Looking at figures for the North Grove the average sale price is $755,071, up from $702,515 in 2010. The per square foot average is up from 2010’s $249 to $263 . There were 51 sales in 2010 and 65 last year.

South Grove also had healthy increases in average sale price and per square foot average. In 2010 the average sale price was $938,698 ($282 per square foot) compared to last year’s $993,000 ($293 per square foot). There were 104 sales in 2011 and just 66 the year before.

So far this year there have been 10 sales in the South Grove with an average square foot price of $297, and in the North Grove 7 sales at an average of $243 per square foot.

Coconut Grove is a unique village, and you need a hyper-local specialist working for you here. Whether you are selling, buying, renting or investing I can help you make the right decisions. Call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

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Don’t forget that new homeowners have until March 1 to apply for Homestead Exemption, which lowers the assessed tax value by up to $50,000. The main qualifications are that the property must be your primary residence and you must have moved in by January 1.

Application is easy and done only one time as long as it remains in the original owner’s name(s). Complete guidelines and forms are available at the Property Appraiser’s Site.

Take a few minutes now and get this out of the way. The money you save is well worth it and March 1 will be here before you know it!

If you have questions about applying or want to discuss your next real estate move, call me at 305 794.6570 or  leave me a note .

If you or someone you know is thinking about buying or selling a home any time in the next year, please call to let me know. It would be my pleasure to contact and work with your referral. My commitment to you is to treat them with the utmost care as they work towards buying or selling a home.  Referrals are the core of my business and are always appreciated.

It sits on a corner lot ( 8,800 square feet) behind a high wall which hides the lush tropical gardens surrounding the house. Winding Chicago-brick pathways lead to zen-like pockets where you’ll find shady seating, sculptures, and a pond with waterfall. There’s also a large deck off the bright Florida room and kitchen that is a natural extension of the 1,668 square foot home and is made for entertaining.

You enter through a coral rock screened porch to the living room graced by a coral rock fireplace and Dade County pine floors. Those floors extend throughout the entire house.

The kitchen has been updated to today’s standards, keeping the period feel of the place intact , and includes a Jenn Aire gas range. The open wall into the Florida Room keeps the cook in front of family and guests, unusual in homes from this time. Both rooms open onto the deck, as does the butler’s pantry off the dining room.

The house is truly special, and I really hope whoever buys it will preserve the charm and not – egads! – tear it down.

If you’re interested in this house, call me at 305 794.6570 for an appointment to see it.

Coconut Grove is a unique village, and you need a hyper-local specialist working for you here. Whether you are selling, buying, renting or investing I can help you make the right decisions. Call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

If you enjoyed reading this article, why not Subscribe to receive the next one? Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

The house has been featured in Architectural Digest, the Wall Street Journal, the Miami Vice movie, and I recognized it in a recent episode of our very own Burn Notice on television. There are 5 bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, tropical pool and spa, a guesthouse, and a spectacular jungle-like lot that’s just under an acre in size.

The truly unique feature of this one-of-a-kind property is the upstairs open-air living space. There’s a kitchen, bar, dumb waiter (food elevator), gigantic seating areas, dining area, bathroom, and tanning terraces.

The property had been listed by Rex Hamilton and closed for $3,100,000 on April 24. Great jobs, Rex and Riley! View the details here.

Although it isn’t literally within it, the house sits just at the entrance to one of the most private and historic gated communities in the Grove, Ye Little Woods. The oldest home there was built in 1902 for William Vogleson Little, developer of the community. Other well-known past residents include Gene and Barry Massin, father and son artists and Baron Joseph “Sepy” Debronyi, the self-proclaimed bon-vivant and playboy who hosted his final bacchanal in April, 2010 and whose home is now for sale.

As well as the Baron’s home there are 4 other homes for sale now. You will see details of them all here.

New to the market is another spectacular home built in 1920 at 3948 Little Avenue, offered fully furnished for lease at $19,500 a month.

Coconut Grove is where I live, work, and play. If you are buying, selling or renting in Coconut Grove you need a local specialist. Call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note.

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I’ve listed a home at 4910 Biltmore Drive that is perfect for a growing family. Its central location is just north of the University of Miami on the Coral Gables Waterway, and the ample lot has room for just about every outdoor activity you can imagine.

As well as formal living and dining rooms there’s a family room and eat-in kitchen that open onto the enormous covered patio facing the canal. In the spacious backyard there is a heated infinity pool and spa and a dock over the water. There are three fixed bridges to reach the bay on your boat.

In 2005 a second level was added creating an upstairs master suite with bathroom, walk-in closet, and a smaller room ideal for a nursery or home office. There are 3 or 4 bedrooms downstairs, depending on how you use the rooms, and 3 full bathrooms. Other features are an oversized 2-car garage, circular driveway with room for a dozen cars, and a utility/laundry room.

The home has 3,300 square feet under air, a lot of 13,651 square feet, and is listed at $1,450,000.

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See all homes on the Coral Gables Waterway for sale

To see this or any home you fancy, call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note. To stay updated with all local real estate information, receive my blog posts via email by subscribing.  Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

Originally built in 1952, it was completely redesigned in 2008 with a flowing floor plan, beautiful hardwood floors, heated pool, impact glass windows, and extremely high ceilings.The house is on a single level with 2,955 square feet on a lot of 9,500 square feet with towering old oak trees overhead.

The new design of the home is stunning. The kitchen and 3 bathrooms are all works of art with unique and beautiful marble and glass tiles. The master suite has a large sitting room which can easily convert to a fourth bedroom if needed. And the setting of this home is so tropical and quiet, set at the back of the southern end of the cul-de-sac, that it’s easy to forget you are in a large city.

• 3 Bedrooms / 3 Bathrooms
• 2,955 Square Feet Interior Space
• 9,500 Square Foot Lot
• One-Car Garage
• Heated Pool and Spa
• Built-in Barbecue and Bar
• Offered At: $1,075,000 ($371 per square foot)

If you’ve been looking for that truly special home to make your own, I’d be happy to show you this one. You can call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a message.

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In an earlier post I wrote about waterfront homes in Coconut Grove that have their own docks. Now, let’s look at condos and townhouses where you can keep your boat.

At Port Bywater (1700 S. Bayshore Lane) apartment 3B has been reduced to $790,000. This is a rarely available 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom apartment with a dedicated elevator. Port Bywater has two condos per floor, each having both water and street fronts. Next door at Bella Vista there are 3 places for sale, one of which is a short sale. These townhouses are tri-level with two bedrooms, 3 full baths, and half-bath on the living room/kitchen level. The docks are included with the purchase at both of these buildings.

Just to the north is another cul-de-sac where we’ll find Beacon Harbour and Pelican Reef. Beacon Harbour has 10 luxurious condos built in 2004. There are 8 boat slips that accommodate yachts up to 68 feet long and 22′ wide. Six are currently for sale. Next door at Pelican Reef there’s a furnished penthouse with boat slip listed for $745,000. This unit has a fabulous rooftop terrace overlooking the bay.

I can’t say enough good about Grove Isle. Not only is it a private island community, impeccably maintained and superbly secure, but it has its own hotel, restaurant, and private beach. There are currently 6 slips for sale at Grove Isle Marina.

The most affordable condo building with a private marina is at 1600 S. Bayshore Lane. The docks there aren’t deeded to owners, but they can be leased to residents for only $100 a month! There isn’t anything available there now since my listing at apartment 8-D closed last month, but before long another one will come on the market.

If you aren’t in the market for a condo or townhouse in the Grove right now you can check out the availability of slips at Dinner Key Marina. If you are looking for dry storage, check Grove Harbour Marina and Grove Key Marina.

However I can, I’m here to help you in Coconut Grove. Give me a call at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note. To stay updated with all local real estate information, receive my blog posts via email by subscribing here.  Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival is February 19 – 21 this year. This is the “Big One” to Grove residents, marking the middle of winter for the rest of the world, and to us an annual homage to conviviality and balmy weather.

There’s the Rolex Regatta January 23 – 29, the Miami Marathon on the 30th, and the South Beach Food and Wine Festival between February 24 and 27. And there’s still enough time to grab one of the great small condos in the heart of the Grove.

There are currently twenty-four apartments for sale for less than $250,000 situated right in the center of downtown Coconut Grove. From the European feel of a Grove Square loft to the amenities of a Sonesta condominium that can be rented for you when you aren’t in town, there’s something for you here. The average asking price per square foot has come down from $217 a year ago to $198, and sale averages dropped from $207 to $179 per square foot.

Taking it a step up you can choose from another 31 condos priced between $250,000 and $500,000 located in or just by the picture above, which is precisely where you’ll find the Arts Festival. The asking price per foot has remained the same at $340 but sales averages have lowered from $325 to $294 per square foot.

There are more expensive places to be had, to be sure, but this post is about finding you your own piece of the Grove paradise for the least amount of coconuts!

Call me at 305 794.6570 or leave me a note and we can talk about your real estate needs. If you enjoyed reading this article, why not Subscribe to receive the next one? Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

Welcome to my new look! 2011 brings the name of RealEstateCoconutGrove.com and it’s all about Coconut Grove. Of course!

It just feels right to narrow my focus to the neighborhood I know best and love the most. When there’s a good reason I’ll throw in a dash of something outside Coconut Grove, but I hope this will be your go-to place for Grove-centric real estate information.

You see the new look featuring a view of the bay from Peacock Park, a streamlined sidebar making navigation through the site easier, links to other professionals who can help you, and new categories from which to select what most interests you.

I’m happy to hear your ideas and comments, and I’m most interested in helping you with all your real estate needs. Call me anytime at 305 794.6570 or leave me a message.

To stay updated with all Coconut Grove real estate information, receive my blog posts via email by subscribing here.  Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

Grovenor House and Grove Isle led all condominiums in Coconut Grove with increases in apartments sold and in price paid per square foot, showing their strength in this recovering market.

Grovenor House showed the most significant rise with 20 units sold in 2010 compared to only seven in 2009. The square foot price average increased from $518 to $556. Grove Isle had 22 closed sales in 2010 and only 14 in 2009. The average price per square foot there went up from $297 to $322.

The Ritz Carlton also did well in 2010 with closed sales increasing from 5 in 2009 to 13. The per square foot price went from $404 to $420.

Yacht Harbour and Grove Towers both saw a decrease in price paid per square foot. Yacht Harbour went from $248 to $230 and Grove Towers from $374 to $342. Grove Hill had 2 more sales than in 2009 with the per square foot price dropping minimally by a couple of dollars.

It’s not surprising that Grovenor House, Grove Isle and the Ritz Carlton saw such increases. Grove Isle is a private guarded island with its own marina and boutique hotel, Grovenor House is the newest with the most luxurious finishes, and the Ritz Carlton carries the internationally known name – and lives up to those expectations.

The links below will show you everything on the market now in each of the buildings mentioned above. If your plans include a move to a Coconut Grove condo in the near future, give me call and we can discuss the best one for you.

Grovenor House available now

Grove Isle listings

Ritz Carlton apartments

Grove Hill units for sale

Yacht Harbour on the market now

Grove Towers listings

Give me a call at 305 794.6570 to discuss all your Coconut Grove real estate needs. You may also leave me a note and I’ll get right back to you. To stay updated with all local real estate information, receive my blog posts via email by subscribing here.  Once you register, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.