Coldwell Banker CARES Gives Back

By Guest Contributor Judy Campo, Manager, Coconut Grove office of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate LLC is the largest real estate brokerage company in Florida and we believe in giving back to the local community through Coldwell Banker CARES by providing charitable contributions to a wide array of non-profit organizations in the neighborhoods we serve.

This year we are pleased to present 17 charities with checks totaling $46,000. Agents contribute their time, talent and treasures to help ensure a brighter future for underprivileged children, cancer and diabetes research, feeding the elderly and other worthy non-profit organizations. Many of our sales associates support CARES by donating a percentage from each closed sale.

February 6-18, we are volunteering our time to construct an affordable home for a deserving family who will also participate in the build through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami where ten homes will be built in ten days at Habitat Oaks in Liberty City.

In May, we will be having our Second Annual Golf Tournament and Silent Auction, our largest fund raiser of the year! This is an exciting time for us and I wish to thank all of our managers, staff and associates who unselfishly work toward this goal!

The Jills(R), Florida's #1 residential real estate team in sales volume, recently made national news with their latest listing.

Drake, the rapper and Grammy-nominated recording artist who currently holds the spot for #1 rap album in America, put not one, but two, of his Miami apartments on the market and choose Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate's top-Florida team to find a buyer. The side-by-side units, 4906 and 4905 in the Marquis Residences, both boast 20-foot-high ceilings with waterfront views, glass walls and marble staircases, and can be combined as a single apartment to create 5,475 square feet of living space. The total asking price? $2.5 million (the larger 4906 is selling for $1.9 million, while 4905 is priced at $599,000.

"Both units are just stunning," says listing agent Jill Hertzberg. "Everything is state-of-the-art, from the kitchen with oversized Viking appliances, to the two-story, soaring living rooms -- mesmerizing views."

The apartments are located in one of Miami's most "elegant" buildings on Biscayne Boulevard, featuring A-list amenities such as a spa and fitness center, an open-air sky pool deck, state of the art meeting room facilities and private elevators.

To read AOL Real Estate's article on Drake's Miami digs, click here.

Coldwell Banker Unveils Lineup for 2012 Gen Blue Experience

This year at the “Generation Blue Experience” event, Coldwell Banker professionals will converge on the New Orleans Convention Center from Feb. 29 to March 3, 2012 to exchange ideas, enjoy primetime entertainment and take time to recognize outstanding accomplishments among their colleagues. Below is one of the many attractions for this year's lineup.

Housing Town Hall

This Coldwell Banker event will feature a “Housing Town Hall,” headlined by renowned former presidential advisors Karl Rove (R) and Robert Gibbs (D), who will share their unique experiences from the White House inner circle. Rove and Gibbs will go head-to-head in a politically charged discussion on critical issues shaping the 2012 election, including housing.

“With 2012 being an election year, it is the perfect time for us to bring together two recent presidential advisers from each side of the political aisle to go head-to-head and discuss the extent to which they believe that real estate will be on the minds of the candidates and the American people,” said Budge Huskey, president and chief operating officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Our brokers and agents are in for a treat.”

To see the rest of the lineup for the 2012 Gen Blue Experience, click here

Recently, Forbes.com posted as article entitled “Trulia’s Real Estate Crystal Ball for 2012,” in which Trulia’s chief economist, Jed Kolko, gave his thoughts on where the housing market will go in 2012. One of his predictions applauded Texas, specifically Austin, Houston, Fort Worth and San Antonio, for their steady job growth and construction revival.

Kolko writes:

“Smart cities are hot. In 2012, the local housing markets that will enjoy rising prices, new construction or both, are those that start the year with stronger job growth and fewer empty homes holding back the market. Based on these factors, along with other leading indicators, here are my top five cities to watch:

• Austin, TX, and Houston, TX. The bloom’s not off the yellow rose of Texas. Steady job growth and a construction revival make Austin and Houston two of my five cities to watch. Texas isn’t hung over from the housing boom like the other big states of the South and West, so there’s little to hold back growth. Honorable mention to Fort Worth and San Antonio.”

To see the other four cities, and read the entire article, click here.

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is proud to announce that Miami Beach sales associates, “The New Wave of Real Estate,” group, along with Nancy Corey, branch manager at the Miami Beach office, will be featured speakers at the company’s Generation Blue Experience in New Orleans on February 29 through March 3, 2012.

“The New Wave of Real Estate” is a group of young REALTORS®, who use the latest technologies and social media tools to market properties to the masses. Brought together by branch manager Corey because of their youthful energy and passion for business, “The New Wave of Real Estate” created a concept called the “Social Media Hot Spot,” a technique that utilizes collaborative efforts in order to connect the group’s social media networks. With each member of the “New Wave Group” harnessing their Facebook®, Twitter ® and LinkedIn® networks, they are able to expose property listings to over 15,000 people in under 15-minutes.

Watch a video of “The New Wave of Real Estate” at work here.