Miamism» Miscellaneous

Daylight Savings Time Reminder

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:27:29 +0000

I almost forgot to change the time!! If it wasn’t for Twitter very late last night, I wouldn’t have done it. So every year I remind you ahead of time, and this year I’m a little late. (oooops). Funny enough, all of our clocks and phones do it on their own nowadays, so I’m sure many of you didn’t even have to worry about it.

I wonder how many people will be late to the birthday party we’re going to now?

It’s an hour ahead – “Spring Forward”!

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Daylight Savings Time Reminder

Herzog & de Meuron architecture in South Beach

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:49:32 +0000

Let’s get this out of the way first: I’m a fan of Herzog & de Meuron, I’m also a fan of landscape architect Raymond Jungles, and I totally get the “landmark” concept of Robert Wennett. Now let’s get to Eleven Eleven Lincoln Road.

We’ve all been seeing this building going up in the past few months and for me it has had mixed emotions (very similar to those associated with Frank Gehry’s New World Symphony Campus). Emotions of confusion, excitement, wonderment, curiosity. Is it a parking lot looking structure with all kinds of funky things integrated in the mix? Is is chaos amongst the landscape? Will it bring sense to Morris Lapidus mid-century architectural follies all over Lincoln Road?

To understand the building, I think it’s crucial to see the creator’s concept video:

11 11 Lincoln Road is described by architect Jackques Herzog as

pure Miami Beach – “all muscle without cloth”. Each level of the sculptural parking facility is filled with natural light, creating successively striking vistas of the city. At its base, the retail spaces offer unobstructed access to newly transformed public space

Once you see the video and hear Herzog’s vision, then you start to understand the naked parking-lot looking structure. It’s supposed to be sculptural (very much like Lapidus’ follies). It’s supposed to strip down the architecture core and make itself susceptible to tough Miami Beach critics. Aaaaaah! but here’s the thing….many will get the concept, but will they buy it?

We can’t deny the raw nature of the space, the urban context was respected, and the transition to Lincoln Road with Jungle’s hardscaping is genius – this segment of Lincoln Road will be more than just the movie theater now and will come to life like never before. I can’t stop thinking what would have happened if I would have presented a project like this while in architecture school at UM – I would have been laughed off the design floor and my professors would have told me to go back to the drawing board and actually “finish” the project. It’s ironic how the more successful architects have managed to marry function and form while shutting mouths of the most respected figures out there. It definitely makes me smile.

The building, although not yet finished, has already began integrating with South Beach. To my surprise, the whole process has been very well orchestrated. Kudos to Miami Beach. To me it’s still a bit chaotic and hope it will make more sense as it gets close to completion. I do love the fact that well renowned architects are finally getting a piece of the Miami architecture puzzle.

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Architecture and Real Estate – How do These 2 Work Together

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:45:16 +0000

Time to bring an old article back to life from April 2007 – The concept of combining my architecture expertise with our Miami Real Estate Business keeps separating us from our competition. Make no mistake though, architecture consulting is exclusive to our real estate clients…continue reading my thoughts form almost 3 years ago!

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Miami, and hence all the Hurricane stuff you see me with. I worked with a couple of big firms both locally and abroad and then started my own architecture firm doing additions and remodelings in Miami Shores and Miami Beach as well as other neighboring cities. I did several projects, including the design of the Brockway Memorial Library addition in Miami Shores, and always helped friends visualize the potential of homes before buying them.

That’s when the vision of our business was born. If so many of our own friends had benefited from my architectural consulting services prior to purchasing a home, wouldn’t it be ideal if I had a Real Estate License and offer those same services to potential customers? (the answer was a really LOUD YES!!!)

As a Miami Beach home buyer, when working with me, you will gain from having free architectural consulting at your fingertips. Finding the “perfect home” is no easy task, properties will need some work and some changes most of the time. Whether it is to open a kitchen out to a family room or to “formalize” a dining room, or to add a master suite to a property, as our customer you will benefit from me sitting down with you to help identify your needs. I usually sketch out numerous schematics and will come up with a conceptual plan. Having worked in the field and built additions, I will be able to estimate the cost of construction and will then lead you to an architect or design professional that can finalize the plans.

I can also assist you, as our real estate buyers, with other design consulting aspects like materials and color selection as well as furniture arrangement. My enthusiasm is endless when it comes to design.

As a Miami Beach home seller, the advantages are endless. I will ask that you acquire floor plans of your properties (most cities will have floor plans and are easy to order); I will have those floor plans ready to show any prospective buyers. I will also help you identify any weaknesses in the current design of your property and will accentuate all the positive features.

I will help you stage your property with a very detailed list of suggestions that is customized to you and your particular property. I will even help you hire the right construction professionals to prepare your home for showings (like floor refinishers, carpenters, painters, etc.). A lot of our customers are absentee owners and we take care of the coordination of these jobs for them.

Having a passion for architecture and for helping people visualize the potential of a property is what makes my job so much fun. Our customers will tell you how I light up when I see a good space (they will also tell you what my reaction is when I visit “butchered homes”), how I will go out of my way to make their dream a reality within their financial parameters. I am an architect by profession, but a Realtor by trade, the combination of these is what we offer to our customers in unmatched service.

Thanks for inspiring me to write this Ardell.

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Miami Makes Forbes Most Miserable Cities

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:53:34 +0000

You figure being ranked one of the most miserable cities by Forbes is not something to be proud of, but let’s look at this with a different perspective. I love Forbes Lists because they are all over the map and personally, introduce me to concepts I would never, in a thousand years, come up with. From Miami Real Estate Kudos, Best Cities to buy a home, and most expensive zip codes, to name a few, Miami is included in a lot of very contradicting lists.

When I read Kyle’s take in The Miami New Time’s Riptide, I did pout at first, but then ran over to Forbes to read THE article and saw what great company Miami was in.

So here’s the list, which according to Forbes,

Our Misery Measure takes into account unemployment, taxes (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared over the past two years. We also factored in two indexes put together by Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling that gauge weather and Superfund pollution sites. Lastly we considered corruption based on convictions of public officials in each area as tracked by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.

We expanded the list of cities under consideration this year to include the 200 largest metro areas (in years past we’ve examined 150) which led to a shuffling in the ranks. Any area with a population of more than 245,000 was eligible.

America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities

Cleveland, Ohio
Stockton, California
Memphis, Tennessee
Detroit, Michigan
Flint, Michgan
Miami, Florida (The weather and no personal state income tax are nice, but the city rates in the bottom 10% of areas when it comes to commute times, violent crime and corruption. Foreclosures hit 7.2% of homes in 2009, 10th worst in the U.S.)
St. Louis, Missouri
Buffalo, New York
Canton, Ohio
Chicago, Illinois (The Windy City flamed out in its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics despite a last-minute plea from President Obama. Bigger problems are the nation’s highest sales tax rate (10.25%) and long commutes.)
Modesto, California
Akron, Ohio
Kansas City, Missouri
Rockford, Illinois
Toledo, Ohio
New York, New York (Yes, the biggest city in the U.S. has much to offer in the way of cultural opportunities and corporate headquarters. But the trade-off is torturous commute times and nosebleed-inducing income tax levels. Both are the highest in the U.S.)
Sacramento, California
Youngstown, Ohio
Gary, Indiana
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I think Ohio should get a prize for the most miserable of the miserable with 5 cities in the top 20 – GO OHIO!

So “Miserable” is not that bad after all!! Don’t know about you, but would love to see Forbes tackle some lists like: Best City for Shoe Shopping, Best City to get your Dance Groove On or how about Sexiest Cities? I just keep thinking how miserable it is to sit on our boat on a Sunday afternoon in perfect weather sipping mojitos, with big smiles while the kids snorkel without a worry in our minds.

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REALTOR.com iPhone App

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:15:28 +0000

Everyone that knows me, KNOWS that I love my iPhone. The few times I leave without it, it feels like I’m about to have a coronary – I’m talking full blown tachycardia and drop in blood pressure…I’m not kidding. And now I’m happy to tell you about an app that will make it so awesome to communicate with you, our clients, when you are looking for properties.

REALTOR.com has come up with an amazing iPhone application with mapping and geo-location capabilities. You can search for nearby homes for sale, nearby open houses or perform a new search by location or MLS ID. You can even allow for the app to use your current location and it will actually give you nearby listings currently for sale. So all those times you drive around Miami and Miami Beach wondering what’s for sale and how much properties are, is now at your fingertips without even having to make a phone call.

This is one of those WOW tools that will help empower you, the consumer and will make your home search experience so much easier. The best part is that you can customize it with your agent’s information when you first upload the application and can email your preferred listings straight to them (while you are driving around). The kind of information you will get is very similar to what Realtor.com already provides.

NOTE: Miamism does not condone texting and driving – please be safe

So here’s what you need to do – First, download the Realtor.com App

Then, follow the following steps:

STEP 1 – register the application with email and password to be able to share, save and get updates

STEP 2 - change settings – this is where you will be able to customize your REALTOR’s information

You will have the option to fill out your agent’s email address to be able to send them properties you are interested in, on the spot. This is also a good place to add your significant other’s email (or your mom, dad, grandma’, teacher……you get the point).

Once your settings are saved, you are ready to drive around and have fun with it. When you find a property you like and would like to share with your real estate agent all you need to do is follow along:

STEP 3 – click on envelope icon on bottom left of the screen

STEP 4 – your agent’s email will already be saved and it will be as easy on clicking on their address

STEP 5 – write any notes or message and the app will automatically add the listing information to the email

How easy is that??? Each listing will also have the customary broker and listing agent info when applicable. But of course we recommend that you personalize the application to contact YOUR agent instead. Realtor.com let us beta test the application before it was launched and we couldn’t wait to share it with you. We have asked that they also include rentals and we are told that our request has been included in the list of updates, together with having the app available on other types of smart phones like blackberries.

If you have any issues with the set-up, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. If you have any feedback for Realtor.com, we will gladly pass on the information to the higher powers.

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Super Bowl in Miami

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:00:27 +0000

I am beyond excited that Miami is hosting Super Bowl. I confess that it’s not so much because of the actual game, but because of all the parties and celebrity sightings. It’s not unusual to spot a celeb any given day in Miami, but now it seems that everywhere you look, there’s someone you think you should know.

It’s like playing celebrity trivia with real life subjects. I just got this photo from a friend’s blackberry,

The conversation went as follows: Was he in Backstreet boys? …. I know it was one of the boy bands…. let’s Google him ….. ahhh! It’s 98 Degrees!

Then I received this other photo with the following excerpt – how about the cast of “The Hills” (this one makes me feel inadequate, now I have to go watch some MTV).

So here’s my request – send me photos from this weekend to include in this post. Miamisms, celebrities, sports figures, whatever! Let’s have some fun documenting the energy in Miami. I will keep you anonymous if you want, or give you full credit with links back to your site/twitter/facebook….whatever you want.

Shouldn’t be so tough – Eva Longoria was spotted at The Eden Roc, Emeril is in town to support The Saints, J Lo and Snoop Dog have also been spotted in South Beach, and let’s not forget P Diddy and Jamie Foxx. Plus, you will now have an excuse to actually pull out your camera and take that photo without feeling that star struck pressure … just tell them it’s for Miamism.com.

New Celebrity Sightings

@MikeLaMonica just shared this photo on Twitter (although he though it may not be worthy since Gloria Estefan is a local) – a friend sent it to him. THANKS MIKE!

And here’s Wyclef Jean with his sexy on – the person that took this is becoming my favorite celebrity spy …. may even have to bring her on the Miamism payroll. (wink)

More photos from the cast of The Hills in their hotel Suite in South Beach

And of course High Five Superbowl sent in by a reader (I’m so glad or I could have missed it)

Panoramic photo of Sun Life stadium before Super Bowl by @Specker

Behind the Scenes on Super Bowl Sunday: Here’s CBS’ pregame/postgame #SB44 field set. #49ers by the official San Francisco 49ers Twitter @SF_49ers

Taylor Lautner y Rob Lowe juntos en el Super Bowl de Miami. Sólo BROMANCE!!! by @JonathanBlum
(TRANSLATION: Taylor Lautner and Rob Lowe together at the Super Bowl in Miami. Just Bromance!!!)

Usher holds it down at Bud Bowl event in South Beach hosted by Jamie Foxx. 2/6/10 by Full Circle New York @fcny

Drew Brees arriving at the stadium today for the Super Bowl by @FJayHall

Pretty damn epic Super Bowl photo, Drew Brees and Drew Brees’ kid

– by Matt Porter or @mattyports on Twitter

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Help! My House has Termites!

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:12:43 +0000

Yesterday I posted this photograph on our photo-blog as well as Twitter and Facebook and received all kinds of horrific responses as if Termites were the end of the world. You would be amazed at the amount of people that run from a property if they hear it has termites and I’m here to try to clear some myths.

First let me say that if you are buying a house anywhere in Miami or Miami Beach, it is very common to find evidence of termites. Termites thrive in humid climates and Miami = humid capital of the world which means EXPECT TERMITES! The real question for you as a buyer or even a home owner should be if there are live termites and second, how bad is the damage they have caused (if any). Most of the time, even if you find evidence of live termites (like the photo of the fresh droppings above), it doesn’t mean there is major damage – that’s why a good, reputable building inspector is not just necessary, but crucial.

A lot of building inspectors are not equipped with in-depth knowledge about termites, so when all else fails, call a licensed termite company directly to verify information from building inspectors – if you want to read a funny story about a building inspector who gave scary and funny information about subterranean termites, please read Miami Shores Inspection Comedy. Just be smart about interpreting findings and don’t be afraid to double check “experts” opinions (I know it can be frustrating, but a lot of these industries are not regulated).

Here’s the 411 from Guarantee Floridian:

Whenever a wood-destroying organism inspection is to be put in writing, the State Form 1145 must be used and certain guidelines must be followed. According to Florida Statutes under Section 482 only pest control companies that are licensed in the category of termite are permitted to issue Form 1145/Wood Destroying Organism Reports. These reports are sometimes referred to as “Termite Inspection Reports” but this is misleading. According to the State, Wood destroying organism means arthropod or plant life which damages and can re-infest wood in a structure, namely termites, powder post beetles, and old house borers, and wood decaying fungi. Banks and lenders usually require a wood destroying organism report to be completed before they issue a mortgage.

One other thing to remember is that even if you buy a home that is termite free, it doesn’t mean it will remain that way forever. It’s good to keep a termite warranty that usually costs only a few hundred dollars per year and then will cover re-inspections and actual treatment if needed.

Hope the myths are covered and fears gone – don’t be afraid to hear that your Miami Beach home has termites, expect it and be ready to address the issues.

By the way….we have a new Miamism Facebook Page – tell us how we’re doing and stay on top of the conversation:

Miamism.com |

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Miamism Rendering Raffle – 2010

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:01:20 +0000

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Happy New Year from Team Miamism

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:00:36 +0000

Thank you to all of our readers and clients for making 2009 a Fabulous year for Team Miamism! We wish you the BEST of the BEST!

Please take a look a Miamism’s Blogroll and visit some of our dear friends that enrich our lives on a daily basis – they make us better people by opening up to the world.

Have a Happy and safe New Year!

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Miamism Fridays – Merry Christmas

Ines Hegedus-Garcia — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:52:07 +0000

I was contemplating the perfect Christmas Mojito yesterday and decided to get help from Twitter: (FYI @mrmiamism is Rick)

And of course my tweeps did not let me down – here are the answers from @boomerjack @ElaineHanson @Startabuzz @rmedina and @schnik:

Thanks for the ideas! The final Christmas Miamism Mojito was DELISH!!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Please take a moment to check out blogs from above mojito brains:

Jack Boardman, aka boomerjack: PortofDangerBay.com

Elaine Hanson: TopangaHomeInfo.com

Melissa DelGaudio, aka starabuzz: HoneyBeeConsulting.com

Ray Medina, aka rmedina: RayMedPhotography.com

Schnik: Schnikisms.com

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Miamism» Miscellaneous

Daylight Savings Time Reminder

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Herzog & de Meuron architecture in South Beach

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Architecture and Real Estate – How do These 2 Work Together

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Miami Makes Forbes Most Miserable Cities

America’s 20 Most Miserable Cities

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REALTOR.com iPhone App

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Super Bowl in Miami

New Celebrity Sightings

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Help! My House has Termites!

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Miamism Rendering Raffle – 2010

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Happy New Year from Team Miamism

Have a Happy and safe New Year!

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Miamism Fridays – Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

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