Photos from Pinecrest | Palmetto Bay | Maggie Dokic, SFR
You'll often be stuck in traffic behind a farmer transporting his wares in the Redland.Located in: Redland, FL
Throughout the course of business and selling Miami short sales I speak to lots of consumers about the real estate market. Whenever the topic of short sale fraud comes up, they are always surprised. Then I explain what short sale fraud is and that it's alive and well in Miami, much to the chagrin of those of us who fight constantly to change the reputation that precedes us. It's an uphill battle when scams affecting banks and unsuspecting consumers are still so prevalent.
So, what exactly is short sale fraud? It takes various forms. Here are a couple of the more prevalent ones in Miami:
Today I was looking at closed sales in an area of Miami I know really well and one stood out like a sore thumb. A short sale that had been listed at $660K dropped the asking price to $330K in a matter of two months (red flag #1). Immediately after cutting the price in half, it pended (accepted an offer and changed the status on the MLS to "Pending Sale"). Three months later the transaction closed with a sales price of $250K. This by itself is not the next red flag. But I know this area. This particular home is worth between $440K - $495K in today's market. And it sold for $250K? Big red flag. I'm not really sure whether it's fraud of type A or B above, but fraud it is.
Besides the fact that the banks are losing out on huge amounts of money, there are the homeowners in the surrounding areas who are affected as well. The property values are affected by these bogus sales and it hurts other homesellers trying to sell their homes at bona fide market value. With a sale such as this one being used by an appraiser, it will be difficult for legitimate home sales to appraise.
This is infuriating. Besides that, it's illegal. Sigh.
When I moved to Miami from New York City ten years ago, one of the many things that were new to me were the canals throughout Miami-Dade County. New York City has no flooding problems, unlike South Florida, where the canals were added many years ago to help with the flooding problems.
A very nice perk to having these canals all over Miami are the ducks they provide paddling space for. =) I know that ducks can be a nuisance in many Miami neighborhoods which have lakes or back up to canals. People who don't listen to conventional wisdom feed the ducks and create a problem. Once accustomed to being fed, they will return for more.
Because I don't live in such a neighborhood, I don't suffer from the duck nuisance but can enjoy them from afar. Today was a treat. I was driving through a lovely neighborhood in the Southwest Miami area and kept seeing ducks all over the place. The cutest sight was the mama duck with fourteen ducklings trailing behind her each waddling across as if performing for me. I stopped the car and thoroughly enjoyed the sight.
Please be careful with the duckies as you drive around!
Are you looking for something fun to do this Halloween weekend? Pinecrest Parks & Recreation has the answer!
Track or Treat will be held on Halloween day at Evelyn Greer Park. Miami-Dade Monster Merchants will be set up around the track providing treats to all ghosts, goblins and friends. Please bring a trick-or-treat bag! There will be a bounce house and haunted house.
Track or Treat
Evelyn Greer Park
Sunday, October 31, 2010
5:00 – 7:00pm
8200 SW 124 Street
Pinecrest, FL
FREE!
Domain of Fears will take place both Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy an event of scary fun-fear where the killer cupid and his minions await your arrival! Travel through a scary graveyard, the gypsy’s tavern, the castle of hungry vampires, a torture chamber, a portal and killer cupid’s love nest. This event is appropriate for all ages! I’m guessing that means that even chickens such as myself can go without fear of really being scared to death.
Domain of Fears
Evelyn Greer Park
Saturday 10/30 & Sunday 10/31
5:00 – 9:00pm
8200 SW 124 Street
Pinecrest, FL
$5 per person
Palmetto Bay Mayor Flinn was sued yesterday for not resigning his post as mayor before entering the race for County Commissioner.
The suit was filed yesterday by attorney Stephen Cody, a 30 year veteran of election law. According to Cody, one cannot be in office while running for a different office when one may end up serving both positions at the same time.
The lawsuit comes just days before the election. Palmetto Bay residents are left wondering why this is happening now. There will be an emergency hearing this afternoon to determine if his candidacy will be disqualified. Read more details here.
The Village of Pinecrest is looking into making better use of the Banyan Bowl amphitheater, located within Pinecrest Gardens.
Pinecrest commissioned a study which included the opinion of Pinecrest residents to discover whether the initiative would be welcomed by them. Overwhelmingly, the majority of Pinecrest residents are on board for using the 500-seat amphitheater to bring cultural events such as music and theater to Pinecrest.
The study indicated that there are plenty of theater and music groups that could make use of the Banyan Bowl if it were upgraded.
Read more about it here.
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A Florida Real Estate Broker specializing in residential properties in Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, The Falls, Killian, High Pines, South Miami & the Ponce-Davis area. Hablo Español.
Today's home sellers who face difficult decisions due to loss of market value in their home need professional, competent and caring guidance more than ever. I have been trained as a SFR - Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource. I am your SFR! You have options. Let me tell you what they may be.
I am a real estate professional specializing in residential sales in Southwest Miami-Dade County, specifically the areas southwest of Miami Metrozoo, the Redland (live here, work here, love it) the Village of Palmetto Bay, Homestead, and beyond. I keep up with today's technology and use it to market my clients' homes effectively.
I custom-tailor a marketing plan for each of the homes I sell. No cookie-cutter approach for me. How do I market your home more effectively? Here's a sampling of how I do that:
I have more than 8 years experience buying and selling real estate in the area I service. Trusting me with the sale of what could be your biggest asset is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am fully licensed as a real estate broker but choose to serve my customers as a Broker-Associate. That means I have the education, experience and credentials to be a Broker but continue to sell real estate and serve the needs of my customers.
In my free time I like to be with my daughters (chauffering back and forth to cheerleading events it seems) and am active at church. If time permits, tending to the garden, crafting and reading rank high on my list, as well as just spending time with family and good friends.
I am a member in good standing of the National Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors, the Realtor Association of Miami-Dade County, the Realtor Association of Greater Miami & the Beaches as well as the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
Hablo Español.
I focus on residential properties. Whether you're buying or selling, I can help you!
Finding the right home for someone, in the right neighborhood, gives me a thrill. I want them to fall in love with their new home and, years down the road, continue waving at me when they see me pass by, using all five fingers!
As for sellers, I love using all the different resources available to market their home for sale. In today's market and technologically savvy environment, that means using the internet and using it well. Making sure that their home gets the exposure it merits is a top priority. Once that offer is accepted, there's still lots of work to be done and I'm passionate about all of it.
Here are some links I think consumers in my area will find useful. I am always updating this list so check back often!
The Village of Palmetto Bay Official Website
New Baptist Health Homestead Hospital Opened May 2007
What does a REALTOR® do, anyway?
Having a Ball in Miami-Dade Parks
Limewood Grove Homes in Southwest Miami, Florida
Tropical Chihuly Nights at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami, Florida
Miami Dade County Property Search
Miami Dade County Property Tax Millage Tables
How to Find a Reliable Contractor in Miami Dade County
Agricultural Classification of Land in Miami Dade County
Miami Dade County Property Tax Estimator
Miami Dade County Property Appraiser
Miami Dade County Property Tax Exemptions
Biscayne Everglades Greenway Update
Miami Dade Affordable Housing Portal
Facing Foreclosure in Miami Dade? Know your Rights
Southwest Miami, Homestead and Historic Miami Redlands
The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing
My Blog Posts:
Mr. Homebuyer, Here's Why I Didn't Send That One - 01/25/10 02:58 PM
Like most agents in the Miami real estate market, I have quite a number of buyers I am working with. Several months ago I started making sure that I always meet with each one before we start working together to make sure they understand the process. We also make sure they're ... (114 comments) I was driving past the Walgreens drugstore on Quail Roost and SW 127 Avenue in Miami the other night. I looked at the sign they put up with their weekly specials and calls to action. As a REALTOR who sells homes in Palmetto Bay, I like to keep abreast of what goes on in the area. I came across this and found it interesting enough to comment on. Still wondering whether you should be buying that Miami home? First-time homebuyers dominated the U.S. real estate market in 2009, accounting for roughly half of all residential transaction, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. A year and a half ago, when I listed my first REO, the selling banks were being less cautious about the pre-qualification letters submitted with the offers. But then too many deals fell through, a lot of time was wasted and, as property values were still declining then, money was lost ... (12 comments)
Selling homes in sunny Miami, Florida, means I get to process a lot of documents. An awful lot. This would ordinarily mean that I am using a lot of actual paper. But I try to be responsible and go digital whenever possible. Did you catch the similarity to Joan Jett's classic, I Love Rock 'n Roll? No? Well please humor me and say you did. =) After a 17 year absence, the "Wings Over Homestead Air Show" is back. The event hasn't been held since Hurricane Andrew tore through Homestead in 1992. I like to share when I find something extraordinary. Sometimes midwifery is how a Realtor starts her day. I have a Google alert set up for both "Dokic" and "Maggie Dokic." It's a great way of knowing where my name is showing up in the web. That's just one of the things I learned on Active Rain. =) Are you a listing agent? Do you check your listings after they've been placed on the MLS for data errors? This is Real Estate 101 stuff but I am still surprised at the amount of errors in the MLS. Meet my new assistant! Now, I know she can't replace a bonafide assistant like Laura Monroe, but she can assist me in getting lots of stuff done. I searched the Active Rain groups tonight for a group on scripts. Either I wasn't using the search feature correctly or there was no such group. I did not come up with the title to my post. The credit goes to Brian Buffini. A tip for those of you who use Outlook in your day-to-day. I love trying new things. When they're familiar, that is. =) The other day I had a buyer contact me from my website. She was looking for information on a particular property. It was the middle of the night, and I happened to be up when the email came in. I replied to it with the information she asked for. Nothing like ... (10 comments) I'm so tired of the greed. Everyone needs to make a living. But charging fees to a client that isn't your own because your client is not paying it, is WRONG. Have you been looking at foreclosures in Palmetto Bay? Here's the latest home listings in the foreclosure sector. No, I am not suggesting you get out a can of Raid. The ANTs I am referring to are Automatic Negative Thoughts. I'm hoping I can get some help from my Active Rain peeps. You're always such a crafty bunch. I have one of those scripture keepers on my desk. Each day I switch the card and get a new verse to reflect on. The city of Coral Gables is hosting it's 9th annual "jazztronomical arts festival" this weekend. If you've never experienced it, you're missing out! That's what I feel like I am doing with technology all the time. In the midst of all the bad news, here's some very good news. Is anyone else out there experiencing problems when making comments or posting? I went down the rabbit holes again today. I seem to have an insatiable appetite for things that catch my attention. Miami home sales have increased since last year. Property values have gone down, yes, but the number of sales are up. This, in my opinion, is due to the fact that the prices are too good to pass up and home buyers are realizing that. Add to that the fact that ... (0 comments) Are you looking for a home in Palmetto Bay? Here's a snapshot of what the market is doing lately. Sometimes my curiosity upsets me. Not because it's anything bad to be curious. But because it takes time. And time is a precious commodity that none of us has too much of. OK, am I becoming the queen of FREE? I just love free stuff that's valuable. Yesterday I posted about a free Wells Fargo event where Brian Buffini will be speaking (and yes, you may just find one near you). Today I want to tell you about a great SEO marketing kit. Here's some great news for Brian Buffini fans out there. Wells Fargo is presenting a two-hour live presentation titled Meeting the Market Challenge In 2009 - Helping Homebuyers Make Informed Decisions. I need help. Please! The other day I wrote a short post about an article on the Realtor magazine that I thought would be useful to reprint and give out to our clients. Listing or pre-listing package perhaps. I received a letter from Point2Agent that as of March 9th, they are doing away with their free accounts. In the past, they had been a great source for a free website with pretty impressive features. When we get new listings, one of the important things to discuss with the sellers are getting it in tip-top shape. We can tell them 'til we're blue in the face about picking up clutter or adding a fresh coat of paint. Sometimes it helps to have someone else say it. This morning I was doing a search for a buyer client. We have a phenomena going on in South Florida that we haven't seen in many, many years...listings under $50,000! About 28 foreclosed condos showed up under that amount in my search. If you're not using Lowe's Realtor Benefits, you're missing out. This program by Lowes allows you to mail different marketing pieces to your buyers and sellers at no cost to you. Have you ever gotten a call from a buyer on one of your listings and no matter how you tried to convert the lead, nothing worked? Having grown up in New York, I find it funny that when the weather drops to the 50's in Miami, people start bundling up! Miami Foreclosure Deal - Move-in Ready! 20837 SW 127 Court, Miami, FL 33177 View Map Foreclosure! Single Family home in desirable south Miami-Dade neighborhood. No Association! Spacious 3/2 with attached 2-car garage. Large lot with lush landscaping and privacy fence. Close to shopping, schools and Florida Turnpike. Buyer must be ... (2 comments) Here's a tip for those of you doing short sales or thinking about it. I've been doing them for over a year now and they do require a lot of work. On New Year's Eve I showed a property that an out of town agent had listed. It was an REO and I know those can sometimes offer surprises. When I got there I noticed the front door lock did not lock. Once inside I noticed that the sliding door leading to ... (23 comments)
7600 SW 90 Avenue, Miami, FL Single Family Pool Home in Executive Neighborhood - 08/10/08 08:00 AM ... (13 comments) ... (3 comments) ... (0 comments) Palmetto Bay Pool Home For Sale Beautifully Upgraded 8240 SW 162 Street, Palmetto Bay, FL - 06/11/08 05:57 AM
Beautifully upgraded pool home! 8240 SW 162 St, Palmetto Bay, FL 33157 View Map Beautifully upgraded pool home in much desired Palmetto Bay. A circular driveway and attached garage provide ample parking space. Once inside the open floorplan overlooking the sparkling pool captures your attention. French doors with Side Lites ... (6 comments) I've been away from the Rain for a while. Life's been hectic. Hectic but good.Visually Appealing Blogs - Picture Lesson #1 - 01/07/08 10:43 AM
Active Rain is full of helpful people. I am attempting to be one right now =) I didn't write the following but found it clever enough to share it here. Taking my own points away on it before anyone flags it =) Can't Beat Price Waterfront @ The Hammocks! 14859 SW 104 ST, 8-205, Miami, FL 33196 View Map The opportunity you've been waiting for. Waterfront unit in prime Hammocks location. Look at the price! 2 Bedroom/ 2 Bath spacious unit with all appliances including washer and dryer. Private lake with beach. ... (3 comments) We all want to have the latest toys. New and improved? Yeah, we want it. Both my girls are cheerleaders. They've been doing it for years. They work their tails off and I don't want to get into a heated discussion about cheering not being a sport. =) Can't Beat This Price! 20150 SW 114 Avenue, Miami, FL 33189 View Map Purchase a 4 bedroom single family home for the price of a condo! This is a short sale. All offers are subject to bank approval. This is the opportunity you've been waiting for. The main home has ... (2 comments) Best Priced 3 Bedroom in Hammocks! 9718 Hammocks Blvd., #202-35, Miami, FL 33196 View Map Best price in Hammocks for a 3 bedroom unit with full Hammocks amenities. Well kept unit with all appliances including washer & dryer. Excellent location close to good schools, shopping & transit. Amenities include pools, ... (2 comments) Largest 2 Story Townhouse in Prime Hammocks Location! 11585 SW 149 Court, Miami, FL 33196 View Map Prime Hammocks location. Largest 2 story townhouse in move-in condition. Large Living/Dining Room with foyer entry & Family Room. Light & Bright throughout. Remodeled kitchen. Master suite has private balcony. Fenced yard for ... (0 comments) Lowest Priced in Lakeside! 15649 SW 73 Terrace, #6-5, Miami, FL 33193 View Map Lowest priced unit in Lakeside! Perfect opportunity to buy the condo you've been looking for in West Kendall. Centrally located, this perfect location is close to shopping, good schools, recreation and transportation. Lakeside is a quiet ... (3 comments) The carefully wrapped presents are unwrapped now. Shreds of papers strewn about. Some glittery bows catch my eye. The kids are playing with some of their new gifts. A couple of people are back in bed sleeping since they got up so early. OK, the title may be a bit much =) This was my first holiday celebration at my new brokerage firm, EWM. Fun was had by all. I didn't know that the meter maids in the area are speedy meter maids. I took too long to return to my parking meter, where I discovered that I had been given a parking ... (17 comments) I wrote about an unsuccessful real estate auction in the Redland a few weeks back. I commented about the fact that it was not an absolute auction being the primary reason for it's turning out to be a flop. Are you a transplanted Northerner living in Miami? Missing snow just a little at this time of year? Have I got news for you! One of the childhood memories I have is of being 9 or so and being allowed to taste Crema de Vie. It's a traditional Cuban drink and it made it's appearance every Noche Buena in the hands of our ever-feisty and never-boring little-old-Cuban-neighbor Sofia. ... (5 comments) Drastically reduced through 12/31/07 ONLY! You just can't find a better deal on a house in all of Dade County! Now through December 31st, 2007 ONLY, you can purchase a new single family home at the unbelievable price of $159,990!! Plus the builder is offering a 6% contribution (almost $10,000!) to pay for closing costs, down ... (0 comments) I'm square. What can I say? Last night at the office's holiday celebration I stuck around, enjoyed myself, but called it a night early. I wrote a post the other day about a segment of our population that is exploited. I was not up on my soapbox then. But I'd like to get up on it now. The numbers in Miami Dade County are pretty dismal as far as being a home seller goes. But it's a great time to be a buyer! The Village of Pinecrest boasts some of the loveliest homes in Miami-Dade County. The market trends in Pinecrest are in line with it's desirability in home buyers' eyes. I realize this is really short notice, but I will be getting together with Thesa Chambers tomorrow evening at around 8:30PM. We plan on getting together in the downtown Miami area. Thesa is flying in for a cruise and we made plans to meet. To provide hyper local market data, I am presenting this market report for the Village of Palmetto Bay, zip code 33158 specifically. I did a county-wide market report for placement. You can click here to see it. They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Well, a picture with statistics would speak that much more, I would think. I see them all the time. Riding their bikes they look like any other boys across America two-wheeling around town. Except they're not riding for fun. Some are barely past the boy stage. Others left it a long time ago. I was somewhat surprised, and more than a little disappointed to see Pat Wade's home with a For Sale sign outside. And my disappointment did not stem from the fact that she did not list with me. lol I'd like to express my thanks to Active Rain and Ines Hegedus-Garcia. Ines, for referring some business to me. Active Rain for making it possible. Everyone knows that branding is ultra important. When consumers know our brand, we can use it on all marketing pieces to our advantage. Each time our brand is seen by the consumer it drives the notion home that they "know" us, because in essence, they've "seen" us before. I'm in the middle of checking some comps for an AR colleague. And wouldn't you know it? As I click on one of the properties to check out the pictures I come across this one. What on earth are people thinking? Is it not bad enough that this property is priced ... (41 comments) This morning as I read a magazine article I thought of my Active Rain friends Ann Cummings and Jay & Monika McGillicuddy. The article referenced Yarmouth, ME. Ann is from Portsmouth, NH, maybe an hour away. Jay & Monika are also in New Hampshire, just a little further. Amazing what interacting ... (8 comments)
Palmetto Bay Dog Park Finally Opened! - 11/30/07 06:03 AM
After two years of waiting, the doggie park in Palmetto Bay finally opened on Saturday, Nov. 17th. No pictures. No Bells. No Whistles. Just savings!! I read this nbc6.net article the other day and can go along with most of what's being said. I have to take issue with one small item there though. Zip code 33157 is touted as being Palmetto Bay and while a part of Palmetto Bay is certainly in zip code 33157, ... (3 comments) I just read a post of John Novak's that got me thinking. Off I went to click on his links and read some more. His post is about the top selling agents in real estate. It's an eye-opener. Take a detour and check it out. I'll wait. Talk to a blogger long enough about methods and strategies and the Long Tail comes up. The term Long Tail was coined by Chris Anderson in a 2004 article in Wired Magazine. He used it to describe how a business with distribution power can sell a greater amount of less popular ... (34 comments) It finally happened! Meez has realized that there are those of us who are not shaped like Barbie and added choices to their body types. I received an email from Iggy's House letting me know that they are in the process of going public. Hmmmm! I immediately thought, "how much?" This could, after all, be an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something big. Have you noticed the latest improvement to the Rain? Are you trying to sell your Redland home in this market? Have you looked at alternative methods of selling your home? Have you looked at real estate auctions? ... (2 comments) ... (0 comments) ... (0 comments) ... (0 comments) ... (2 comments) ... (0 comments) ... (2 comments) Selling real estate in the Redland and the rest of Miami-Dade county, I have seen lots of things happen. One thing I've seen happen (and it's never pretty) is seeing a deal fall apart after inspections. An inspection during the home buying process almost always generates reasons to renegotiate the contract. ... (13 comments) Sunday was a glorious day in the Redland. The air was crisp with the coming fall (at least for an hour or two it was LOL). The sun was shining. A gentle breeze was blowing. I sat on my porch late afternoon and took a snooze. Well, as much of a ... (10 comments) Terrific 3 bedroom/2 bath home in Bel-Aire section of Cutler Bay. This is the lowest price in the subdivision! Living in the Redland I have plenty of fruit trees in my yard. Try as I might, I can't have all the fruit that's out there though. We sometimes go elsewhere to get our fruit fix! For many, many years, Celia had been praying for a home of her own. Her life had not been an easy one. But now she had a good job with the church. She was making good money and was involved in something that touched her heart...a homeless ministry. The savviest REALTORS® know that you need a web presence to stay afloat in this business. I think that's probably the reason most of us are here. ... (12 comments) Maggie, the only thing you didn't do to market my home was bring a brass band! Thanks so much for your attention to detail and your out of the box thinking.
Mark W.
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Maggie, thank you so much for the help last week. I was going crazy with my husband out of town and a decision to make. Your helpful advice and experience were greatly appreciated. I don't know what I would have done without your help. You're my realtor for life.
Greta Y.
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To "The Best Realtor," Maggie Dokic,
Please don't mind this dirty envelope. It is my honest proof and good intentions of sending this long ago (the original envelope).
I know you don't even believe what you are seeing. After one year and almost three months this crazy lady is sending a thank you.
Maggie, there is no excuse that I can give for this late thank you because you did not deserve for this to be late at all. I don't believe that I could have gotten a better Realtor. With much thanks do I thank you for such a wonderful, QUICK & PROFITABLE sale of my home!!!
Thank you so very much!!!
Vanessa S.
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I am writing this letter to give testimony of my experience as a first-time home buyer and of the extreme benefit I received by using the services of Maggie Dokic.
My wife and I spent many months on our own trying to find a home. We were never able to find one which satisfied my expectations as well as hers. Then we came across Maggie and she was our guiding light. Not only did she find us a perfect home, but she was able to negotiate on our behalf with the seller so that we were all satisfied.
Then came the doubts and fear associated with our purchase. We knew nothing about the home buying process. All the fees associated with a closing were confusing. Maggie came to the rescue again, explaining each item one by one so that I understood fully what everything meant.
I sincerely appreciate everything Maggie did to help us during the purchase of our home. Without any reservations I would recommend her to anyone needing a Realtor. Maggie has a wonderful way with her customers and a fine quality about her.
Sincerely,
Yoan A.
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