Ashley Brinson Cusak

Miami Real Estate on Pinterest!

I’m sure most of you have discovered Pinterest by now, but if you haven’t, you are absolutely missing out. Pinterest is an online bulletin board where you can “pin”, tag and add comments to most anything that you find online of interest to you. For example, do you have a knack for cooking? You can start a Pinterest board for recipes and collect your favorites that you find online.  Or if you’re planning a wedding, maybe a board with ideas for the reception would be helpful. The options are endless!  So I recently started a few boards related to real estate that I’m sure you will enjoy looking through. My boards include images of the most spectacular dining rooms in Miami, romantic outdoor entertaining spaces, inviting living rooms and more! I invite you to come find me and follow me on Pinterest, and be inspired by the beauty of our magnificent homes!

Interested in real estate in Miami? My areas of specialty are Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Ponce-Davis, South Miami and waterfront properties. Feel free to call or email me today. Let me and my team help you in your search!

Tags: Miami real estate, Pinterest

New Lakefront Listing in Galloway Glen!

I just listed a wonderful lakefront home in Galloway Glen!  This special home feels like brand new and has 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and 4,524 square feet of immense living spaces. All bathrooms have been beautifully updated. A gourmet eat-in kitchen has wonderful views of the lake and solar heated pool, and a grand patio with built in bar. This home also features its own dock which is perfect for great reading or sunbathing. The home comes equipped with a full house generator, sauna, shutters and a 2-car garage. This home doesn’t miss a beat!  It is being offered for $865,000. 8740 SW 104 Street

Interested in real estate in Miami? My areas of specialty are Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Ponce-Davis, South Miami and waterfront properties. Feel free to call or email me today. Let me and my team help you in your search!

Tags: Galloway Glen, Miami real estate, new listing

Investing in Miami Real Estate

EWM hosted a great speaker last week, Steve Harney, who talked about our real estate market – I have so much exciting information to share in the coming weeks! Harney’s #1 message was that real estate prices are still dropping nationwide, but NOT IN MIAMI! Isn’t that great to hear?!

He also shared an interesting point with us: if you’d invested money in the Dow in 2000, your investment would be up 16% today. If you’d invested that money in the Nasdaq, it would be down 30% today. And if you’d invested it in Miami real estate, you’d be up 38% today! Even with our recent dip, real estate still proves to be one of the best investments available. I know the finance people out there will have something to say about this and I welcome your feedback and opinions, but for all those weary of Miami real estate, I wanted to share this.

Interested in real estate in Miami? My areas of specialty are Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Ponce-Davis, South Miami and waterfront properties. Feel free to call or email me today. Let me and my team help you in your search!

Tags: EWM, Miami real estate, real estate investment, steve harney

Miami Real Estate Market: From a Spark to a Flame

The Miami Herald ran a very positive article last weekend about the real estate market and the boom we’re entering. Did you know that we sold almost 25,000 homes & condos last year in Miami-Dade County? That’s a 46% increase over 2010 and a 4% increase over 2005, the height of the boom. Compared to 2010, condo sales were up 54% last year and home sales were up 36%. In December alone, we had huge jumps over the year before, while nationally sales were down 2%. Distressed sales were the driving force behind much of our frenzy, with international buyers playing a large part. Interestingly, cash sales accounted for almost 60% of 2011’s sales! Our prices are still holding steady, but hopefully with this resurgence of interest in our market, they will start to rebound soon. Inventory is down. Demand is clearly up. This market is hot!

Interested in real estate in Miami? My areas of specialty are Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Ponce-Davis, South Miami and waterfront properties. Feel free to call or email me today. Let me and my team help you in your search!

Tags: miami distressed sales, Miami real estate, real estate boom, the miami herald

Short Changed on Short Sales in Miami

This week I attended an informative seminar led by the Miami Board of Realtors about short sales and tax implications. When sellers are considering short sales, it’s common to talk about the bank’s deficiency, but often less discussed is the potential tax implication. While a bank might forgive the deficiency, the seller might still be required to pay taxes on a certain portion of the amount being forgiven. For example, if you own a home with a mortgage AND line of credit and you short sell your house, you have to prove that all money used from the line of credit was used towards home improvements, like replacing your roof or installing a pool. However if money was spent on personal items like paying school tuition, that amount will be counted as income and taxed. The major lesson learned was when considering a short sale, speak to an accountant first to understand exactly what you’re getting into!

Interested in real estate in Miami? My areas of specialty are Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Ponce-Davis, South Miami and waterfront properties. Feel free to call or email me today. Let me and my team help you in your search!

Tags: Miami real estate, real estate short sales, short sale tax implications, short sales