Tag Archives: 33019

EWM International Realty is now Larger and Better than Ever!

access_timeNovember 26, 2012personScott Patterson

We have exciting news to share with you about our company’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Berkshire Hathaway has purchased the real estate franchise “Prudential” / Real Living and launch an entirely new brokerage brand for these agents: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

Our South Florida real estate company EWM has been owned by Berkshire Hathaway for the last six years.

This new purchase, however, is guaranteed to make the company even stronger and more responsive to home buyer’s and home seller‘s needs.

Selling Real Estate in South Florida and Around the Country

Berkshire Hathaway has acquired Prudential’s agent network from Brookfield Asset Management.

Next year, Berkshire Hathaway and Brookfield will begin converting Home Services agents over to the new brand as well.

The new company will be based in Irvine, California and will be led by a team of Prudential Real Estate executives.

Here are some more facts of this recent deal:

Berkshire’s HomeServices of America (which already owns local brokerages with 16,000 agents in 21 states) will be the majority owner
The Prudential and Real Living brands will be eliminated over time.
Independent local brokers that HomeServices already owns will not have to switch affiliation but their branding will start to note that they’re owned by Berkshire Hathaway.

Your South Florida Real Estate Expert

By aligning ourselves with this new and improved super real estate company, EWM will have even greater access to real estate resources that will ultimately help you as the buyer or seller!

Thus, we’re quite thrilled about this newly formed real estate company!

If you’re considering entering the South Florida real estate market anytime soon, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll be happy to assist you as you navigate any one of the following South Florida markets:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Developers Are Proposing Dozens of New Condominiums

access_timeNovember 1, 2012personScott Patterson

Developers are feeling so confident with the South Florida real estate market lately that they’re planning on constructing dozens of new condominiums in the upcoming months and years.

According to a recent article I read, developers are proposing almost 55 new condominium projects totaling more than 10,000 units in the communities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

This signals that the South Florida housing market is becoming increasingly robust and attractive for real estate transactions!

South Florida Luxury Condominiums for Sale

Miami-Dade County has been leading the area with new condominium projects in the works.

Evidently, there are nearly 40 proposed projects in the county, all of which total more than 7,900 units.

These condominiums are expected to be built in Aventura, Bal Harbour, Miami, Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Sunny Isles including the development The Village at Island Estates that I am representing.

Broward County has the second most proposed projects with 11. These condominiums will bring an additional 1,600 units to the area and will be constructed in Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach and Hollywood.

In third place is Palm Beach County with at least 5 proposed condominium projects totaling 700 units. These condominiums are expected to be constructed in Juno Beach and West Palm Beach as well as Gulf Stream.

Experts are saying many domestic and international prospective developers are sweeping South Florida searching for previously approved projects that were put on hold after the housing market bubble burst in 2007.

Leading the way in this latest condominium development blitz is the 23 Biscayne Bay condominium in Greater Downtown Miami.

One tower has already been constructed and an additional 11 are expected to be completed as soon as 2014.

As of the second quarter of 2012, buyers have purchased about 93 percent of the nearly 49,000 new condos created in the largest coastal markets during the most recent South Florida real estate boom that began in 2003.

At the current sales pace of nearly 150 units per month, the 3,400 unsold new condos could be acquired in the first half of 2014.

Many of these newly proposed condominiums appear to cater to niche markets, such as the high-end luxury condominium market.

These new developments plan to attract high-end buyers with such features as incredibly spacious balconies, automobile elevators and personal swimming pools.

Your South Florida Real Estate Expert

This is an exciting time to be a South Florida home buyer – especially given all of the new luxury condominiums that are expected to be constructed soon!

If you’re thinking about relocating to South Florida anytime soon and investing in your own condominium, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll be happy to walk you through the condo-buying process with helpful advice and user-friendly resources such as:

Until next time,

Scott

Report: Fewer Homes for Sale Available on the South Florida Real Estate Market

access_timeOctober 31, 2012personScott Patterson

Available homes for sale on the South Florida real estate market have decreased significantly year-over-year, according to a recent article I read.

The Palm Beach Post reported that the available inventory of homes for sale was down 34 percent in September when compared to September 2011.

This is fantastic news for South Florida home sellers in such communities as Golden Beach and Sunny Isles who are hoping to get a great price on their property.

South Florida Homes for Sale

Here’s an overview of recent activity on the South Florida real estate market, according to the real estate analysis firm Zillow:

High-priced homes for sale in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties were down 34.4 percent year-over-year.
Meanwhile, inventory of homes in the lower-priced tiers were down 33 percent.
In that same period, the national inventory of homes for sale has decreased by 19 percent.
In Palm Beach County, the inventory of single-family homes had fallen to less than five months in August.
When compared to August 2011, Palm Beach County’s home inventory has fallen 57 percent.

On the same day that Zillow released its report, the company RealtyTrac reported that Florida saw the most foreclosure activity in September.

Although some are concerned this may cause a drop in home prices as these foreclosed homes are sold, experts say that it’s more likely that these homes will more than likely be short-sold, which will help preserve prices.

List Your South Florida Home for Sale Today!

As I noted earlier, a drop in available homes for sale is a great sign for interested South Florida home sellers.

That’s because the low supply of available homes will spur even greater home buyer demand, which will ultimately drive up prices.

Thus, if you’re thinking about listing your South Florida property anytime soon, now is a great time to do so!

For expert tips on navigating the market as a South Florida home seller, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

I have years of experiencing helping home owners sell their properties in a number of local communities, including:

Until next time,

Scott

Argentinians Now the Most Active Investors on the South Florida Real Estate Market

access_timeOctober 25, 2012personScott Patterson

For months, I’ve been telling you about how much of an impact Brazilians investors have been making on the South Florida real estate market.

Now, according to a recent article, it appears that there’s another Latin American country that has taken over as a lead investor of South Florida real estate: Argentinians. This recent trend is expected to have quite a positive impact on our local housing market!

South Florida Homes for Sale

According to the recent article in the New York Times, the value of local currency has created the most recent trend on the South Florida real estate market.

The value of Brazil’s currency (the real) has been weakening against the dollar in recent months.

Meanwhile, as Argentina’s peso has also weakened and inflation has increased to 25 percent, upper-class Argentinians are deciding to invest their money in American real estate instead.

Here’s this recent trend at a glance:

Capital outflow from Argentina increased from $11.4 billion to $21.5 billion between 2010 and 2011.
At Opera Tower on North Bayshore Drive, half of the 30 apartments that have sold in the past month were to Argentines.
Many of those purchases were all-cash.
Since Opera Tower started selling condos again about six months ago, 90 of the remaining 394 units have gone under contract and most of the investors were Argentinians.

And according to the article, another group of Latin Americans may be increasingly investing in the South Florida real estate market soon: Venezuelans.

Evidently, concern over the outcome of the upcoming Oct. 7 elections has lead many Venezuelans to want to invest their money in the American real estate market – particularly in South Florida and New York.

Your South Florida Real Estate Expert

As I’ve often noted, the South Florida real estate market is a popular place for Latin Americans to invest their money.

These investments have profound effects on the overall health of the local housing market.

Thus, I’ll keep you posted as more develops on this recent real estate trend.

In the meantime, if you’re considering selling your South Florida property anytime soon, please contact me, Scott Patterson, today!

It will be my pleasure to help you with all of your home selling needs as well as provide you with such helpful tools as:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida’s Real Estate Market Is Rebounding

access_timeSeptember 24, 2012personScott Patterson

South Florida is currently ranked Number 2 for fastest rising home values in the country, however values are 48 percent lower than compared to peak levels in 2006 according to the latest Case-Shiller report.

Evidently, Phoenix is the only housing market in the country with faster rising values!

The latest report signals that the housing market is indeed rebounding, which is excellent news for area home sellers!

South Florida Properties for Sale

Here’s the latest data on the South Florida real estate market (which includes Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties) from Case-Shriller as well as other data sources:

Currently, values are about 48 percent lower on the South Florida real estate market than compared to peak levels in 2006.
Since January, South Florida’s Case-Shiller real estate index increased by 5 percent.
Between May 2002 and May 2012, South Florida real estate values have grown about 12 percent.
Home prices in South Florida have steadily increased over the last six months
Since May 2011 to May 2012, home prices in South Florida have surged by 3.4 percent.
After a 1.4 percent increase for the region in April, home prices were at their highest point on the index since November 2010.
In June, the single-family homes inventory in Palm Beach County dropped from 11.9 months to 5 months when compared year-over-year.
Nationally, the single-family homes inventory fell to less than seven months during that same period.
Meanwhile, completed foreclosures have fallen to 2007 levels nationwide.
Florida had the second highest number of completed foreclosures in a 12-month period, with 91,000.
Although Florida still has the highest foreclosures inventory in the country with 11.5 percent of all mortgages, it’s still down from one year ago.

Your South Florida Real Estate Expert

While the South Florida real estate market still has a ways to go before it is completely recovered from the bubble burst of a few years ago, it is certainly making great strides!

This is great news for home sellers who have been waiting for home prices and values to rise so that they can get a better price on their own home!

To learn more about the current state of the South Florida real estate market – or to inquire about navigating the market as a home seller – please contact me, Scott Patterson.

As a dedicated South Florida REALTOR, I have years of experience helping home sellers navigate such area market as:

And I’ll be happy to help you as well!

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Home Owners to Learn Their Proposed Property Taxes for 2012 Soon

access_timeSeptember 20, 2012personScott Patterson

South Florida home owners recently found out what their proposed property taxes will be for 2012, according to a recent article in the Miami Herald.

The Miami-Dade Property Appraiser sent out more than one million TRIM notices to property owners recently.

These notices lay out how much the county believes a South Florida property is worth, which is quite important to home owners, home buyers and home sellers.

South Florida Real Estate for Sale

No matter whether you’re buying or selling a piece of South Florida real estate – TRIM notices are important.

For home sellers, the county’s valuation of a piece of real estate is ultimately factored in to how much they will pay for taxes.

Property owners will have until September 18 to file an appeal of the valuation with the Value Adjustment Board.

Tax bills connected with the new valuation will be sent out by Nov. 1.

Here’s an overview of what the TRIM notices revealed:

In Miami-Dade, the tax roll increased by 1.98 percent, after 3 years of declines.
In Broward County, the tax roll increased by 1.5 percent on average.
Broken down further, about 24 cities saw increases and seven saw declines.

Buying and Selling South Florida Real Estate

Whether you’re thinking about buying or selling South Florida real estate, you’ll want to have the latest information about TRIM notices in the area.

So contact me, Scott Patterson, for expert advice and helpful information on any one of the following real estate markets in South Florida:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Existing Single-Family Home Sales Rise in July

access_timeSeptember 17, 2012personScott Patterson

There is more good news to potential home sellers on the South Florida real estate market!

According to a recent article in the Miami Herald, both the total number of homes sales and the median sales price are on the rise!

This is the case in both Miami-Dade and Broward counties, signaling that the local housing market is indeed recovering!

South Florida Homes for Sale

Here are some of the highlights from the recent article on South Florida real estate:

From July 2011 to July 2012, the median price of a single-family home in Miami-Dade rose 2.8 percent to $185,000.
That marks the eighth consecutive month of rising single-family home prices in the county.
Meanwhile, the total number of residential sales (which includes single-family and condos) increased by 11 percent to 2,201, when compared year-over-year.
In Miami-Dade County, the total the total number of residential listings dropped 27 percent from July 2011 to July 2012 – from 15,727 to 11,454. This is a good indication for a strong market because it means housing inventories are reaching healthier levels.
In Broward County, the inventory of homes dropped by 50 percent – from 9,884 in July 2011 to 4,964 in July 2012.
Also in Broward County, the sale of existing single-family homes increased by 19.9 percent year-over-year.
And the median price of a single-family home in Broward County increased by 13.2 percent – from $190,000 in July 2011 to $215,000 in July 2012.
Also between July 2011 and July 2012, the number of sales of existing condos and townhomes in Broward County increased by 3.8 percent.
And the median condo and townhome price in Broward County increased by 14.5 percetn to $85,900.
In Broward County, single-family home prices remained flat year-over-year, while townhome and condo prices dropped about 2.2 percent – from $85,900 to $84,000.
In the entire state of Florida, the median price for single-family homes increased by 7.8 percent to $148,000 year-over-year.
And the number of homes on the market dropped 32.6 percent year-over-year.

So what is driving all of this positive activity on the South Florida real estate market?

Ron Shuffield, president of our company Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, explained to the Miami Herald: “We’re down to a three-month supply of homes in Broward and a four-month supply in Dade,” he said. “That metric is the most important one in our business. When those numbers go down, prices are going up.”

Listing Your South Florida Home for Sale!

Things just keep getting better for South Florida home sellers!

If you’ve been considering lately whether to list your own South Florida home or condo, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll be happy to discuss with you the best way to navigate the market right now as a home seller as well as explain to you the exclusive South Florida marketing plan I offer clients.

In the meantime, I invite you to take some time to browse my various South Florida home selling resources, which include:

Until next time,

Scott

Report: Europeans Are Increasingly Investing in South Florida Real Estate

access_timeAugust 20, 2012personScott Patterson

Recently I read an interesting article in the Sun Sentinel about how European’s financial struggles are impacting South Florida real estate in a positive way!

Evidently, those Europeans with some extra spending money are investing in second homes in South Florida before the value of the Euro drops any further.

This has caused a recent spur in activity on such South Florida real estate markets in Aventura, Hallandale, Sunny Isles Miami and others.

Continue reading to learn more about this new trend!

South Florida Properties for Sale

Here’s a look at how Europe’s Euro woes are affecting various sectors of the South Florida economy:

Europe now comprises 16 percent of South Florida’s trade with the world
Europe also makes up 15 percent of shipments overseas from South Florida ports
Switzerland ranks as South Florida’s third largest trade partner, mostly because of the gold industry
European tourism to South Florida is also up!

And here’s how the crisis overseas is having a positive impact on South Florida’s real estate market:

International home buyers accounted for 15 percent of all sales in the state of Florida before 2007
In addition, the issues overseas are helping to keep U.S. interest rates low for the short term.

Plus, the dropping value of the Euro-zone has also led many Europeans to also invest in South Florida’s tourism and trade industries!

Your South Florida REALTOR

The recent investment on the part of Europeans on the South Florida real estate market will likely create a ripple effect.

As more Europeans snatch up available homes for sale, the total housing inventory will fall.

As that happens, sales prices will begin to creep up as demand for available South Florida homes begins to rise above supply of such homes.

This is great news for interested South Florida home owners who are hoping to sell their property for a good price!

For more information on how Europe’s financial woes may affect you as a home seller, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

I have years of experience selling properties on such local housing markets as:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Home Prices Continue to Rise!

access_timeAugust 16, 2012personScott Patterson

For the seventh straight month, home prices have continued to increase on the South Florida real estate market!

This marks the best home price showing since Fall 2006!

Continue reading to learn more about recent South Florida housing market activity to see how it may affect you as a home buyer!

South Florida Homes for Sale

Here’s what the most recent real estate market data revealed about South Florida home sales activity in June:

June was the 7th month in a row that saw year-over-year single family home price increases in Miami-Dade County
The median price for a single family Miami-Dade County home was $194,250, up 5 percent from the same month in 2011.
The median price for a single-family Broward County home was $215,000, up 8 percent from the year before.
The median price for a Miami-Dade condo was $160,000, up 34 percent year-over-year.
In Broward County, the median price for a condo was $85,900, up 14.5 percent from last year.
There were 906 single-family homes that closed in Miami Dade County, down 1.8 percent from last year.
And in Broward County, there were 1,310 single-family homes that closed, up 14.5 percent year-over-year.
In Miami Dade County, there were 1,368 condos that closed, up 4 percent from last year.
Meanwhile in Broward County, there were 1,485 condos that sold, down 4.4 percent year-over-year.

The data suggests that things are definitely looking up here in South Florida.

Still, analysts are saying it will likely take until 2019 for home sales prices in South Florida to match what they were in 2006.

Purchase Your Dream South Florida Home Today!

Prices definitely appear to be on an upward trend on the South Florida real estate market.

Thus, if you’re interested in getting buying a home or condo, then you may want to consider entering the market soon!

For expert guidance on navigating the South Florida housing market as a buyer, please contact me, Scott Patterson.

While you’re at it, you may also be interested in checking out some helpful online home-buying tools:

Until next time,
Scott

Conditions Are Ideal to Purchase a Broward or Miami Dade County Home for Sale

access_timeAugust 2, 2012personScott Patterson

The president of our company EWM Realty International recently released the latest housing market data for Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The outlook is fantastic for interested South Florida home buyers, said Ron Shuffield.

Home sales have increased and the median home sales price is on the rise.

Continue reading to learn more about recent South Florida housing market activity to see how it compares to recent years.

Properties for Sale in Broward and Miami Dade Counties, Florida

Here’s a brief overview of what Mr. Shuffield reported about recent South Florida housing market activity:

In Miami-Dade County, the median price for a single-family home so far in 2012 is $200,000, up 12 percent when compared to the year before.
In 2011, the median price was about $150,000.
Also in Miami-Dade County, the median price for a condominium so far in 2012 is $150,000, up 21 percent when compared to the year before.
In Broward County, the median price for a single-family home in 2012 is $216,000, up 14 percent from 2011.
And the median price for a Broward County condominium in 2012 is $85,000, up 9 percent from 2011.

Mr. Shuffield explained that low sales prices, record low interest rates and affordable housing inventory at the foreclosure stage have driven the recent sales South Florida has seen.

As a result, available and affordable South Florida housing inventory is dwindling quickly.

For instance, in 2011, sales of foreclosed homes made up 65 percent of all home sales in South Florida. Now they represent 50 percent of all sales.

Your South Florida Real Estate Expert

Watch the video above to learn even more about why South Florida home buyers stand to gain a lot on the Miami-Dade and Broward County real estate markets.

And if you’re thinking about entering the South Florida housing market anytime soon, be sure to contact me, Scott Patterson.

I have years of experience successfully helping buyers find a home that meets their wants and needs as well as lifestyle in such markets as:

Until next time,

Scott