The majority of people kick start their home search online. Whether it’s through a website or a smartphone app, it’s much easier to do research from the comfort of your own home. Let’s explore some of the best apps used by real estate agents, buyers, and sellers that you might want to check out yourself.

Most of us are aware of sites like Trulia or Zillow and their apps are certainly quite popular. However, Redfin arguably has an advantage over these thanks to it ease of use. You can find out information such as how much a home was sold for just by standing in front of it and entering the address or touching an icon. It also tends to have the timeliest and most accurate information which is updated every fifteen minutes. The app also makes it easy to search for open houses.

Sellers looking to prep their home for a sale or existing homeowenrs that want to do some home improvement may want to check out Houzz, an app that provides design recommendations and a large collection of high-resolution photos that users can filter by keyword.

Homesnap makes things even easier by pulling up information on a home simply by taking a picture of it. You’ll be able to view property tax records as well as interior photos if the home is listed. All pictures are stored for future reference and are mapped out.
This update is presented by Miami Beach Realtor Tim Allen of Blackstone International Realty, specializing in the Portofino Tower. If you are interested in Miami Beach condos such as the Portofino Tower South Beach condos for sale, call Continuum expert Tim at 305-588-2451 for information on sales and rentals.

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival officially kicked off today and it is promising to be the biggest and best one yet. With events happening right here in Miami Beach and beyond, food and drink aficionados have lots of events to choose from, more than 75 in fact. If you’re trying to narrow down your options, we have a few highlights to consider.

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will be making an appearance at the Delano Hotel tomorrow from 7 pm to 10 pm as the host of the Barilla’s Italian Bites on the Beach. Try some of her orzo meatball skewers or stay for the rigatoni stuffed with ricotta and prosciutto being prepared by local chef Nunzio Fuschillo.

Rachael Ray is hosting the tenth version of the Amstel Light Burger Bash taking place on the beach right behind the Ritz-Carlton on Friday at 10 am. Celebrities like Mike Piazza, Natalie Morales and Neil Patrick Harris will be stopping by to determine who wins the coveted Very Best Burger Award this year.

If you’re looking for something skewed towards the family, the Fun and Fit as a Family event is happening at Jungle Island on Saturday and Sunday. Kids will be learning the foundations of adopting a healthy lifestyle taught by chefs that have appeared on the Food Network. There is a food garden, beach sports, and an interactive kitchen.
This update is presented by Miami Beach Realtor Tim Allen of Blackstone International Realty, specializing in the Portofino Tower. If you are interested in Miami Beach condos such as the Portofino Tower South Beach condos for sale, call Continuum expert Tim at 305-588-2451 for information on sales and rentals.

Last year the Miami Beach Convention Center received a significant amount of attention in the news with its plans for a $600+ million makeover that will also include a $405 million 800-room headquarter hotel.  The decision as to whether these anticipated projects will see the light of day will be determined on March 15th.

The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau is fully supporting the convention center expansions which if they are approved will considerably boost multi-day events for companies working in the technology and medial sectors, among others.  These improvements would also ameliorate the problem with typical daily trade events that end up leading to congested Miami Beach roadways.  It’s been shown that companies will not even consider hosting their event at a convention center that doesn’t include an adjacent hotel, so these changes could lead to a substantial boost in events if everything goes according to plan.

The American Health Information Management Association and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s convention are just two examples of events that draw hundreds of thousands of attendees and will be hosting their events at the new and improved Miami Beach Convention Center.

How do you feel about the convention center expansion and its anticipated hotel?

This update is presented by Miami Beach Realtor Tim Allen of Blackstone International Realty, specializing in the Portofino Tower.  If you are interested in Miami Beach condos such as the Portofino Tower South Beach condos for sale, call Continuum expert Tim at 305-588-2451 for information on sales and rentals.

Have you noticed a greater number of snowbirds around Miami Beach lately exploring the various Miami Beach condos for sale or the single family homes?  The weather has been a tad chilly here in South Florida lately by our standards, but in the colder parts of the country, it’s a great time to consider a waterfront home purchase to use during the summer.

Now you may be thinking, “Isn’t it a little early to be thinking about a beachfront home?”  Not necessarily.  Buyers looking for a beachfront condo or home for the summer have much more leeway if they begin their search during the off season when it comes to price negotiation.  Even if there is a low inventory, the fewer amount of buyers on the market means that current buyers are in a significantly better position when dealing with sellers and agreeing on a mutually acceptable price.

Should you purchase something like a Miami Beach home that requires a bit of work, the off-season is the perfect time to hire a local contractor to take care of whatever upgrades or repairs may be necessary.  This may be particularly important if your plans include leasing a property out when you aren’t using it yourself as a summer or vacation residence.

This update is presented by Miami Beach Realtor Tim Allen of Blackstone International Realty, specializing in the Portofino Tower.  If you are interested in Miami Beach condos such as the Portofino Tower South Beach condos for sale, call Continuum expert Tim at 305-588-2451 for information on sales and rentals.