FSBO Jane

Welcome to Coral Gables, one of the first planned communities in the nation! This revolutionary, luxury community spawned the development of the now well-known “gated community,” and the collective homeowners’ association.

The city was developed by urban designer, George Merrick, during the Florida “Land Boom” in the mid-twenties. Inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement in the North, the city’s architecture is Mediterranean-inspired throughout. The city, spanning over 10,000 acres at its inception, was profitable only one year after its inception.

Merrick designed the downtown commercial district to be much longer than it is wide, so that every business in Coral Gables was less than a two-block walk from any home in the community. Today, a free, circulating trolley system is in operation within the town, although Coral Gables is also a pedestrian-friendly destination. Located only four miles from Miami International Airport, Coral Gales boasts over one-hundred dining high-end and casual dining establishments, gourmet shops and services.

Coral Gables is known among Floridians for its exceptionally high standards for aesthetics and deed restrictions within the neighborhood. Community members are not allowed to leave their vehicles parked on their driveway, for example, and their mailboxes must abide by strict aesthetic specifications. While this is an annoyance to some, it does preserve the near-perfect appeal of this community.

One of the most remarkable landmarks in the community is the Venetian Pool, an enormous fresh-water pool irrigated by underground aquifers. This pool was designed in the twenties and still functions today, and is a stunning, historical place to relax and enjoy one of the few fresh-water pools in Florida. The Biltmore Hotel is also located in Coral Gables, and was once the tallest building in the Miami-Dade County. It is now a historical landmark, and is one of the many luxury hotels in Southern Florida.

In 1925, roughly simultaneous to the founding of Coral Gables, the city was also selected as the home to the University of Miami, which is known for its business, law, and music programs, as well as a world-renowned, Division I football program. With culture, luxury, and a notable academic institution that is just steps away, Coral Gables is easily one of the finest communities in Florida and the East Coast.

(Photo: from art.com)

Other than burying a statue of St. Joseph in your front yard, another popular-yet-unconventional home-selling tactic comes from the Eastern art of feng shui.

Whether you’re a believer or not, these techniques have (at least seemed) to be the reason why some buyers have been attracted to certain homes over others. Regardless of your belief in good and bad energy, several homeowners have likened to the fact that certain subconscious elements play a part in the buying process. In this case, a home full of good energy is a home waiting to be owned.

Here are a few feng shui tactics to spruce up your home before showing:

• Don’t place furniture in the path of an entrance.  It blocks the energy flow in the room and a visitor may want to turn around and leave.
• Put major furniture pieces against a firm support wall, for they may interrupt the central flow of energy in the room.
• Sharp-looking plants ward off buyers. Go for softer, flowing plants like a willow tree or lilies.
• Make your front entrance look at large as possible: paint it a new color, add a covered entryway, or try anything that can make the entrance to your home feel as large and welcoming as possible.
• Clear the bad energy from your home. Try installing a wind chime, or ritually cleansing the home of troubled memories, lost loved ones, or pets.

Aside from the goal of selling your home, it might make your own spaces a bit more inviting while the prospective buyers wander through in the next few months. If you want to double up on your positive energy, www.stjosephstatue.com has seen exponential growth in St. Joseph statue sales in the past four years. Remember to place him upside down in your yard; when your home sells, make sure to place the statue in a prominent place in your new home.

If that doesn’t work, I recommend lowering your asking price.

Among the counties that have had the biggest bubbles, some have been left with a vast number of vacant properties, waiting to be bought. A local blogger noted the counties that have the largest inventory on the market right now, with tens and nearly hundreds more homes hitting just one realty firm each day. Here are a few:

Orlando: 36.6 properties added per day

Phoenix: 80 properties per day.

San Francisco: 84.5 properties added per day.

Palm Beach County, FL: 99.3 properties — a 25-year inventory!

It’s true–Palm Beach could never see another developer for a quarter of a century, and if current market patterns continue, they could never build another home, either. There are a lot of homes on the market, to say the least.

A recent BiggerPockets.com article (by Jim Watkins) offers three reasons why Texas never saw appreciation to the same extent that other national markets did.

1. Lack of Union Presence (Cheap labor)
2. New Construction (Older homes have a hard time competing with so many new constructions)
3. No Geographic Limitations (Basically, the whole rule of supply and demand. If the supply keeps coming, the demand won’t be increasing.)

You can read the specifics about this article here. Interesting Stuff!

While we’ve seen a slump in the bulk of the housing market, now may also be the time to capitalize on some of the hottest luxury second-home markets in the country.

There are several varieties to choose from, but here are a few of the most talked-about places on the web:

One Bal Harbour, FL

You can find Bal Harbour on the north side of Miami Beach, where One Bal Harbour and several other developments are stimulating an otherwise declining market in Southern Florida. Only two units in this development are currently remaining, since thousands of owners have bought up these multimillion dollar homes since 2006.

This modest community of 3,500 is filled with luxurious amenities, with upscale shopping and the nearby Regent’s Guerlain spa, with stunning bay views and some of the best ways to enjoy your luxury vacation spot. The bay’s the thing at Bal Harbour, and developers have maintained a true feeling of upscale living along this breathtaking peninsula.

Alys Beach, FL

Tucked away on the Florida Panhandle, Alys Beach is home to resort-style living known for green building techniques and design. The 2006 development was designed by the Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., the founders of the New Urbanism movement, bringing contemporary convenience and a feeling of community together. Private beaches, clubs and restaurants line the beach, designed to resemble the Greek town of Spetses. Each home is built surrounding a large center courtyard, for a community feel within a luxury resort atmosphere. Limestone countertops and top-of-the-line appliances are found in these homes, surrounding the bamboo-lined courtyard in the center.

Ely, MN

For those who enjoy the colder weather, Ely, Minnesota, has several literary ties, and is home to the near-mythic Lake Wobegon (okay, only in fiction.). Ely is just shy of the Canadian border with waterfront properties and well over an acre of land. Ely has all that you could want in your Northern home-log cabins, large fireplaces and plenty of room to roam-all for around $200,000. Don’t forget the Iron Range Trail for endless winter activities, such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hiking galore. Ely is a bit of a drive from the Chicago area, but has some of the most breathtaking natural landscapes to grace the Northern Midwest.

Ely rhymes with “freely,” and that’s just how you’ll enjoy yourself here.

Before air-conditioning and electric cooling, settlers depended on nature and ingenuity to protect against the worst Florida heat. Cracker-style homes were built with wide verandas that shaded walls and windows. Windows were exposed to coastal breezes, but remained protected from sun and seasonal rain. These homes were topped off with clever cupolas and clerestories to let interior heat escape from the home. These common-sense design elements are the roots of Florida’s original architectural statement: the cracker-style home.

Why “Cracker” Home?

Many early settlers were ranchers who used the “crack” of a whip to round up their cattle–these Native Floridians came to be called Crackers, and their homes defined the “cracker” style we see today. Florida typically sees a hot, humid summer, with high temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The spring and summer months have cool nights and warm days, with low to moderate humidity. December and January can be cold, with several to about a dozen freezing spells. Because of the fluctuations in temperature, cracker-style homes try to maximize efficiency and, as a result, have seen a resurgence in Florida and the rest of the South.

New Cracker-Style Construction

The best models for energy-efficient design and natural, local building materials come from the very oldest homes in our region; the cracker home. Cypress and pine was once an abundant building material in Florida, and high ceilings and long porches kept these fast-built shacks cool and comfortable, even when they housed multiple families. New cracker-style homes retain the basic structure of the original version, but with new, sustainable materials; since the roof has significant surface area, these homes are also designed for solar-powered energy! It is no wonder that the cracker design is making a comeback; its structure was designed to save energy and reduce heat, well before A/C was a viable option.

For your own cracker-style home, check out http://www.crackerstyleloghomes.com/ for information about a custom cracker cabin, in any part of the country you would like to build.

(Image source: http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/12106.shtml)

Another man with foresight was William Robbins who purchased numerous acres just west of La Grange. The acres would be called Brush Hill and Fullersburg before the name was changed to Hinsdale, named after H.W. Hinsdale, an early director of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Robbins planned and built streets and planted hundreds of trees in the area.

Many of the homes in Hinsdale are built on oversized lots, which appeal to those moving from the crowded city of Chicago. The affluent suburb is also often compared to several North Shore suburbs.

Hinsdale is one of many western suburbs experiencing the “tear down” phenomenon. Older, smaller homes are being replaced by “Mc Mansions,” which are priced in the million-dollar-and-up range. The median home price in Hinsdale is $940,000, according to Yahoorealestate.com.

(Image taken from City-data.com)

A number of early settlers to the land, which would eventually be known as Western Springs, were Quakers. In 1872, Thomas Clarkson Hill moved to the area and attempted to attract others. A wooden schoolhouse and a post office were built in 1872 and 1873 and eventually Western Springs became a commuter settlement, named after the mineral springs found on the southwest side of the area, according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago.

Over the years many improvements were made to the town, including a fire department, a park district, and a library. Built in 1890 when the spring dried up, the Western Springs water tower was constructed in 1890 when the local spring dried up. Still standing, the tower was replaced in 1962 but became a museum and eventually entered the register for historic places.

The convenience of the commuter train into Chicago and the beautiful homes still lure people to Western Springs, which is one of many towns in the western suburbs experiencing the removal of older homes that are being replaced by huge homes. A block that once featured only ranch-style homes now includes several new homes with several more homes in the process of being built that dwarf one or two original homes that remain.

Median home prices in Western Springs are $530,000, but the newer homes are often priced from $1,250,000 and up.

(Picture taken from City-data.com)

Chicago residents, tired of the rising population in the city of Chicago, began moving to La Grange in the 1830s. Old Plank Road, which became Ogden Avenue, and the arrival of the railroad to La Grange made the town accessible to Chicagoans searching for the safety and open space available in the suburbs.

Franklin Cossitt, a grocer, purchased many acres and began constructing the town by planning streets, planting elm trees, building quality homes, and also donating property for churches and schools. One of the main grade schools in La Grange is named in honor of Cossitt. Following the Great Chicago Fire, many more Chicagoans moved to the safe, but not too far, village of La Grange.

Located on La Grange Road, the downtown area once included large companies like Wards and Kresge, in addition to a local grocery store.

Most of these have been replaced with specialty shops and restaurants; however the downtown district is still alive and extremely popular. A throwback to years gone by, the La Grange theater is still in existence, showing discounted movies.

La Grange has some gorgeous homes, including lovely Victorians that are also referred to as Painted Ladies because of the numerous colors used on the outside of the homes. The average home price in La Grange is around $270,000, according to the town’s website; however the larger older homes are priced considerably higher and the newer home prices begin around $700,000.

(Photo taken from BurcorProperties.com)

This is part three of a multipart series on the western Chicago suburbs:

Home of the world-famous Brookfield Zoo, the town of Brookfield includes a variety of home styles, including the famous bungalow.

The town began in the 1890s when land around the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad tracks was purchased and sold to people interested in moving from the city. The land was affordable and attracted many families.

Nestled between Riverside and La Grange, Brookfield still features a great location without the high cost of homes and taxes that the other two towns are known for.

In addition to the train, Brookfield has several main roads including Ogden and First avenues running through it, creating quick access to the city of Chicago, major expressways or the western suburbs.

Homes in Brookfield are available in a variety of sizes and styles and the average home costs around $160,000.

(Photo from VillageofBrookfield.com)