance studio saw me going through a rack of C... 09/16/2007

Blogging is not as intricate as you may think. It is as easy as choosing one word. Think of one word, any word. Then add another, and then another, hey, wait, see? This could be your topic. Wait, this is your topic! All right, now write just a few more words that support your topic. Keep w-r-i-t-i-n-g. Now, wasn't that simple? From a word to a sentence, from a sentence to a paragraph, and from a paragraph to, Your Blog. Wait, it gets better! This is a mind exercise solely for the purpose of your blog. Pick a time when you can mindfully be aware of where you go and what you are doing and heed for key words for your blog. Have a pen and paper and be ready to write down notes. Let's say you just heard the word baseball. Immediately you will think about everything related to baseball. You m... 09/16/2007

In today's world where there are uncertainties in the real estate market, one would wonder where would be the best place to invest our hard earned dollars. Certainly, owning real estate is one of the best ways to invest our money, especially if you don't have an investment portfolio. And as we all know, investing in real property, buying low and selling high is the key to a profitable return on your properties investment.Investing in real estate is one of the ways to secure your invested money. But what about those who are having difficulties in keeping up with the mortgage payments, let alone the ones that are in foreclosure? The real estate and mortgage industry and the way they stand have taught us a valuable lesson. Besides learning a valuable lesson in this hard hit market, the bes... 09/16/2007

Here is the latest listing of events happening on the Broadwalk at Hollywood Beach.  I will likely be at the Latin Festival and the Full Moon Jazz Festival.  I'd love to do more but unfortunately my schedule prevents me from doing so.  If you're near Hollywood, be sure to stop by.  All of these events are free to the public!   09/08/2007

Many will remember 1967 as the "Summer of Love'. It was a Renaissance of sorts as people discovered who they were.It was a "true celebration of life".  With the Summer of 2007 over we`re dubbing it the "Summer of Wove". What a summer for many of us. It was truly a test of passion for our profession as each day something new occurred. Sub Prime Lenders extinct,many Real Estate offices gone and forgotten as well as many of our comrades who are either on permanent "Hiatus" or dealing Poker at the local Seminole Tribe!It`s been a season of "Willing the transaction to happen". I can`t tell you have many transaction I literally took over for either the "Buyer`s Agent or Sellers Agent" insuring the transactions close. The fact is we made many new friends from many other Real Estate companies a... 08/31/2007

  I took this photo while in a chartered helicopter to show what Harbor Islands is all about. Harbor Islands is a gated waterfront community in Hollywood Florida, just down from Golden Beach and minutes from Aventura. I hope this is usefull to many buyer and fellow Realtors. 08/23/2007

Last night, one of my closest friends who is a real estate agent and one of my mentors in the business called me and said, "I've never been so embarrassed in my life!" He's the type of person who laughs at his own jokes. I seriously thought that he was just saying that to try to get me out of the dumps since I had been weary lately about some issues. I remained silent waiting to hear his laugh but I guess he was serious."I was at the bar, (we are Karaoke aficionados), for an hour and a half before I realized that my bottom teeth were missing". Still serious about his embarrassing moment I said, "You're joking right?" at this time my grin was getting wider. "No, I'm not, and don't laugh at me. I was going to get up on the stage to sing for the first time, grabbed the microphone and reali... 08/23/2007

Besides collecting an array of college books in my library bookshelf, there are countless ones that are in the self-help book genre. From Shakti Gaiwan, author of "Visualization", to Andrew Carnegie author of, "How to Win Friends and Influence People", besides books on success, healthy eating cookbooks, to Internet for Dummies, (I am not too computer savvy).I don't know what I would do without these helpful books, or I would go insane without the direction of some of the greatest writers and philosophers out there who devout themselves teaching and reaching out to others and make a great living at it. Hmmmmm, maybe I should write a book, or should I say, we? Reading these books keep me away from a shrink, No, really. I am true believer in the ‘life is a journey not a destination' philos... 08/22/2007

I am trying!!! I need to blog!!! It's in my veins!!! I don't know about you but I am better at improvising a fresh blog from my brain before I go to sleep than in the morning, afternoon or early evening. I catch myself reading about all of your great blogs and before I know it I have been reading and submitting comments for more than 2 hours! In the meantime I was supposed to call my friend April, her son's getting married and they are first time home buyers, awwwww. And wait, tha lady that called me yesterday, what was her name? Oh yeah, Eucaris, she wants a lease with option to buy. Oh boy! I better get to work. I'll blog later.Just so happens to be that while I am typing, all of these ideas pop up in my head and keep typing relentlessly. Next thing I know my blog is soooo long  and I... 08/20/2007

Friday, August 17, 2007I had the privilege to meet with EWM Realtors' Vice President and Managing Broker Randi Rapp in Aventura. A few days ago, Randi had sent me an invitation to her office's meeting, ‘Blogging Group'. My pivotal decision in accepting Randi's invitation was primarily due to a vigorous desire to meet innovative blogger's with comparable interests. The meeting took place in a conference room in EWM's prestigious office which had the feel of a comforting ambience. There were several agent's present as we discussed many important facets of blogging.Also present and directing the meeting was Maggie Dokic with the EWM Realtors' Redland Homestead office. Maggie, who has been blogging for over 2 years and is blog savvy, shared her experiences within the Active Rain community. ... 08/18/2007

SUNNY ISLES FLORIDA REAL ESTATE 2BED,2BA.Fully furnished (incl. in price) in excellent condition , This condo located on the 7th floor enjoys incredible Bay views. Close proximity to the beach. Exellent location!!! Don't miss this...  US $398,000.00 South Florida< 3 hours ago HOLLYWOOD FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BEAUTIFUL 2bed,2ba FEELS LIKE YOU`RE ON VACATION! OWNER MOVING OUT OF THE COUNTRY. WILL CONSIDER ALL OFFERS. MAY BE SOLD WITH FURNITURE. NEW BUILDING RENOVATIONS INCLUDE:NEW ROOF, AND A/C. STEPS...  US $280,000.00 South Florida< 3 hours ago Sunny Isles Florida Condo`s For Sale. 2BED,2BA.TOTALLY REMODELED UNIT, LIKE NEW KITCHEN CABINETS & APPLIANCES, VERY SPACIOUS, A LOT OF CLOSET SPACE. BUILDING HAS BEEN RECENTLY RENOVATED. 24HRS CONCIERGE. CONTACT FLORIDA LIST FOR L...  US $379,000.00... 08/13/2007

The condominium market for Ocean View Condominiums are starting to really get noticed. there are some terrific bargains to be had right now and many buyers are starting to buy! Many are being sold below appraised value and views views of the panoramic views of the city and ocean are magnificent!   Many are buying these units with the complete desire to use these as either vacation homes or second homes for the winter. Regardless of how the media perceives the market in South Florida, there`s no denying that the sales of condominiums remains very strong! Take a look at these bargains!17700¤ N¤ BAY RD.Unit 710.Sunny Isles.This is a 2bed,2ba condo fully furnished, this is 1300 SF under A/C.Offered@ $398,000  1600 S OCEAN DR.Hollywood Florida unit 12HThis is a 2bed,2ba Condo w/ 1400 SF unde... 08/13/2007

A Whole New WorldThe world of real estate blogging has far reached beyond my expectations. I have been blogging for 3 months, have read lots of them, received comments, made comments and I even got my first featured blog. Yey!Blogging?I remember walking outside of a department store one day and overhearing someone saying, ‘I am a blogger', to someone they were speaking to on their cell phone. A what? I went to my car, drove off, and put that statement in oblivion.My Blogging DebutOriginally, I was doing a Google search on how to market myself and my real estate business efficiently. In doing so, I ran across Brad Andersohn's blog and joined Active Rain instantly. Brad, you are an inspiration! Duh!It's when it finally hit me with the results of my search that I said to myself, ‘Oh, so th... 08/13/2007

A close friend of mine and me were sitting al fresco at a restaurant in Downtown Hollywood in another hot summer day. The clouds were hurriedly over casting the faint, blue skies. It was a relief on our skin since we were outdoors, due to the infamous sticky humid weather in South Florida."You always wear the best handbags, the finest jewelry, you have such a beautiful home, a luxurious SUV, and where did you get those Prada sunglasses, I hate you"!"Well don't, as a matter of fact I might be going into foreclosure", she says.My friend, not knowing what to say or do and seemingly desperate, could not help but shed a tear or two. "I didn't know that you were going through that, why didn't you tell me this before? I am your friend and don't forget, I am a Real Estate Agent. Didn't you thin... 08/11/2007

No matter how or where the real estate market or the lending/mortgage industry is taking a turn, we must continue to strive to do our very best in our professional lives. That means, believing in ourselves. Some of us have a comfort zone, and on occasion, may have undoubtedly marked a financial impact in our minds, our lives, nevertheless, our commissions.We can choose to let others step up and make something out of their lives and careers right in front of us. Or we can step up to ourselves and join others in the challenging field of the real estate industry. If you don't do it, someone else will. No matter what, real estate is happening! My philosophy: "There is plenty of money for everyone to make out there".We must not look at our external environment but rather focus in our knowled... 08/08/2007

Follow the habit of rendering more service and better service than you are paid to render.Enter into no transaction which does not benefit, as nearly alike as possible, everyone it affects.Make no statement which you do not believe to be true, no matter what temporary advantages a falsehood might seem to offer.Have a sincere desire in your heart to be of the greatest possible service to the largest number of people.Cultivate a wholesome admiration for people; like them better than you like money!Do your best to live as well as preach your own philosophy of business. Actions speak louder than words!Accept no favors, large or small, without giving favors in return.Ask nothing of any person without believing that you have a right to that for which you ask.Enter into no arguments with any p... 08/06/2007

"Even though the market is soft, one thing is for certain; people will always need a place to live", says Richard Pentaleri, a Florida State Certified Res. REA, Pentaleri & Associates, LLC.Selling One, Buying AnotherIn a perfect world, you sell your old home an buy the new one on the same day. Given that things rarely turn out perfectly, here are some things to keep in mind as you negotiate the sale of one house with the purchase of another.Time It RightFall and spring are the best times for homes to move and you want to consider the season of the year when you are buying and selling, and if the closing dates aren't going to coincide, a gap - rather than two mortgages - is for the better. It is easier and usually cheaper to find temporary housing than juggle two mortgages.Selling FirstS... 07/26/2007

Reasons why homes don't sellIf you have had your home on the market for several months and haven't seen much activity or any offers, chances are that one or more of the reasons below are to blame. Your price is too high No doubt about it, the most common reason for a home not selling is that the asking price has been set too high. The reasons for setting your price too high to begin with are many, ranging from over enthusiastic listing agents to unrealistic seller expectations. Regardless of the reason, if you have priced your home too high, you have set yourself up for a number of obstacles to selling your home. Even if you do get an offer for the overly high asking price, the deal may fall apart before closing because the buyer may have problems financing at too high a price. Look at ... 07/25/2007