FocusOneAppraisal.com – According to Altos Research, the current active inventory in Miami is about half of what it was in January 2009, when they believe it was “the bottom of the burst”.

Image: Courtesy of Altos Research

The research company also provides market indicators. One of them, the Market Action Index, is currently at 19.67. They report a balanced market at about 30.

At Focus One Appraisal, we appraise properties for many purposes including pre-listing and prior to entering a contract.

Call us at 305-830-0520. Your local, real estate expert.

www.FocusOneAppraisal.com, The Miami Herald reported that real estate observers get confused with housing reports from various sources which many times conflict each other leaving people puzzled in which direction the market is going.

It boils down to who is providing the research and how they are calculating the numbers. Some include new construction and some don’t. Some look only at single family homes while others include the battered condominium market.

Our advice, don’t make a big decision based on a report. We analyze and appraise properties for buyers before they present an offer or decide to sell. Let us help you make an informed decision with assistance of an independent third party. Call us at 305-830-0520.

FocusOneAppraisal.com North Miami Beach – The Realtor Association of Greater Miami & the Beaches is reporting a jump in pending home sales of 6.6% for the month of April for Miami-Dade County.

The federal tax credit is believed to have helped, but local real estate agents are not concerned that it will soon expire.

This two-story, 5 bedroom 3,700 square foot home on 194th Terrace in Sunny Isles Beach went pending on April 26th, with 90 days on the market and an asking price of $1,099,000. A June 30th closing is anticipated.

We appraise homes before they go to contract to see if an offer is reasonable. Call George S. Kimmel, at 305-830-0520 your Local independent real estate valuation expert.

www.FocusOneAppraisal.com – The Miami Heral reported that a federal court ruled in favor of a Louisiana couple whose home that was built in 2006 had defective Chinese drywall.

The couple was awarded about $164,000 to replace the drywall and damaged appliances. The manufacturer is a German company which might appeal the ruling. The ruling can signal a change in direction for many of the Florida drywall cases.

If your planning to buy or rent a house which was remodeled in the past 5 to 10 years, you need to make sure they didn’t use the defective Chinese drywall. Some signs to look for is a rotten eggs odor and corrosion to major appliances particularly the coils of the central air conditioning system.

We appraise properties in Miami-Dade County. Call us (305) 830-0520.

Miami Appraiser.

Miami Appraiser – The Daily Business Review reported that 16 foreclosure were filed in 2009 for Fisher Island, the home to many high net worth individuals. So far in 2010, there has been only 1 filing. About 4% of the 750 condos on the island are in some stage of foreclosure.

The island is located just off Miami Beach and is primarily accessed via ferry, that is in less you have a helicopter to land there.

Residents of the island include Oprah Winfery and Julia Roberts.

I recently appraised a unit in this building located on Fisher Island Drive

Below, a typical roadway on Fisher Island

A view of the island from Biscayne Bay.

By the way, don’t try visiting without an invite. Ferry access is by invite from a resident. Annual membership to the Fisher Island Club is $20,000.

We appraiser properties in Miami-Dade County. Call Focus One Appraisal (305) 830-0520. We specialize in waterfront and multifamily properties.

Focusoneappraisal.com Miami Appraiser – Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade who purchased his 9,000 foot Pinecrest mansion reportedly took a $1.5 million hit in an all cash deal that recently closed.

Dwayne Wayde’s Pincrest Home

His real estate agent reported the sale at $2.5 million. His original asking price in 2007 was $8.9 million.

Guess what? His selling price was $354,000 below his 2009 tax assessment according to Miami-Dade tax agent Daniel Weiss’s blog!

As appraisers, we come across the issue of positive/negative stigma associated with a stars property. One thing you can see is that you have to review your yearly property tax assessment which is usually mailed in August and get an appraisal completed by a qualified appraiser if you feel the assessor is wrong.

We appraise properties in Miami-Dade County for many purposes including tax appeal. Call us at 305-830-0520

Focus One Appraisal – According to Greater Real Estate of Miami Beach Association (RAMBA) pending home sales are showing double digit growth from the previous year as reported by CBS4. Condo under contract are up 81.5%! While single family activity rebounded by 47%.

Many believe the increased activity is in response to depressed asset pricing, continued low interest rates and government sponsored incentives including the $8,000 credit for 1st time home buyers.

Call Focus One Appraisal (305) 830-0520 before you present an offer on a property or visit our website www.FocusOneAppraisal.com providing accurate valuation services in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

Multifamily and Waterfront Specialist.

http://www.focusoneappraisal.com/ – Miami-Dade FL Real Estate Agents: How To Turn You Business Card Into A Lead Generating Magnet!

Episode # 67: Michael Krisa shares a simple strategy that will easily make your business card generate more leads and more sales. The examples of what Michael uses are below:

For More Real Estate Video Tips, Click Below!

www.FocusOneAppraisal.com Miami Appraiser. The Miami-Dade Valuation adjustment board plans to begin hearing 2009 property appeals next month according to the Miami Today News.

2008 appeals numbered about 100,000 cases and 2009 has over 143,000 filings. Miami-Dade County has 33 special magistrates to hear the cases. The appeal filings spike began in 2007. Many believe commercial properties will take center stage at the hearings over the next few years as commercial vacancies have risen and values declined, many below their assessed values.

Commercial properties are typically valued via the income approach which looks at income, expenses vacancy and cap rates to estimate value while residential properties including condominiums are valued via the sales approach which compares your property to similar ones which have recently sold.

Unfortunately, many property owners don’t understand how their tax bill is calculated but do know they should be paying lower property taxes based on declining values. The basic tax bill formula is “Your Propertie’s Assessed Value X Tax/Millage Rate = Property Taxes”. The valuation date is January 1st of each year, so for 2009, the assessed valuation date was January 1, 2009.

Many South Florida Cities have been bracing for steep decline in revenue from property taxes and have raised their millage or tax rates to make up the difference. So while a properties assessed or taxable value may have declined, the tax rate has increased resulting in a tax increase!

We prepare appraisals for tax appeal in Miami Dade & Broward. Do not rely on the county assessed value as an indicator of true market value. Call us, Focus One Appraisal at (305)830-0520. Go to your tax appeal hearing prepared with an appraisal by a state certified appraiser.

Aventura , Miami Beach, North Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach.

www.FocusOneAppraisal.com The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Trump International Hotel & Tower faces a foreclosure action. Many of the Trump properties in South Florida involve licensing of the Trump brand.

Plans for a 95 unit property called Trump Las Olas never materialized. There is a Trump Hollywood & several Trump properties in Sunny Isles Beach in Dade County all built over the past few years.

Above, Trump International Hotel & Tower, Fort Lauderdale which faces the Atlantic Ocean.

Call us for an expert opinion of your Broward or Dade condominium unit. Waterfront properties are our specialty. George S. Kimmel, State Certified General Appraiser No. Rz 3236 (305)830-0520 or visit us at FocusOneAppraisal.com Email; George@FocusOneAppraisal.com