How To Increase Your Miami Beach Home's Resale Value

The city of Miami Beach has long been a famous tourist landmark in the United States.
Its historic Art Deco district has had many tourists gawk with awe at the collection of uniquely designed and colored buildings and structures, and many have also marveled at the city's wonderful expanse of palm-fringed white sand beaches, exciting nightlife hubs, wonderful restaurants, cafes, museums, and vibrant housing options for families, single folk and retiring baby boomers.

Real Estate Values Have Risen In "The Beach"

The real estate picture has dramatically improved from the old selection of conventional low rise properties to elegant and upscale high-rise condominiums, which range from $300,000 to over 5 million dollars. The real estate properties on the famous South Beach lie in the extravagant Art Deco District, which covers 16 city blocks.

The impressive array of real estate choices in this area is surrounded by an equally impressive collection of historic buildings of distinct styles, consisting of hotels and apartment buildings, and this has inspired the renaissance of this once rundown neighborhood.

How to Make Significant Changes In Your Home's Appeal

In implementing more significant improvements or changes that would increaseyour Miami Beach home's resale value, try thinking in terms of either expanding rooms, adding rooms, updating bathrooms and kitchens. Paint, whether for interiors or exteriors, serves as an easy, less-costly method of increasing a home's value. Effecting changes to the home's landscaping is also another way to quickly improve the appearance and value of a home.

Another way of increasing a home's value is to advocate for the neighborhood. You could do this by talking to your fellow homeowners and find out if there are properties on your block that are not well-kept, because if this is so, they’ll be able to detract a major part from your own home’s value.

In the Miami housing market, as well as in other areas, some home improvements work wonders in increasing your home's value , while others have a little effect on a home. In general, upgrading your kitchen and bathrooms are considered smart investments and help add to the home's overall resale value.

Doing A Renovation Of The Bathroom & The Kitchen Helps

Renovating the bathroom also serves as a nice way of allowing you to yield a returnof something between 85 percent to 90 percent of your home's value, and bathroom improvements generally start at around $10,000.

However, adding a new bathroom can give you hefty returns of as much as 85 percent, particularly if you only have one bathroom to start with. Adding a second bath can make your home significantly easier to sell. Other key improvements also include installing double sinks, tile floors and new bath fixtures and faucets.

A home's kitchen also serves as one of the most important rooms in the house, since this is where much of family interaction takes place. The average return-on-investment for kitchen renovations ranges from about 80 percent to 93 percent, with the average costs of kitchen remodeling starting from $15,000 and up. If possible, try adding new tile flooring, replace old cabinets and racks, and/or update appliances by using new energy efficient models.
Undertaking home renovation projects can sometimes be a pesky and tedious task. Larger projects could also include adding a fireplace, building a deck or patio, or adding a new heating or cooling system.

However, you need not spend a considerable amount of money to upgrade the look of your home. Smaller, less expensive renovations could also include changing old doors or installing a ceiling fan. Most cosmetic improvements can go a long way in influencing the minds of prospective home buyers in your area.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor

Broward County Plans To End Issuing Property Tax Notices Under $30

In a property tax paradox, Broward County is looking at a way to find extra money in the budget, by collecting less of it.

The County Commission will decide on Tuesday whether to stop issuing property tax bills to people who owe less than $30. These tax bills are often for property such as carports and sheds attached to mobile homes or for businesses run inside homes, Property Appraiser Lori Parrish said. And the county argues that it spends more money sending tax notices to those property owners than it collects in taxes.

Under the proposal, about 21,000 tax bills would fall into the category. About 28,500 people already do not receive tax notices because they owe less than $1 in tax.

The proposal would reduce tax collections by about $380,000. But the county would save the about $528,500 is spends appraising those properties and sending tax notices.

Some tax-burdened homeowners called the plan a wonderful idea, and critics call it "madness" that would punish the poor. Local elected officials said the proposal, which is far from assured of passage, would hobble their municipalities because it would impose a ceiling on their ability to tax and spend.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor

Living In Miami Beach: The Good Life

StretchIng seven and a half miles In length, The city of Miami Beach is separated from The Miami maInland by three and a half miles of water. As cities rise, Miami Beach has a relatively short history sInce a little more than a hundred years ago, The area was nothIng more than a nameless and virtually impenetrable collection of islands, and landfill has fashioned it as it is today.

This area as formerly lIned with natural sand beaches on The ocean side, and a tangled of palmetto jungles and mangrove swamps In its Interior. Before 1870, The island was practically untouched and aside from a few Tequesta Indian remaIns found from The 15th century, The only oTher known Inhabitants of this forlorn strip of land were alligators, crocodiles, and ever-present mosquitoes.

As The number of of new immigrants began to settle In, Miami Beach began to rapidly grow, and development focused on buildIng Infrastructure for servIng The city's brewIng tourism sector. The city has risen from The ashes of The tough times In The 80's, where The area was gaIned notoriety as a haven for crime, drugs and prostitution.

Today, Miami Beach is a bustlIng and thrivIng upscale district, famous for its white-sand beaches, upscale resorts, hotel and housIng market, as well as for its colorful nightLife, entertaInment and culInary scene.

Miami Beach's Art Deco District RetaIns Its Glory

The architectural style of Miami Beach's grand hotels and elegant private residences was made In keepIng with The prevailIng conservative tastes of Their times, which brought Art Deco, StreamlIne Moderne, and Nautical Moderne architecture to The district. Up to The present, South Beach contInues to have The world's largest collection of historic Art Deco architecture.

The Allure Of South Beach

South Beach is The most famous section of The city. It encompasses The souThernmost 23 blocks of an island that separates The Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. While many of its unique Art Deco buildIngs, such as The New Yorker Hotel, were lost to developers In The years before 1980, The area was preserved by a group of activists who led The movement to place South Beach on The National Register of Historic Places. The Miami Beach Architectural District was designated In 1979.

Today, The South Beach section serves as a major entertaInment destInation with hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants and oceanfront hotels. The area is popular with both American and International tourists, with German beIng The third most spoken language after English and Spanish.

The large Influx of European tourists best explaIns why The area has a tolerance for topless sunbathIng, despite beIng a public beach. AnoTher unique aesThetic attribute of South Beach is The several colorful and unique Lifeguard stands, which are still beIng used by The beaches'Lifeguards. After The tough and economically-depressed times of The 1970s and early 80s, Ocean Drive sprang back to Life when a few brave restaurateurs opened cafes and brought The area back to Life.

At present, this area has The city's highest property values. Although mostly residential, it is home to several large-scale development projects and large buildIngs, as well as upscale high-rise condomInium units This area has several notable nightLife destInations, IncludIng Opium Garden, Privé, Nikki Beach Club, and Pearl. It also has several smaller,upscale bars and fancy restaurants.


Vanessa Arellano Doctor