Aventura & Sunny Isles Beach Luxury Real Estate

It seems like just yesterday that everyone held on with great anticipation for the beginning of the year 2000. Remember how crazy the media got about Y2K? The millennium was upon us and all havoc was going to break loose. Well, we all woke up on January 1, 2000 and the computers worked and the world did not come to an end. However, the decade proved to be much more destructive with terrorism, war, hazards of weather, and the financial crisis. Both man and nature proved to be enemies to us all and we took the brunt of it quite badly. It has taken a very long time to recover and the effects will be long lasting. In some ways we can never go back to the way things were pre-2000 and yet so many wish they could turn back the clocks not just one hour as in the Fall but ten years worth of one hours. We have learned some very hard lessons, hopefully, and will try to be better prepared for the next decade soon upon us. For those of us in our everyday lives, and with positive outlooks on life in general, we focus on the joys and not as much on the sadness in our lives. Many good people gone from our lives and new little ones entered. Marriages, births, graduations, and milestone birthdays. Ten years is a big chunk of time in anyone’s life and I hope many of you take the time to reflect on what have been the high points in your lives over the past decade. What plans do you have for the future? Plans are what keep us going and give us stability and hope for the future. So much to look forward to that it seems easy to minimize the negatives that we all carry around with us. No one is immune and we can only do our very best each and every day. What new adventures will we find in the next decade? 2010. Hard to believe. The number is daunting yet it is just a number. What we do with the next decade is up to us. Celebrate with your family and friends in a big way or a quiet setting. But, celebrate. We make a hoopla because it is one. Time is the greatest gift we have been given and we can unwrap that gift each and every day. Each dawn is a present we give each other and ourselves and it cannot be exchanged or returned. Use it wisely, enjoy it, and wear it well. Celebrate the possibilities of 2010 and welcome the New Year with open arms. Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year from us to you.
by
Susan Koslovsky

We go through our lives planning for the blueprint we will follow as we navigate through the days of our lives. It all seems so simple to lay out even through the financial difficulties we all face at one time or another. Every day starts anew, aware of what we think lies ahead of us for the day. We talk about our plans, our goals, and how we hope to make our lives more meaningful. We tackle the everyday chores of work, family, traffic, and taking care of our health. Let’s not forget all the mundane stuff like filling the gas tank, picking up the dry cleaning, and of course stopping for Coffee. We kiss our loved ones as they and we go off to school, work, daycare, and to do the household errands. It is rare we wake up and confront the possibility that “today” it could all fall apart. It is easier for us to believe that we are in charge of it all. Our human instinct takes over and makes us believe that we are strong and can take it all on without the remotest possibility that it could all come crumbling down. Jobs are lost, fortunes are taken away, disappointments rear their ugly heads, and we have to deal with all the setbacks we didn’t think would face us because we have a plan, a goal, and nothing will stop us. The expression “Man plans and God laughs” Is an understatement. Man can only plan so much and I don’t think God is laughing at all especially when tragedy strikes. This past week my heart was aching and once again the fragility of life was the only thing that mattered. Dear, dear friends have lost a sweet baby granddaughter, and their daughter has to face life without her beautiful Yakira. She will find the strength to go on for her other children but the uncertainty and fragility of life will forever hang over her. It’s not that we take life for granted, because I do believe we guard life as a precious commodity and one that cannot be replaced. But let’s face it, we do forget because it is not the way you focus your life. That would cripple you and functioning normally would be difficult if not impossible. So oftentimes we digress and have moments of “reality checks” that kick us back into gear. At those exact moments we certainly face how uncertain life really is no matter what.
by
Susan Koslovsky

As we celebrate the Festival of Lights this week, or Chanukah as it is more commonly known, we remember the story and the miracle attached to that momentous time in history. The oil that was found was enough to last not just one or two days, but eight. This holiday is special because of that miracle. It is a most joyful time of celebration with family and friends gathering together to share the traditional potato latkes (I don’t know why there is a need to try variations on a sure thing) light the menorah and exchange gifts. Our family comes together to celebrate all of the above and to k’vel as our children are having children. This was one of my father-in-law’s favorite holidays as he loved to give out the Chanukah Gelt to his children and grandchildren. Miracles go hand in hand with hope and that was a big part of his drive in life. So we enjoy the holiday on many levels and look forward to it each and every year. With the passing of the years, we have seen the real estate market rise steadily with ever so slightly drops in prices now and again. We witnessed record highs in 2004 to 2006 when all anyone could talk about was WOW those prices!!! Everyone compared those selling prices to those of yesteryear and what they could have bought for if they had only known that the prices would rise so much. Buyers were in disbelief that they were paying top dollar and kicking themselves that they didn’t buy sooner. Word has it that “lightning never strikes twice.” Well folks this is your GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. Prices have dropped way below what they were in 2004 to 2006. In some instances the asking prices are back down to what they were 10 years ago. Are you going to make the same mistake again? This is your chance to take advantage of the opportunities you didn’t before. Rentals as well as sale prices are lower than you have seen and will see again for a long time. Inventory is at an all time high and you have many choices available to you. It’s a miracle that was not expected to happen ever again. Even if you have to sell your present home for less than what you would have a few years ago, realize what your dollars will buy now. As a renter looking to buy, you are in the drivers’ seat. Enjoy it, relish this time, and believe in miracles. They do happen.
by
Susan Koslovsky