Sildy Cervera

With the country enduring an economic recession, prices for Miami Beach condos falling and the environment becoming a growing concern among homeowners, the times have called for a cutback on expenditures where possible. The good thing here is the holiday is essentially perfect for homeowners looking to “kill two birds with one stone”.

Lights are a staple of the holiday season and it’s always fun to get creative and adorn Miami Beach condos in brilliant displays of colorful lights. In the past these lights were not energy efficient, unlike today’s lights which may look the same but actually use up to ninety percent less energy and therefore are much more environmentally friendly.

One of the biggest contributors to environmental waste during the holidays is paper, namely wrapping paper. Although most people will be cutting back on gift giving this season, all that wrapping paper that people use eventually gets thrown into trash bags which end up in landfills. Consider using other means of wrapping like fabric or even newspapers. Wrapping paper certainly looks nice but it’s not recyclable and will eventually get thrown out anyway.

Electronics are a common gift during the holidays. Assuming you’re replacing a new electronic gadget with an upgraded model or will be disposing of a gadget you used to own, give it away, donate it or dispose of it in the proper way instead of just throwing it in the trash. Batteries can in some cases be recycled and if they can’t, buy rechargeable ones instead to keep them out of landfills.

As a person living in Miami Beach condos who may be among those choosing to cut back on their holiday spending, employing environmentally friendly practices during this season will save you money and also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you’re doing your part to help the make earth a little greener during the holiday season.

From the creative minds of Michael Samuel and Related Cervera Realty Services comes one of the most grandiose offers in real estate history. Miami developer Michael Samuel is giving away a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, with an estimated cost of $260,000 dollars, with any purchase of one of his South of Fifth condos. The lavish deal has attracted national attention as publications from Biz Journal to the Wall Street Journal have written articles on the deal. Seven of 28 units remain and with the publicity charged by the deal, the others will probably sell soon.

Reviews of this deal suggest that is part of the trend in Miami Beach of providing luxurious amenities and features for condo residents to boost appeal for condo living. Some Miami Beach condos come with in-house spas, theatres, complementary Yoga classes and 24-hour concierge services. None of these amenities even come close to topping this ultra-luxury car deal.

This luxury offer also allows Michael Samuel to make a statement about South of Fifth, which he believes “there’s simply no other development like it”. Michael Samuel also believes there’s no car like the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder so putting them together is a natural pairing. The price tag for the South of Fifth condos ranges in the $6 million dollar range.

Some may ask themselves, why a Lamborghini? Why not some other luxury items like a flat screen T.V. or a boat? They chose a luxury vehicle because Miami Beach is a place where luxury cars rule. Walking down the strip it’s common to see the latest Bentleys, Ferraris, Jaguars and Lamborghinis. So if a luxury real estate buyer wants to move to Miami Beach, having a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder will make them fit right in.

There's no greater trend in the real estate market than the switching of home ownership to condo ownership. With urban sprawl and the rising cost of land and property maintenance, it's easy to see why people prefer the high-rise lifestyle. Additionally, condos allow residents to live in locations that would be nearly unaffordable if they were a single residence, like waterfront Miami Beach real estate. Some see more negatives than positives towards condo ownership so we'll "weigh the options" and see whether or not you're a condo person.

The advantages of condo ownership are numerous. For instance, residents are responsible for little to no maintenance on the property, allowing them to keep their condo investment intact for free or for a small association fee. Residents are also given complimentary amenities like pools, tennis courts, gyms, valet parking and concierge services which are common services in Miami Beach condos. Location is another big selling point for condos as they are often close to shopping, entertainment and business districts for an easy commute to employment. For example South Beach condos are close to shops, bars, clubs and beaches and are only a ten minute drive from Downtown Miami which is a highly saturated business district.

The less desirable qualities of condo living include less privacy due to the close proximity of living quarters. Additionally though condos are generally less expensive than homes they tend to not appreciate as much and when the time comes that you want to leave the property they are harder to sell. They also don't have a lot of land and many condos don't allow large pets.

So if you need to live with your St. Bernard or want more running space for your golden retriever, condos are not the best place for you. So now that the positives and negatives have been weighed to see whether you and condo living are compatible, ask yourself these questions: Would you prefer not having to handle as many exterior repairs? Do amenities like pools and tennis courts seem attractive to you? Do you mind living in close proximity to your neighbors?