Great news from a classic source

Feels as if the right time and the right place just met at my feet I AM grateful

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/business/affluent-buyers-reviving-market-for-miami-homes.html?_r=1&smid=fb-nytimes&WT.mc_id=BU-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-ABR-072711-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

One day at the art gallery

In May of 2010, I was in the right place at the right time. 


My friend and artist, Sergio Garcia, encouraged to me to truly see myself as "an artist". I was on doctor's orders to "go find something creative to do with yourself" and was searching for a project  or something to do that would make me feel happy.


I was given an opportunity to participate in an all woman show a gallery at Art Rouge in Wynwood, Florida. It was April 4th and with only an idea based on a short film script I had been "tweaking" for 2 years I pitched an idea of a video and photographs. Thanks to the universe which brought key people in my life at exactly that moment I was ready for the open in May.

You know the line: JUST DO IT,  I DID IT! 


These people who helped where all fairly new friends yet they provided the cameras, video and still (when I took on the assignment I did own a single camera), helped with printing the images and provided very important guidance into the art world, from the perspective of an artist. In less than one month Fauna was created.


Tawlk about chutzpeh!

Femmedomania – All woman show Art Rouge (46 NW 36 Street, Miami, Florida) May, 2010

About the project:

The images in FAUNA are the organic personification of being Grounded, providing Security, representing Permanence, the symbolisms of Growth and the Family. All is energy and we draw energy up and in from our roots always remembering that from which we come from humbly and with honor.

In order to effectively represent the manifestation of drawing in of the power of Mother Earth in the photography: a moment of the stream of power is captured and honored in silence. This is the power found in roots and trees and in us when we ground and connect with Mother Earth’s energy. In video: the now moment present in the living trees and significance of their size with the passage of time.

About the artist:

Uprooted as a teen from Brooklyn, New York and transplanted to Miami, Florida in the late 1970’s in a transition which forced me to face the unique, social and cultural shocks one experiences living in Miami, I learned to speak Spanish outside of my house to fit in.

And where skyscrapers, concrete playgrounds, and brick once had surrounded me, there was what has remained of the natural abundant jungle like habitat of The Grove. So lush and green and fragrant surroundings and in a N.Y. minute I acquired a great appreciation for the lush fauna and flora of this tropical city.

After spending more than a dozen years as a commercial copywriter and producer for television, Ms. Monica Uribe is currently focused on documentary screenplays, Internet Radio, photography and travel.

Monica Uribe holds a degree in Communications, Video/Film from the University of Miami, is a mother of three, Realtor, Reiki Master and a former Coconut Grove resident.

Florida’s Existing Condo Sales, Median Price Up in June 2011

Florida’s existing condo sales rose 8 percent in June with a total of 7,941 units sold statewide compared to 7,330 sold in June 2010, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. The statewide existing condo median sales price last month was $93,900; a year earlier, it was $92,300 for a 2 percent increase. The national median existing condo sales price was $165,400 in May 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).   “Promising signs continue for a slowly strengthening economy and housing market,” said 2011 Florida Realtors President Patricia Fitzgerald, “Mortgage interest rates remain historically low and affordability conditions are strong.”   Nine of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported higher existing condo sales in June; six MSAs had higher existing home sales.   In Florida’s year-to-year comparison for existing home sales, a total of 17,597 homes sold last month compared to 18,402 homes sold in June 2010 for a decrease of 4 percent. The statewide median sales price for existing homes last month was $138,000; a year earlier, it was $141,200 for a 2 percent decrease.   However, June’s statewide existing home median price was about 1.8 percent higher than it was in May. Sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes, according to NAR analysts. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.   The national median sales price for existing single-family homes in May 2011 was $166,700, down 4.5 percent from a year ago, according to NAR. In Massachusetts, the statewide median resales price was $300,375 in May; in California, it was $291,760; in Maryland, it was $233,568; and in New York, it was $211,900.   NAR’s latest industry outlook points to the still-sluggish job market and overly restrictive lending requirements as factors constraining housing’s recovery. “The job market has sputtered recently, and because variations in local job creation impact housing demand, markets will recover unevenly around the country,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “If banks would simply return to normal sound underwriting standards and begin lending to more creditworthy borrowers, we’d get a much faster recovery in the housing sector.”   The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.51 percent in June, significantly lower than the 4.74 percent averaged during the same month a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac. Florida Realtors’ sales figures reflect closings, which typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.

40 steps to reach the beach

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 33160 is prime South Florida lifestyle real estate. I live across the street for the ocean, to get there I must walk across a wide street it took my just 40 steps to make it to the other side but in those few steps...Rolls, Vespas with REAL Italians, Mercedes, Trucks, Ferrari, (insert your favorite car here) people drive some mighty fancy cars around here- I love it!

Isn't this what we all pictured when we moved to South Florida? Swimming in the ocean with Flipper, toes in the sand, drink in the hand...easy Fla-ri-dah living.

Instead for many, this vision of living in paradise has turned into all highway, Sun Pass lane, the eventual left blinkers, traffic jams...this is not living! You are missing the point if you are not searching for a second home in Sunny Isles Beach this is truly paradise, never abbreviated, it's known as Florida's Riviera and in my humble opinion the BEST neighborhood in Miami. Surrounded by the uber chic areas of Golden Beach to the north, Aventura to the west, Haulover Park and Bal Harbor to the south. To the east is nothing but amazing ocean views of the Atlantic Ocean. When you live in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida you are truly living in paradise!

Show notes: July 16, 2011

My last minute inner panic manifested itself as a great idea and a new show format is born. Truth is a show is only as good as it’s content no amount of production value can really make up of weak content. This is TALK radio you better have something to say or you’re doomed.

Do you believe in angels? I do. And with Maria Scozzari’s help I’m better in tuned with my personal angels and my purpose. Maria helped me connect with my angels via her kind soft voice and the familiar intonations of words and sayings I remember my mother and her family using, it is sweet.

Sometime things happen a scheduled guest was unable to call in to the show for an interview. I wasn’t upset I only made a mental note that next time she will have a larger portion of the show hour, it’s all good we learn to roll with the punches so that the punches become taps, become a nudge and we just keep on truckin’....

A slice of life on Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Waves meeting the shore at Haulover Park, 

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Some things the neighbors do on a Saturday morning on Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

July 9, 2011 The Monicles: Show notes

Try to guess this one: four letters, one word, can shake you, make your heart pulse that much faster, at that moment when you know it’s L-I-V-E.

This is all new for me, this own radio show thing. I’m loving it and recognize there is a growing a "tweaking” process. Maybe I'm a little too chicken but it's happening and right now I AM happy to have people who are interested in playing along. : )

LIVE or live – choose your definition. Come in the moment for better or worst.  Take control of a situation but action. When we make a conscience effort to be alive and LIVE a moment, then we become better prepared for the gift that moment brings. We become empowered especially in the face of chaos. 

We become empowered in spite of  the chaos

The gift can be unexpected or not a favorite “gift” but there is something great waiting to happen, really.

What to choose? Well, similar to choosing a single flavor in a roll of Lifesaver’s candy, it is all up to you…

A very big thank you to great guy and experienced real estate attorney Kevin Deeb, who  was my “lifesaver” when I no longer wanted to play in a game of real world Monopoly. He can certainly help you decide which is your best move when it comes to solid legal advice on  credit repair, short sales, foreclosures, all real estate related closings and more.

Thanks you as well to Philip Ross Munro for calling in. Please do check out his “neck-id” works truly so beautiful so proud to say I collect his work.

Thanks to the post show guests for their input and constructive options. Much more work to be done many for opportunities to come to discuss South Florida real estate, art, friends, connections….LIFE.

Please visit facebook.com/TheMonicles for links, visuals and more South Florida

http://youtu.be/mhxgZ6x0h78

We heart MOMS!

Daily Real Estate News  |  July 7, 2011  |   

HUD to Lenders: Don't Deny New Moms Loans Becoming a mother is not a basis to deny or delay a loan for purchasing a home, says John Trasvina, the Department of Housing and Urban Development assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity. Trasvina’s statement follows a recent HUD investigation into accusations that some lenders had refused to count new mothers’ disability payments they receive while on maternity leave as income when they apply for a home loan. 

"Mortgage professionals may verify income and other resources and have eligibility standards, but they may not single out women on maternity leave to deny or delay loans that they are otherwise eligible for," Trasvina said. 

The investigation by HUD was sparked after a report in the New York Times last year that reported some lenders were discriminating against women taking maternity leave. Some lenders had claimed the disability payments the new mothers receive aren’t considered a stable source of income. 

HUD, which enforces the Fair Housing Act, launched multiple investigations and has, so far, uncovered violations from two lenders. “If expectant or new mothers can demonstrate that they intend to return to work and can continue to meet the income requirements to qualify for the loan, they should not be denied a loan based on being on maternity leave,” according to HUD.

FHA-insured lenders are not allowed to inquire about future maternity leave. Also, “if a borrower is on maternity or short-term disability leave at the time of closing, lenders must document the borrower’s intent to return to work, that the borrower has the right to return to work, and that the borrower qualifies for the loan taking into account any reduction of income due to their leave,” according to HUD.

HUD is currently reviewing the procedures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure they are in compliance with the Fair Housing Act when verifying incomes of applicants taking maternity or parental leave. 

Source: “Lenders Warned Not to Discriminate Against Women on Maternity Leave,” Inman News (July 6, 2011) [Log-in required.]

It's getting better everyday...

May 2011 Dade EHS: Miami Market Exceeds Expectations

Miami, FL – Sales of existing condominiums in the Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) increased 46 percent, from 972 to 1,420, compared to May 2010 and 1.1 percent compared to the previous month, according to the 24,000-member MIAMI Association of REALTORS and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems.  Sales of existing single-family homes rose 20 percent in May, from 727 to 875, and 5.4 percent compared to the previous month. 

In May, 60 percent of closed sales were cash transactions.  International sales, which are mostly cash transactions, represent approximately 60 percent of closed resales and 90 percent of new construction sales.

Statewide sales increased 17 percent to 8,338 for condominiums and three percent for single-family homes to 17,228.  Nationally, sales of existing single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops decreased 3.8 percent from April and were 15.3 percent below May 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

“The current performance of the Miami market is exceeding expectations, as we continue to see increased demand for local properties and higher sales levels than we have seen since the boom years,” said Jack H. Levine, 2011 Chairman of the Board of the MIAMI Association of REALTORS.  “Presently, there is only a 7.4 month supply of housing inventory in Miami-Dade County.   Both U.S. and international buyers continue to take advantage of record affordability, Miami’s attractive lifestyle and weather, and other enviable local attributes.”

Median and Average Sales Price
Short sales and foreclosures continue to have an impact on median and average sales prices for both single-family homes and condominiums especially in some areas of the county.  In May, 57 percent of all closed residential sales in Miami-Dade County were distressed, including REOs and short sales.

The median sales price of single-family homes in May decreased eight percent to $180,200 from a year earlier but increased seven percent from the previous month.  The median sales price of condominiums dropped one percent to $124,300 but increased 7.4 percent from the previous month. 

“May figures are very encouraging, as they reflect continued market strengthening and stabilization,” said 2011 MIAMI Association of REALTORS Residential President Ralph E. De Martino.  “The number of distressed sales dropped by four percent, which means more non-distressed transactions are taking place.  We also continue to see a significant reduction in housing inventory, which points to an evident demand that should result in further market strengthening in the near future.”

Statewide median sales prices increased two percent to $98,200 for condominiums and dropped five percent to $135,500 for single-family homes. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $166,500 in May, a 4.6 percent drop from May 2010.

The average sales prices for single-family homes in Miami-Dade County increased 5.6 percent, from $320,277 in May 2010 to $338,085 in May 2011. The average sales price for condominiums increased 3.1 percent, from $244,979 in May 2010 to $252,495 last month. 

Existing Housing Inventory Continues to Decline
The inventory of residential listings in Miami-Dade County dropped 32 percent from 24,721 in June 2010 to 16,917 in June 2011. Compared to last month, the total inventory of homes dropped six percent from 17,897.  Since August 2008, existing housing inventory has decreased nearly 61 percent, down from 43,095.

Total housing inventory nationally fell one percent at the end of May.

The REAL ESTATE Deal

Long ago (2004) I became a Realtor. Why? Why not? I have lived in beautiful South Florida for too long and I have seen this town grow up. Imagine the sensation of being uproot from New Yawk in junior high school and being place in the middle of Little Havana, imagine the sight of flat land with very few skyscrapers. I thought I was gonna die! 

 Miami, Florida 1980's

Fast forward to today where Miami is on the map! Miami is on the radar of the jet-setters, people in the know and of those who know where to go. Music, art, fashion all call Miami home but it wasn't always that way. Art Basel Miami Beach, Ultra Music Festival, Winter Music Conference, Boat Shows, South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Film Festivals, and...... have helped to make Miami the place to be seen. This city has so much to offer, waaay beyond its famous beaches. Having jumped back into the industry for my slice of the pie I feel it is important to promote South Florida's positives and help people find a home. Shelter is one our basic needs with so many foreclosures and short sales happening people still need to find a place to live. It's wild to see other agents balk at working with rental properties they give them away to other's (i.e. moi) who are able and willing to work hard (compared to sales). Recently I was "given" a rental client  a lovely lady wanting to try living in Miami she was looking for an oceanfront condo in Miami Beach to rent for a few month and asked what condos go for, my answer: "from 20 million a month or less" I liked that reply because 1. it's true, 2. I didn't know what her budget was so I didn't assume and 3. how exciting to know if someone has $20 million to drop a month on rent they can find a place in Miami!

Miami, Florida 2010

We all make choices, mine is to help others buy, sell or rent property in South Florida even if your budget isn't $20 million a month.

Show Notes July 2, 2011

The idea of hosting a radio talk show is fun but just like in most things there is work involved. Being prepared mentally, with content, material, knowledge, the gift of gab or stories anything because nothing is worst than the feeling of knowing that you think you might not have anything else to say.....oh man that's PANIC!

Each time I sit in front of an open mic I learn something. Today was special because I learned many people can benefit from hearing Margie's story. I am in awe of people who's daily intention it is to make other people happy especially when their lives have been filled with the difficulties caused by dealing with cancer. We really have no reason to complain, ever.

Life is about living, making memories
Letting go is important write your problem on a balloon, fill it up and let it go....
Your worries will always be there if you let them, put them away in a worry box
Reach out to those with cancer, you never know how important your gesture might be