Unfortunately for all of us, and because it’s part of life, we lose loved ones along the way. We all mourn our losses differently and in many cases our lives never become the same. This week, the on-line world suffered a huge loss and for many of us, it went beyond facebook, twitter and active rain conversations…we lost a real friend that had a huge impact in our lives.

As miamism readers, you may or may not know how we come up with content or how this blog was born. It may be interesting for you to realize that a lot of different people in the world influence how we convey our message to you, what our on-line strategy is and how we ultimately market ourselves. We collaborate with colleagues around the country on a regular basis to improve the information we provide for you. We brainstorm, we network, we teach each other how to provide better content and give better service. Our blogs, lives and businesses are somewhat interconnected by social media and ultimately an on-line family.

Our friend Laurie Manny, a Long Beach Realtor, died suddenly this past Wednesday leaving a huge void in our lives. Many in the industry have written beautiful tributes about Laurie and but I am at a loss for words. This is what Laurie meant to me:

When a woman is strong-minded, tenacious and self-assertive, people usually think of them as abrasive and even scary. For some odd reason our society frowns upon them and avoids any connection with them. Well guess what? Laurie Manny was one of those powerful and commanding women and THAT is exactly what attracted many of us to her. She had the gift of recognizing people’s strengths and would let you have it if you didn’t use those in a constructive way. She always had a fiery plan involving intricate networks of people coming together for a common good and that’s why she was such an amazing connector and mentor to many. I know for a fact that Laurie would not want me to be mushy and sentimental about what she meant to me, but I can truly say that beyond anything else, she was a friend. I will miss her fire, her determination and her irritating calls at 2:00 in the morning. I will miss our brainstorming sessions and our arguments, but most of all, I will miss my friend.

Our deepest condolences to her friends and family, may we be able to recognize the deep impact of our loved ones before they are gone.

Please read these amazing tributes about Laurie Manny:

• Cyndee Clearwater, Florida
• Irina in Pasadena, California
• Frances Flynn Thorsen
• LBPost

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When choosing a Miami Beach Realtor you do research, you ask around and you look at real estate sales and movement in your area – but do you know what to ask a Miami Realtor once they are in front of you? Here are some basic questions you should ask to help you make an informed decision when choosing a Realtor.

1. Are they in Real Estate Full Time?

This is huge since a lot in the industry have had to take second jobs to supplement their income. You want to make sure that the professional you choose can handle and is focused in handling your real estate needs at a moment’s notice.

2. Do they know sign language?

Communication is key between parties and that’s the number one objection we hear from our customers about the real estate industry. Ask how your Realtor will communicate with you during the process – regular e-mails, phone calls, smoke signals, snail-mail, telex (I’m dating myself here).

3. How will they promote, push and plug your property?

The word “marketing” can be very broad. Make sure the agent details their marketing plan with specifics – Social Media, Print advertising, Internet and Traditional methods. Placing a property in the MLS and putting a sign in front of a property is not enough in today’s market.

4. Who will do the honors?

Ask who will show your property – will they have an assistant available or will they use the legendary lock-box? If this is important to you, make sure you ask. I would also make sure to ask who will have the keys to your property and how will access be granted if they are not the ones showing the property.

5. Do they answer their phone?

I know this seems trivial, but you would be surprised how few agents answer their phone and actually return messages in a prompt manner.

6. Do they have paparazzi qualities?

This is the number one complaint from buyers today – when looking for properties they skip the ones without photos or the ones with bad or few photos. Make sure you ask your agent how quickly they will photograph the property and include those photos in all marketing and who will take the photos. (there’s an inside joke in the industry about agents who photograph toilets). Sometimes a creative eye that discriminates a particular property feature will attract traffic to the listing.

7. Can they dance?

Once your property is under contract – how do they manage the transaction? Are they experienced in dealing with all the problems and objections of today’s real estate market. Many contracts that fall through due to poor transaction management.

8. Do they sleep around?

Will they look out for your best interest or theirs? This is a difficult question to ask and you need to be able to discriminate against true and honest answers.

9. What’s their annoyance factor?

It is customary for agents to keep in touch with you so you remember them and refer them business. It’s never a bad idea to ask how they plan to do this. This is very personal since you may not mind drip campaigns for the rest of your life made up of postcards and recipes, phone calls and inquiries. But this is also a great way to learn about the agent’s business practice.

**one of my faves – originally written on January 24th, 2009**

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Good thing or bad thing? You be the judge….but in my opinion, if Miami makes a list, I’d rather it be the “Cool Kids Club” list rather than the “The Most Miserable Cities“.

So what defines a cool city?  According to Francesca Levy from Forbes,

In these trendy metros, nightlife is hot and the people are cool.

Coolness is elusive and hard to define. To see whether perceptions of coolness matched up with reality–or at least how much fun a city offered–we compared coolness rankings against the number of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, museums, galleries, live theater venues and sports stadiums in each city, using data from AOL City Guides.

Many of the cities perceived to be cool have one thing in common: an abundance of things to do. And in a lot of cases, a city’s coolness ranking aligned nearly perfectly with the number of venues

The criteria for coolness was the following:

So Here’s the List:

• 1.  New York (tie)
• 1.  La Vegas (tie)
• 3.  Seattle
• 4.  Chicago
• 5.  Oakland
• 6.  Orlando
• 7.  San Diego
• 8.  Los Angeles
• 9.  Miami

Number of Restaurants, Bars and Clubs (Rank): 10,098 (6)
Number of Museums, Theaters, Stadiums and Arenas (Rank): 194 (10)
Number of Galleries and Concert Venues (Rank): 626 (5)

• 10.Washington, D.C.

I personally don’t need a list to know Miami is cool, but it’s fun either way and love seeing other people’s opinion of our amazing city.  The article also reads (and brace yourself, the LeBron effect is mentioned again),

Miami took the biggest big leap in coolness, moving from 19th place in 2009, to ninth place this year. In the past decade, the city has increasingly been recognized for its cutting-edge art scene, and hip galleries have proliferated. The 2002 introduction of Art Basel, an annual contemporary art festival that originated in Switzerland has helped force art-lovers around the world to grudgingly acknowledge the city’s status as a high-culture taste-maker.

It’s not clear whether recent news about basketball superstar LeBron James’ defection to the Miami Heat did anything to affect the city’s coolness factor–but if the team goes on to perform as well as many observers suggest, it can only help the city’s reputation.

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There are several key factors or elements seen in  Mediterranean Revival Architecture.  I have told you about the style and what makes it special, I have also gone into detail about Historic Cuban Tile.  Now I will describe the type of paint that is most appropriate for these homes – LIME-BASED PAINTS.

I don’t know about you, but when I think Mediterranean, I think of Venice (OK, it’s the Adriatic sea…..let’s not get technical here…..but I’m doing this to make a point about COLOR).

In the Mediterranean (and surrounding areas), it was customary to paint stucco facades with lime based paints.  Lime, being an organic material was often mixed into the stucco and plaster surfaces with different hues and these surfaces would not have to be painted again.  The organic nature of these paints or aggregates is what gives these building exteriors such depth and personality.

The surfaces are ever changing depending on the intensity of the sun or rain. When studying facades painted with lime, you may see darker lines, or wear-patterns,  you will also see discolorations and an uneven nature to the surface.  This is what makes lime so beautiful.  There is a rustic, aged look that goes hand in hand with painting with lime and if you want a clean and uniform look, lime based paints are NOT for you!

In Miami Shores, while serving in the Historic Preservation Board, I often recommended lime-based paints to home owners of Mediterranean Revival homes.  This ended up turning into a very controversial subject because the city did not agree with strong hues customary to the style (ochre yellow, terracotta orange, and olive green), nor did they want a “weathered look” to these homes.  Anyone wanting to restore a historic home should first check with each city to make sure they agree with the correct historic restoration process.

There is a local painter, by the name of Emilio Ciansoni who has the perfect product when it comes to Lime-Based Paints.  He has developed a registered product called Calcem Lime Paint and is known for painting Miami luxury homes  like The Vizcaya Mansion and also Ca’ Ziff, as well as Fairchild Tropical Gardens. Lime paints are not cheap and the application is not easy, so make sure your painter knows what it entails (especially the prep work involved).

It is important to note that although used for historic homes, lime paints are also popular in the modern world because of its organic nature, and are also used for interior applications.  I personally find that lime paints add not only character to historic facades, but also that perfect finishing touch that completes a project.

**article originally published on August 13th, 2007 – please read comments for second source of lime-based paints in Miami recommended by a reader**

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People constantly ask me what type of Miami Real Estate or Miami Beach Real Estate I specialize in – is it price range? Is it an area? Is it residential real estate or commercial real estate?  Well…..the answer is any real estate in Miami Beach or Miami’s Biscayne Corridor that is architecturally relevant.

A puzzled look usually follows – what in the world is Architecturally Relevant Real Estate? And why would you specialize in that?

It is common knowledge that if you do what you love, you will be good at it.  If you find your passion and what makes you tick, not only will you enjoy your job, but you will rock at it.  That’s the answer.  I am an architect and light up when I walk into good space, no matter the scale.

Sketch by architecture master Le Corbusier

Whether it is a Miami Beach Luxury Home or a modest Design District Loft – when a space is well designed, following common proportion and context principles, it makes a huge difference.  I was just discussing this past week with clients that just bought a Midtown Condo, how a space doesn’t have to be gaudy or extravagant to be good – there’s a fine line between modest architecture and trendy design that makes good real estate pure and timeless.  Our best clients appreciate good architecture and have a discerning eye – they don’t go for the price just because and can see beyond superficial selling techniques.

Tomorrow we will list a modest MiMo home in Miami Shores designed by well-known mid-century architect, Ungaro.  The house has been owned by the same family since it was built, has not been butchered and although it needs a new roof, electrical, plumbing and central air conditioning – has all the great features of a mid-century home:  from Terrazzo, clerestory lighting and pitched roof.  This house will only be appreciated by someone that knows architecture and will be willing to go through the restoration process.

I love Miami because we have a little of everything and I have so much fun with its eclectic architecture.  Historic Mediterranean Revival homes give me goose bumps, as do South Beach Art Deco lofts.  We have unbelievable talent from Chad Oppenheim to Arquitectonica and Miami Beach Luxury Condos have come a long way from the days of Alfred Browning Parker or even Morris Lapidus.

I have to admit that I find some buildings boring, but sometimes location and views make up for it.  Unfortunately for you, I will be brutal about the “un-architecture” of the space…..if there’s such a thing.  Bottom line, I have fun when I show properties – if you are looking for boring “here’s the kitchen, there’s the bathroom”….I will do you absolutely no good.  We are not your everyday, run-of-the-mill Realtors, our clients tell us so and we look forward to creating new relationships and experiences with every single person we meet.

**Update:  since I first wrote this article, on November 16th, 2008, the Miami Shores MiMO home was purchased by a couple that loved the architecture and was able to see past the work the home needed…they are doing a beautiful job with the restoration and complimenting existing details with new addition**

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To say that mid-century architects were more practical is an understatement.  Yes we’ve seen a sudden “Green Movement” taking over, and NO, I don’t think this is bad, quite the contrary, its something everyone should be aware of.  But looking at Miami’s architecture, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for those buildings of the 50′s and 60′s.  I have a special soft spot for certain architects like Wahl Snyder, Marion Manley and Alfred Browning Parker.

When I walk into a house designed by either three, I feel it!  My heart starts racing and there’s an unquestionable passion felt throughout the home, passion transmitted by the designer through the construction and details of the space.  I walked into a small Alfred Browning Parker home with a client not long ago and instantly knew it was his – I asked the agent, “Was this home designed by BP? And they said…who????” OK …let me not go there.

Alfred Browning Parker was the master of utilizing space, wide overhangs, clerestory windows and massing to take advantage of our climate without air conditioning.  Frank Lloyd Wright’s influence is obvious in his work, because of the organic nature and use of local materials.

Wahl Snyder’s signature was to bring exterior spaces into the living areas; he would work with cross ventilation and create seamless transitions between the inside and outside of his spaces.  Materials were key and clerestory lighting was a must.  Take a look at his Miami Shores Residence.

Marion Manley was Florida’s first licensed woman architect and at 75 she was still busy designing good quality homes.  She used local materials, high ceilings, cross ventilation and never ignored our tropical climate.

These three architects are the epitome of the green movement without today’s technology, without air conditioning and without the hype.  Georgia Taske of The Miami Herald wrote a beautiful article about 2 homes designed in the 60′s by Manley and Browning Parker.  Both homes are open to their surroundings, and both are models for green living today.  Georgia Taske also tells us about Alfred Browning Parker’s visit to Miami a few months ago (he’s 90) and how he teaches his University of Florida architecture students about 5 basic principles:

“Build Simply – Build as directly as possible with no complications – Use the materials at hand and keep these sparse -  Let your building love its site and glorify its climate – Design for use; make it beautiful.”

I will end this article with a quote by Janet McIlvane, a research analyst with the Florida Solar Energy Center because it really defines the shift in housing and design that is evident in current times.

“After World War II, there was a move away from individually crafted homes”

“We began to produce homes with a subdivision production mind-set.  We were going to build 30 houses, not one, and build them all alike.  And in that transition, we started looking at how to make things easier, how to build more easily and quickly.

That’s how the industrial revolution transitioned into the housing market. So we jettisoned the front porch, made the windows smaller and sealed up our houses.  In Florida, those were the very components that allowed us to survive in the hot, humid climate.”

*photos by Nuri Vallbona / Miami Herald Staff*

**This article was originally written and posted on September 5th, 2007.  Since then, we have seen a huge shift in architecture and design here in Miami towards “sustainable design” – makes me happy to see that big architecture firms are finally getting it and government agencies are hiring those that take the environment into consideration**

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Happy Independence Day from Miamism!!  Today I wanted to share some awesome Miami Blogs that I love … and they are all on Twitter!! (go figure)

For those that haven’t noticed – we have a blogroll with our fave blogs and websites (local and beyond) on the top menu bar -the orange one- under “links”.  Check them out and be safe!

• South Florida Daily Blog – @sfdb **a look around the South Florida blogosphere with constantly updated links to what’s going on in out part of the world**

• Hidden City – @mkhall **Marc Kevin Hall is a writer and storyteller but this is an understatement, you will be captivated by his writing**

• Palo Blog – @gopalo **Steve will lure you into the Palo world of Afro-Cuban Funk …together with some “can’t be missed” Cuban culture**

• A good time with Wine – @mmwine **anything you want to know about wine – and Matt will also recommend the best bottle for any event!**

• Ipanemic – @ipanemic **Scott’s perspective will blow you away – evident in our Miamism Real Estate Video done by him**

• RAYMED photography blog – @rmedina **Ray is not only an all around nice guy – but his photos will transport you**

• WorstPizza.com – @lapp **Craig has many projects, pizza tweetups being one of them – talk about creative!**

• AgustinaPrigoshin.com – @agustinap **Public Relations, Social Media and cool stuff about Miami Life**

• Sex and The Beach – @vicequeenmaria **Maria CAN WRITE and her sense of humor is out of this world!**

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When buying real estate in Miami, especially in the older neighborhoods like Miami Shores, Coral Gables and Miami Beach, you will have to make a decision on style.  I know the first question you get asked as a buyer is how much you want to spend (obviously your budget will determine what kind of house you end up buying); but buying a house is so much more than just the number of bedrooms and baths, the size and the price – buying a house that you will live in, needs to fit your lifestyle and comfort level.

I decided to write about the major features of the 3 main architectural periods common in Miami so that you know what to expect when you walk in a home.   I can go into a property without knowing anything about it and tell you the period it was built and when it was remodeled by features and materials.

If you, as a real estate buyer, can define what’s important to you, it will be so much easier to find the perfect property (especially because there are so many properties for sale right now).

The 1920′s house (Spanish Mediterranean or Spanish influence) will usually have the most charm, although I cannot generalize that all 1920′s properties will have the same features, this is what you can expect:

• High textured stucco walls
• Open beamed ceilings and grand living rooms
• Quarry tile and hardwood floors
• Wood casement windows with copper screening
• High ceilings
• Formal spaces (formal living and dining rooms)
• Smaller rooms and smaller closets
• Archways – separate cottages and carports
• Perimeter walls
• Decorative columns – voluted columns, ionic or Corinthian orders.
• Barrel tile roofs (sometimes Historic Cuban Tile) and flat roofs with high parapets and decorative drain spouts.

The 1930′s and 40′s home will usually be smaller in scale but will still have charm.  They do not have the same attention to detail as the 20′s predecessors, but are more readily available and usually a bit more affordable.

• High textured stucco walls
• May have open beamed ceilings
• Smaller kitchen and bedrooms
• Quarry tile not as decorative as the 20′s and hardwood floors
• Sometimes linoleum in the kitchen
• Bathrooms are less decorative
• Usually have steel casement windows

1950′s (Mid-century Modern) is when the modern movement began and although these homes don’t have a lot of charm, they have a different feel all together.  They will be more comfortable and sometimes it’s difficult to decide between comfort and charm.

• Big common areas – usually a Great Room with large spans
• No formal rooms – open dining, living and family rooms
• Bigger windows – picture windows for light
• Large bedrooms
• Long, horizontal clean and crisp lines
• Big closets, lots of storage
• Split bedroom plan with master on one side and the rest of the bedrooms on the other.
• Floor Finishes will be Cuban tile floors or Terrazzo and hardwood.
• Smooth plaster walls and ceilings
• Corner windows in bedrooms are typical but not always present

When I work with buyers, I can tell from the first couple of properties, even if they have not identified their needs, what they are looking for.  Most people love the comfort of the Mid-century Modern homes, but sometimes feel the space is a bit sterile and prefer the warmth of the 20 and 30′s materials.  Some people really need closet space and although they love the charm and the details of Spanish Mediterranean homes, cannot make up their minds because closet space is usually limiting.

I have been able to redesign homes for our buyers so that they can have all worlds, but you have to be open to remodeling and making some changes.  If you are in the market to buy a Miami Beach home ask yourself, Comfort or Charm?

*article originally posted on April 6th, 2008*

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I am so excited to introduce you to Tony Ozegovich, who gratefully volunteered to give us his take on how the new Miami stadium will have an effect on our local economy. It all started with this photo in my weekly Miami Sunpost Column where Tony reached out to me and told me he had written a 16 page report that would offer the inside scoop and facts about how it all came to fruition.

I asked Tony to tell us more about himself and the paper – so here it is!

I am a 24 yr old self taught photographer, thanks to the help of many inspiring professionals from my surrounding area. I consider myself to be very creative, colorful, and professional in all aspects of my job. I will always have new ideas and creations for what I am looking to do. I love photography to the point where it is better than just a job, so making sure everyone has fun and comfortable while doing a shoot always is a priority. Also, I am a graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a BPM. I love just Being outside in SFL weather taking in everything and then hitting the nightlife scene cutting loose. Being in Miami brings about color, culture, and a sense of style you feel nowhere else. This is what I strive to show in my photography and to have others desire; I love to be able to take part in many different cultures and the variety of events that take place here…it is an amazing experience to be out of your comfort zone of what you are used to feeling I think. Miami is such a unique place and all I want to do is show it off, all the while adding my creativity and imagination into where it fits

I did this paper as a project for my senior class, I chose to do this project because I am deeply in love with sports as well as government which was my major. It was best for this as the topic because of the ongoing situation with the economy at the time and the mistiming of this deal finishing apparently.. soo this was an easy choice for my topic, haha. I guess the main argument which is the title is, if that this new stadium will really affect the South Florida economy. I found that this is more of a quality of life choice in a way since studies show that new stadiums have significantly no positive outcome for cities generation of profit. It comes down to the decision of whether you would like the positive aspect of having the team here and what it might do for surrounding communities and what it brings to the people. Or if you choose to look at what would happen actually if the team did leave, how would South Florida be affected by that departure? There are many questions surrounding this whole argument and we can only speculate how this will actually turn out. I just wonder why there isn’t more of a better fan base for a team that has 2 world championships in such a small span of time, plus to add in that we have such a rich Hispanic population that does respect baseball so much; so why wouldn’t there be a better attendance for games?

Tony Ozegovich
www.trmvphoto.com
www.flickr.com/photos/therealmiamivice
www.trmvphoto/wordpress.com
(786)873-6894

Here’s the Abstract of his paper – feel free to download the actual document and keep in mind that it’s a research paper by Tony Ozegovich  © all rights reserved.

The purpose of this research paper is to bring attention to the situation that was increasingly expensive and evolving in Miami dealing with the new stadium being built for the Florida Marlins. People should care where their tax money is spent or if a huge project is occurring in their own city and have the right to be able to access multiple forms of information regarding that topic. The main overall question addressed was if this would have some overall effect on the South Florida economy. In this paper I weigh out the pros and cons of the argument. For instance, what does this new stadium do, how does affect the marketability of the team, or how many new jobs will this create? Also, referencing past literature, I point out cons in the form of that it actually has no real effect economically shown by numbers in studies or that people really just don’t know enough information. With using certain information I have recorded between interviews and research, I will take on the juggernaut of scientific evaluations of previous studies done on past stadiums and different cities and try to show you justification in the argument that this does help the economy. In conclusion, we will find that both sides weigh out and it really becomes a quality of life/ opinion matter  to whoever may be discussing if building a new stadium will really effect the local economy….

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Miami and Miami Beach locals seem to understand that not all Miami Beach waterfront real estate is the same, but instead of assuming, I decided to do a brief synopsis of the different types of waterfront homes in Miami Beach and Miami. Many relocating to South Florida think waterfront means “beach-front” – you have no idea how many calls we get from Europeans wanting a beachfront home when they really mean canal-front. It has to do with knowing the local landscape and also language idiosyncrasies – the type of waterfront has obvious implications on the price.

Miami Beach ocean-front homes

There are not many oceanfront Miami Beach homes – it is PRIME real estate! This type of waterfront real estate is the most exclusive and most expensive for obvious reasons (nothing like the Atlantic Ocean as your backyard)- A few beachfront homes can be found in a very small residential pocket South of Surfside called Altos del Mar and also Golden Beach – where the oceanfront homes will be everything but modest- talk about Miami Beach Luxury Real Estate! Otherwise, all other beach-front or ocean-front real estate will be condos.

Miami Beach Bay-front homes

The next best thing from beachfront is bay-front since you will have open bay views and more privacy (literally no rear neighbor and open bay views from your backyard). Miami Beach Bay-front homes are also not all created equal. You will find these in the Miami Side as well as the Miami Beach side. The only down side is the lack of protection from the elements, but that’s what insurance, good construction and proper weather preventive methods are for.

Miami Beach Canal front homes

There are many types of canal-front homes both in Miami Beach and Miami. Pricing of these will take into consideration many factors including: location of canal, type of canal, size of canal, location of home within the canal, etc.

• Wide canals

This is when the home is located on a canal but the the canal is wide and homes still have privacy – examples of these are homes on the South side of Hibiscus Island or North side of Palm Island, The Venetian Islands, Surprise Lake in Miami Beach, or Sabal Lake in Bay Point.

• Narrow canals

The word says it – you can see your neighbor across the canal, privacy is limited since you usually would have a fence and landscaping separating a backyard neighbor – in this case, you would have the canal and in many instances could see right in their backyard or home. This does not mean that canal-front homes are bad by any means, it just explains that there are many considerations when buying waterfront properties.  Other factors to consider with regards to canal-front properties are:

• navigable – if you have a boat, this is a good question to ask – some canals do not allow boats, others don’t have access to the ocean

• no fixed bridges – canal-front properties with direct ocean access and no fixed bridges are more expensive.  If you are contemplating buying a property and you know there are fixed bridges and you have a boat, make sure you know what the clearance of those bridges are in high tide to make sure your boat will be able to go through.

• deep canals – many canals are deep and can accommodate sail boats – if you are a sailor and want to purchase a canal-front home, you need to make sure the canal is deep enough for the draft of the boat.

• debris – some canals have dead ends and they have a tendency to collect debris which can often be an eyesore or even worse, bring a horrible smell.

More food for thought:

Location of the property – If you are a boater and hate idling in the no-wake zones for an extended period of time, consider where, within the intricate canal infrastructure of Miami and Miami Beach, the property will be located. Golden Beach and Eastern Shores for example has a long trajectory from their waterfront homes to the open bay and ocean where you can really crank up the engines and go at a descent speed – the same thing happens at Coral Gables. If you are a true boater, it would be a good idea for you to navigate those canals first.

Seawall and Condition – knowing a seawall can cost up to $1000 per linear foot – you should inspect the seawall with a good professional and possibly structural engineer.  Don’t discard Natural Coral Seawalls, they are known to have very strong structural qualities – but don’t take my word for it, ask any Structural Engineer.

Type of dock DERM will allow – looking at the adjacent neighbors’ docks usually gives you a good idea, but don’t always trust that – their dock may be “grandfathered in” or have some special circumstances that you don’t know about. Rule of thumb is that you can usually build a dock out 20% of the width of the canal, bay-fronts all have different requirements. A DERM inspector will sometimes be willing to visit the property prior to you buying the property, to assess it.

If you thought the Miami Beach Waterfront real estate market was not intricate, think again!

*original article posted February 28th, 2009*

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